Getting to Know You

Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

Ashton was no longer lying next to me when I woke up, and it made me feel uneasy. He was always there... Always. I found him in the front room sitting on the couch with his phone pressed tightly to his ear, and he looked upset. I softly knocked on the wall to let him know I was there and he glanced over, giving me a small smile. "Hey." He whispered, pulling me down next to him and draping his arm across my shoulders.

"What was that, mom? Oh, Nats is up. I was just saying good morning." He looked down at me and pulled me into his side, kissing my forehead. "Good morning." He smiled, resting his chin on top of my head when I laid down on his chest.

"No, mom, you're not intruding. Please don't go." He said, his eyebrows furrowing together as he tried to convince her to stay on the phone. She must have wanted to hang up now that she knew I was awake.

"Ash, talk to her. Don't let her hang up." I said, knowing that Anne was missing her son and just wanted to talk.

"Natalie says you can't hang up." He said, absentmindedly trailing his fingers down the back of my arm and giving me goose bumps.

"Don't hang up or she'll will be upset with me." He teased, squeezing my arm when I playfully slapped his chest. His chest shook with laughter and I smiled at the sound, looking up at him.

"No, I'm not kidding. Always do what the lady says." He winked, resting his forehead against mine. "If the lady's happy, I'm happy." He smiled, placing a quick kiss to my lips before leaning back on the couch.

"You taught me well..." Ashton laughed and I left him to chat with his mom, deciding to get dressed and ready for the day. I put on one of Ashton's shirts and a pair of shorts, tossing my hair into a messy bun and slipping on my vans. When I was ready, Ash was still on the phone, and I wanted to give him more time to talk with Anne.

"I'm going to start clearing my walls." I whispered, not wanting to interrupt his conversation. He shook his head, standing up. "I'll be okay." I said, placing my hands on his shoulders and pushing him back down on the couch. "Stay here and talk, she needs you. I'll hurry, I promise." I said quietly, running my hands through his hair. I wanted Ashton to have some time alone to really talk to his mom, and I wasn't worried about going home alone this time. Really I was just excited to finish up packing. After today, I would be officially all packed up and ready to move. I didn't need to pack anything big; no bed, no dressers... I just needed the guts of my room; clothes, shoes, drawings, sketchbooks, and anything else I wanted to take. All I had to do today was take down everything on my walls and put them in boxes with my sketchbooks, and I would be ready to move.

"I thought you wanted me to go with you? Are you sure?" He asked, taking my hand. I nodded and he stood, walking me to the door.

"Hold on one second, mom." He said, holding his phone against his shoulder as he spoke to me. "You'll call me if you need anything?" He asked, and I nodded. "Alright..." He trailed off, unsure about whether or not he was actually going to let me go to my house alone. "I love you." He said, cupping the back of my neck and pulling my lips to meet his. "Thank you, Natalie." He whispered, grateful for the time I was giving him. "Be fast." He smiled, kissing me once more before watching me drive down the street until I disappeared around the corner.

I drove by my house once to make sure my dad's truck was gone before pulling in the driveway. I filled my arms with empty boxes and went inside, heading straight upstairs. I wanted to pack everything up as quickly as possible before he got home, and before anybody else I didn't want to see showed up.

But I guess it was already too late for that.

"Natalie?"

My mom was sitting on my bed in a pair of plaid pajama pants and a tight fitting t-shirt.