The Loverboy

Please Just Listen

*Rowan's POV*
We all got into Luke's car with our beach stuff, ready for a fun day! Ashton drove, with Calum in the front seat. I was sandwiched in between Michael and Luke. Michael kept poking my sides, trying to get a rise out of me, while Luke quietly gazed out the window. "So what are we gonna do at the beach?" Calum asked excitedly. "I'm gonna throw Rowan in the water" Michael teased. "If you don't stop poking me I'll throw you in a pool of sharks." I threatened. He giggled and stopped poking me.

After a few more minutes passed, we arrived at the beach. We all tumbled out of the car and ran out onto the sand. I set up my towel and umbrella and got out a magazine and sunglasses while the boys ran right into the water and started shouting and yelling like wild animals. I tuned them out with some Ariana Grande in my earbuds. I shut my eyes and began to soak up the sun.

I opened my eyes when Calum begun to shake my shoulder. "Rowan! Rowan!" I opened my eyes to see the boys staring at me like I had just passed out. "what?" I moaned. "We're going to get everybody milkshakes! Can you wait here with Ashton?" He said."Yeah sure." "Thanks, you're a real doll" He said smiling.

"Hi" I said to Ashton, not wanting to be rude. This was an awkward moment, and I knew the boys left me alone with him on purpose. "Hey" He said in that fake nice voice of his. I gave him a fake smile. "Rowan, I-" He began. "Don't waste your breath" I snapped. I didn't want to hear it.

"We're back!" I heard the boys say, handing us our milkshakes.

By the time we got home, it was late at night. I went to clean up the kitchen a little while the boys ran upstairs and into their rooms. After I did the dishes, I went into my own room to get ready for bed. I put on a pair of patterned leggings and one of my old t-shirts. I brushed my hair and teeth before crawling into my bed.

I heard another knock on the door. The boys just can't leave me alone can they? "It's opened" I moaned sleepily. Boy, do I regret not asking who it was. In came none other than Ashton. I rolled over on my bed so my back faced him. "What do you want." I said angrily. I wanted to go to bed. "Can I please talk to you without you cutting me off?" He pleaded. "Make it quick, I'm tired" I grumbled.

"Rowan, I never meant to hurt you." Lies. "I know you think I did, but I only meant to trip you, not have to take you to the ER." He said. "And why would you try to trip me?" "I was mad that you told on me for getting in a fight and me getting expelled as a result. So I thought that tripping you and watching you faceplant would be nice revenge" "Pretty sucky idea of revenge if you ask me" I said with a snort.

"I know... and I'm truly sorry for how I acted at school, and for when I lashed out at you. I never meant any of it. I just feel brokenness and I had to get my anger out." He confided. I took his hand in mine. "Ashton, why are you broken?"

He stared into my eyes for a while before he opened his mouth again to talk. "My dad left me and mum when I was very little. It was just me and mum until my siblings came along. I had to take care of my family as a dad would. It was really stressful for me. I used to cut but I decided it wasn't making me feel any better so I started taking it out on other kids."

"Oh" I said simply.

I traced his wrist with my finger. "I just wanted to say that I am sorry for hurting you." He said, eyeing my ankle. "...can I?" I nodded. He unraveled the bandage off of my ankle and examined the swollen mark. He traced it with his finger before I winced in pain. He quickly wrapped it back up. "Anyways, goodnight." He said with a weak smile.

"Ashton, wait!" I said hesitating. He turned back around and sat back down on my bed. I crawled into his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm sorry too" I whispered in his ear. I saw a tear escape his eye. "Rowan, I uh, I" He muttered. "Go ahead." "I'm in love with you." "I love you too, Ashton."