MeetYouThere

Chapter Twenty

"Mate, seriously. Put your phone away," Calum shoves Ashton's hand in the car as he once again checks Kathreen's flight itinerary, confirming she hasn't cancelled her flight to LA, "She's not even awake."

"Sorry," Ashton sighs, looking out the window as Calum side eyes him before looking back at the road, tapping the steering wheel. "I'm just a little on edge."

"Ya think?" Calum says sarcastically and annoyed, "You asked her to trust you. You have to do the same."

"I know," Ashton grumbles, running his hands down his face, "I'm just afraid she's going to change her mind after everything the last couple days."

"Yeah, I'm sorry, mate," Calum scrunches his nose, still pissed about Kathreen getting egged by Fitzgerald's employees when she arrived back in Sydney.

It took everything out of him to keep Ashton from flying there instead of back home to California. Calum can rationalize that California will be best for her right now, no one here will be egging her, but he knows Ashton is still too upset from that and the second article to think properly, just wanting to be with her to protect her from it all.

"Jerry told me not to allow her to stay," Ashton says frustrated, "Like SHES begging me to be here to cause drama. I told him she was coming here whether he liked it or not and that it was at my request."

"Yeah he doesn't know you very well," Calum snorts, "You'd think that was part of his job, to like know us. He's fucking shit."

"Tell me about it," Ashton grumbles as Calum pulls into the parking lot of Bed, Bath, & Beyond.

"She wants to be with you. She'll come home," Calum reassures Ashton as he finds a parking spot, "I'll stay away, too. To defuse the rumors."

Ashton looks at Calum, upset his best mate is being dragged into this, the article with one single photo of him dancing with Kathreen and a slew of scandalous fabrications dragging him into this mess of slander, "Nah, don't do that. I don't give a fuck. Unless it's bothering you."

Calum laughs, slapping his hand on the tiller, "I don't give a fuck what a gossip channel says about me, I've had my share of shit aired. When it's something this fucking ridiculous I just find it funny. Although, I know it makes Kat look bad, it affects her if people believe she hops between us."

"It's fucking sick," Ashton shakes his head as he stares at the dashboard, over it all.

"Do you think she'd be upset if I mentioned the Vegas thing? I want to share that Kat threw up just at the sight of me in the morning."

Ashton giggles his Ashton giggle as he slaps his knee, Calum grateful to make his friend laugh before he answers, "You should run it by her. She sees how things can be misconstrued better than me."

"Good idea," Calum nods as they get out of the car and walk into the department store, Ashton going to the candle section.

"I want to get like fifteen fucking candles, and like those tall candelabras. I want three of them at least."

"Preparing for a power outage?" Calum teases.

"No, but I want the bathroom to fucking glow like a lighthouse," Ashton cackles. "I want to get a fancy tray thing too. Oh and a pillow!"

"Bed section is over here, mate," Calum turns down an isle to the bedding.

"No, for the bath, bro," Ashton corrects as he smells a candle, the light mixtures of Himalayan salt and vanilla reminding him of her.

"Oh, okay," Calum nods, going back to the door to grab a shopping cart, adding his twelve pack of generic candles to the basket before Ashton adds three large candles and a mini floating candle set.

Ashton fills the cart with more candles and finds multiple candle stands that match his vision before they head to the bath department, adding salts, oils, and bubbles to the cart. Calum finds a bamboo tub tray just as Ashton finds an extraordinary bath pillow, filling the cart to the brim before deciding to head to the check out. They pass a mannequin wearing a delectable baby pink silk pajama set and a plush black robe. Ashton stops to stare at it, replacing the plastic humanoid figure with Kathreen in his mind.

"I have to get this for her," Ashton says, gesturing at the mannequin.

"Those 'jamas are pretty cute," Calum nods.

"What?" Ashton scrunches up his face at Calum, "No, the robe. You think we wear pajamas?"

Calum rolls his eyes and heads back towards the cashier as Ashton laughs, looking at all the color options. He decides on a light pink color with a hood before meeting Calum at the register, the store clerk giggling at some joke Calum made.

"Wow, are you setting up an alter?" she asks, making Calum cover his mouth as he laughs and Ashton snickers.

"I guess that's kind of what I picture in my head," Ashton shrugs, handing her the robe.

"Do you want this embroidered? It's free. You will just have to come back after 2pm to pick it up," she offers, scanning the barcode.

"Yes," Ashton smirks, as Calum shakes his head smiling, not even surprised his best friend would go extra for the love of his life.