MeetYouThere

Chapter Twenty-Four

I awake to Ashton kissing my neck and his arm wrapping tight around me, pulling my body into his. "You rolled away," he pouts in his sleepy raspy voice.

Not knowing why I did because I was sleep, I don't say anything but flip around and snuggle into his bare chest, his Aussie sunshine aroma thick and relaxing as I press my face into his warm skin. He squeezes me and kisses my hair before he rubs my back slowly, lulling me back into a stupor. I listen to the beat of his wonderful heart as his fingers also begin to play with my hair, his morning affection almost too much to bear.

"I think Luke and Sierra are coming over for dinner today," he informs me quietly after a while, his voice still raspy and deep.

"What are we making them?"

"I haven't thought about that," he giggles before I lean away and he stares down at me, his eyes a beautiful deep brown in the morning light that fights to come through the thick blinds.

"I could make lasagna or chicken parmagania."

"Lasagna sounds great. But we will make it together," he smiles before he kisses my forehead and we head to the bathroom to brush our teeth.

He leaves while I wash my face and I return to the dim bedroom to find him scrolling his phone, an unpleasant, annoyed look on his face.

"What's wrong, Babe?" I ask as I climb onto the bed, peering around his hand to see his phone.

His thumb scrolls the comments on twitter, my name or username appearing in most with the words "answers", "cheat", "dating", "Calum", "address," and to my dismay a lot of hurtful words. I swallow as I look away and process the comments I just witnessed as his hand lands on my arm. He sighs as he drops his phone in his lap and I squeeze his hand before getting up, feeling too anxious to just sit as I know what he is about to say.

"I think I need to do a Live and address some of these questions and assumptions," he sighs again, frustrated. I lean against the dresser and nod at him, agreeing, even though I feel sick. "Do you want to join me?" he pats the bed next to him and I shake my head, beginning to feel nauseous at what comments I could see live on his screen if I were to sit next to him. He nods with a sad expression but doesn't push me as he taps and scrolls on his phone. "I'm notifying Jerry and the boys. Just as a heads up," he says as I sit on the edge of the bed facing him, wanting to be with him for support before he puts a knee up to rest his wrist on and sighs.

I watch as his eyes stare at his screen with a slight smile and he waves, "Hi guys! G'day, or night, depending where you are. It's morning here for me. I just woke up and decided I really need to clear some things up for everyone who is asking." He sighs and adjusts uncomfortably before continuing, "I love and appreciate you all so much, but I don't owe you an explanation for every facet of my life. However, there have been some very awful things said, not just about me, but the guys too, and other people that I really care about. As you know I have a hard time keeping quiet when people I love are involved," he giggles gently, easing the tension I see building in his shoulders. "So," he sighs again, "let's just get into it. No, I did not smash some guys face into a concrete wall. But I will admit that I punched him. I'm not going to get much into that because its not just my story. I refuse to speak for Kat and this is mostly her story. And if she doesn't want to talk about it, guys that's okay, please don't harass her. I ask you to be kind, please." He pauses as his eyes read the comments that flood in and I scoot closer, resting my hand on his extended leg before he grabs it and continues to answer what must be overpowering the feed, "I punched him because not only was he aggressive with another woman, who did speak out about this, but he called Kat something you DO NOT call a woman. Ever. I would have done the same for any woman," he shakes his head, still disgusted as he remembers that moment in my flat, "So that's why I punched him. Then he left."