Stressed, Depressed & BoyBand Obsessed

Chapter 18:

Ashton pulled out the television remote from under a few shirts and switched on the small tv. A show I had never seen before appeared in the small screen. I stood there in the middle of the room whilst he swiped any clutter on his bed onto the floor. The sight of the mess falling onto the carpet made me cringe.

We hadn't spoken since I had caught Ashton looking through my shirt. After the awkward conversation he quickly occupied himself with other things in the room, avoiding any contact with me.

"You coming?" He asked after sitting on one side of the now clean bed. I perched myself next to Ashton and focused on the show. After looking over at me and noticing I wasn't moving any closer, Ashton leaned over and wrapped an arm around my waist. I stiffened slightly at his sudden movement but quickly relaxed when he pulled me closer.

It was funny to think that I had only known Ashton for little over a month and we were so comfortable around each other. A little too comfortable perhaps. I wasn't complaining at the fact I actually had someone that cared about me for once, but it seemed suspicious that he was acting as if we had known each other for years.

"Why do you do that? Act as if we've known each other for ages?" I asked before my mind could comprehend what my mouth was saying. "What?" He looked down at me, a look of confusion and surprise written across his features. "You heard." I said bluntly, not trying to be mean. "I don't know actually," He paused whilst thinking of a valid answer, "I guess it's because when I first met you I felt this kind of connection, if you know what I mean." He attempted to explain.

A connection? Really? That was the excuse he was giving me? The defensive side of me would have blurted straight out with the questions and shut Ashton out like I do with everyone else, but for some reason I didn't. I looked back up at Ashton and flashed him a small smile before shuffling closer and watching the television again.
He rested his cheek on the top of my head that was pressed up against his chest, listening to the steady heartbeat.

It felt as if we had been curled up on the bed for hours watching episode after episode of the show I had never heard of before today.

We were broken from that temporary escape from reality when the hotel door burst open and three boys strolled in laughing. "The lovebirds are at it again." Michael teased as he looked over to us. We quickly broke apart and sat on opposite sides of the bed. "We aren't lovebirds for the last time." I whined at the three boys howling over the oh so funny joke about mine and Ashton's friendship. The longer the boys laughed, the redder Ashton's face got. He really was embarrassed by their teasing. Eventually they calmed down enough to be able to string together a simple sentence. "Okay... I think I'm done now." Michael said in between breaths.
"We should've known he was leaving us again to meet you." Calum spoke whilst sitting on the other bed. What? Ashton was with the boys when I called him?
"You didn't need to do that for me Ashton, I would've understood if you said you were busy." I looked over at Ashton as I spoke, it seemed as if we were the only two in the room. "Well if I hadn't come you'd still be in that rain right now." He softly spoke back to me in almost a whisper. Moments of what happened hours ago flashed before my eyes, the pictures only there long enough to catch a glimpse of before they disappeared. I snapped myself out of the hideous mistake I had made of talking to Noah in the first place. Not just today but at the concert, I should have ignored him or something.

"Leah? Did you hear me?" Calum smiled and waved his hand in front of my face playfully. "Sorry I completely zoned out." I returned the smile, making it as convincing as humanly possible. He believed my attempt at being happy so asked the question again. "I asked why you were in the rain?"

Shit! I panicked internally, frantically searching for an answer to his question. Everyone's eyes were on me as I fumbled to find an excuse. "I- I..." The stuttered words fell from my mouth uncontrollably. "She was waiting for me to pick her up and it started raining but she didn't have an umbrella so she got all wet." Ashton attempted to save me by blurting out the first excuse he could probably think of. They all seemed to believe the answer even though it didn't quite match up with what Ashton said earlier. "Are you sure it was the rain that got her all wet?" Michael snickered at his dirty joke. My eyes widened and a small gasp left my lips, "that is disgusting Michael." I said and pushed him lightly. This foul joke set off another round of laughter. Honestly the jokes weren't even that funny. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Ashton's face growing red again. "But in all seriousness," Michael paused. Oh God what was he going to come out with now? "Does he make you wet?" He asked with a devilish smirk on his face, trying to hold back the imminent laughter. My mouth dropped open, if I were a cartoon my jaw would definitely be on the floor right now. "No Michael no he doesn't!" I said loudly, swatting his chest multiple times before pushing him a little too hard and he fell off of the bed.