Stuck {a.i. & l.h. fanfic}

Chapter 6

I get in my car and head towards the address Ashton had given me. On my way there, alot of things were racing around in my head. Like why Ashton would call me out of everyone else. He has Luke, Calum, and Michael but he called me. Also why was I suddenly ditching my boyfriend for Ashton of all people? I was honestly confusing myself.

To keep those thoughts out of my mind, I keep running the place he gave me through my mind and after an absurd amount of time, I finally realized where it was. For some unknown reason, Ashton was in the bad part of town. Like the really bad part. The side no one ever went to for fear of being mugged, attacked, or sometimes killed. What the hell was Ashton doing down there? And what the hell was I doing risking my safety driving down here? I should turn around. Yeah, I definitely should. But I didn't make any move to turn around. My hands stayed securely on the wheel, feigning confidence I truly didn't have. There was a part of me that felt Ashton might genuinely need me. Or...someone. Not necessarily me. I am the biggest idiot. I really am.

I finally drove up to the provided address after half an hour of inner turmoil and mindless driving. It was some old house in a really bad neighborhood. It looked really run down. The paint was chipped off all over the building and the screen door looked like it was falling off the hinges. I could only imagine what Ashton was doing here.

Was he dealing drugs? I inwardly cringe at the thought of that. Surely Ashton wasn't dealing drugs. Yes, he was a major asshole and a jerk and everything else in between but drug-dealing seemed out of his repertoire. So I thought, anyway. No. No, Ashton wasn't dealing drugs. I pride myself on seeing the good in people and I refused to believe that's what he was doing here.

Maybe he actually was trying to murder me and finally, permanently, get me away from Luke.

Fuck, why is my mind so damn dark?

I turn the car off and look around before I finally spot Ashton. It was hard to see him, he was dressed in all black with his head down. For a second I thought I would find him dead in a pile of his own blood or standing with some shady dude passing money and drugs between each other. Damn, I really shouldn't let my imagination take the wheel on these types of situations.

But thankfully it was neither. He was sitting on the nearly-broken down steps leading to the patio with his head in his hands. For the first time since I met him, he isn't wearing one of his famous bandanas tied around his head. His curly hair was blowing freely in the slight breeze outside.

He obviously didn't know I arrived so I had to get out and walk over to him. Before I did, I just sat there looking at him, confused. Ashton himself confused me. He acts like a total asshole towards me but then he calls me in the middle of the night asking me to drive to the most dangerous part of town to, dare I say, rescue him?

But what about me? I just dropped everything and came to rescue someone who treats me like shit. That was confusing as hell too. What was going on? Maybe I'm just a better person than I give myself credit for.

No, that's not it.

I swing open my door and walk over to him. "Ashton." I say quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone in the houses around me. God knows what kind of people live here. I was not ready to be killed. I was already scared enough as it was.

"Ashton!" I yell a little louder when he doesn't answer me. But he just keeps sitting there with his head in his hands. I groan and walk closer.

Damn it Ashton.

"Ashton!" I yell and slap him on the shoulder. He bolts up immediately, scaring me a step backwards.

"Fuck!" I yell and clutch my chest as my skips about a million beats.

He pulls out his headphones. Thats why he couldn't hear me. It made sense now. "Sorry Shay. I didn't see you."

"Its okay. You ready to go?" I could tell he has had a rough night. He looks exhausted and his eyes are red like he's been crying...or doing drugs. Nope, I push that thought out of my head. He nods and heads towards the car slowly.

When we were both settled and I was pulling out the driveway, I decided maybe I should ask him what was going on. But I wasn't really expecting an answer. Not from him.

"Are you ok?" I ask, genuinely concerned. No, Ashton was not my favorite person in the world but he seemed really upset. Again, he doesn't answer. He just stares out the window.

"What did you tell Luke?" He finally asks a few minutes later.

Luke. Luke, my boyfriend. The one I was about to lose my virginity to when Ashton had called. The guy I had left stranded in my home half naked without a single warning. Well, I was officially the worst girlfriend ever.

Jesus, what has gotten into me tonight?

"Shit." I can't believe I forgot to tell Luke. He must be pissed. "I didn't."

"You didn't tell him you were leaving?" Ashton finally looks over at me, stunned.

"No." I mutter guiltily.

"Maybe thats for the best." He says and looks back out the window solemnly. Enough of this creepy silence shit. He was going to tell me what the hell happened. I had driven all the way over here to pick him up in this sketchy ass neighborhood. The least he could do was give me a damn explanation.

"Ok Ashton. Seriously. What the hell were you doing over there? And why did you call me?"

"Leave it alone Shay." He whispers, clearly exhausted. But I apparently don't know when to stop so I keep going.

"No! You could have called anyone but you called me. You have Luke, Michael, and Calum. And who knows how many girls you have completely wrapped around your finger. You hate me Ashton! You hate me!" My voice gets louder as I get angrier and more fired up.

"I don't hate you Shay!" He yells right back, breaking his unwritten vow of temporary silence.

"Really? You don't hate me? You treat me like absolute shit and you don't think I'm good enough for your best friend." He just shakes his head, willing himself not to say anything. "You should have just called someone else. Anyone else. Anyone but me. I shouldn't be here."

Ashton couldn't hold it in anymore, I had pushed him too far. "There is no one else! There is no one else I could have called! I could never call Michael or Calum. I don't trust them. At all. They are complete idiots who just follow me around because they want the popularity. Fucking mindless drones. And I don't want Luke to know about this. If he did, he would hate me. And I would lose the one person who gives a shit about what happens to me. There is no one else." He pauses before going on.

"And I don't hate you. I wouldn't have asked you to come get me if I hated you. I just...I don't know. Nevermind. Just leave it alone. Please." He begs, using manners for the first time I've met him.

Something was really wrong with him and its killing me that he won't talk about it. "I'm sorry, Ash." I really was. Maybe I was being an unnecessary jerk.

"I'll tell you about it. But not tonight." He promises. "But you have to swear it stays between us."

I nod, assuring him that Luke won't find out.

"Alright. I'll take you out to dinner on Friday and I'll tell you then."

I open my mouth to protest. This is starting to sound like a date and I was definitely not open to that. I was still hesitant about Ashton. He runs pretty hot and cold.

"Don't worry. Its not a date." It may just be that I'm mentally exhausted but I could have sworn I heard a hint of disappointment in his voice. "I'll just tell Luke I need to apologize to you or some other bullshit reason."

20 minutes later, Ashton was back at Luke's house, and I was walking upstairs to my room. But before I even made it there, Luke was sitting on the stairs waiting for me. "What the hell, Shay?"