Stuck {A.I.}

four

Ashton wasn't sure how he'd managed to keep his cool in Bayla's presence. As soon as she sauntered out of the room he let out a ragged sigh; the accident had rattled him pretty badly. His fingers crept to the pocket where he usually kept his cigarettes, only to remember that they were currently in the glove compartment of his car, which was currently burried in a snowdrift.

He stood and walked to the front door, so desperate to get his cigarettes that he'd almost forgotten about the storm. To Ashton's surprise, the door didn't move an inch no matter how hard he shoved.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ashton turned to face Bayla, who was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed disapprovingly. He sadly noted that she'd found another sweater to wear, and was no longer topless.

"Trying to get out to my car." He stated simply. "My cigarettes are out there."

"Are you kidding me?" Bayla arched an eyebrow and stepped forward to try to open the door. "No smoking in my house."

"You're really going to make me smoke outside? In this weather?" But Bayla was too busy jiggling the doorknob and heaving her entire body against the door in an attempt to get it open to respond.

"Well shit," she frowned. "We're stuck."

Ashton looked out the window next to the door to see the large amount of snow that had probably fallen off of the roof and was now blocking the door and chuckled. "No shit, honey."

"Don't call me that." Her frown deepened. "You don't get to call me honey anymore."

"Why not?" Ashton blurted, instantly regretting his cocky statement, especially as Bayla's face grew cloudy.

"Please don't start this." She whispered. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."

"No come on," He tugged her closer to him by the sleeve of her sweater. "This is the first time we've had time to really just sit and talk about what happened, just the two of us, and we clearly have plenty of time." The thought of talking to his ex-girlfriend about their painful breakup made Ashton's heart pound, but it seemed like a good idea, regardless.

"Fine." Bayla exhaled. "But I'm going to make some food, I'm starving."

"Sounds good." Ashton awkwardly followed her into the kitchen, leaning on the counter like he'd done countless times before in the same room. Her house hadn't changed at all since the last time he'd been over...

"Taylor Beth Carson what the actual fuck?!"

Ashton stormed into Bayla's house, pushing past her and into the kitchen. He was fuming.

"Ashton! Calm down!" Bayla grabbed his shoulders to stop him from angrily pacing around her kitchen, but he yanked himself away from her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were back?" Ashton yelled. "I called you, I texted you! And then I find out from Michael you've been back for two weeks? What the hell?!"

"Please keep your voice down, Daisy's sleeping." Bayla begged.

"Can you please just explain to me why you left for two months, ignored all my calls, and then didn't tell me that you were back? Jesus Christ Taylor, I was worried sick! You don't just do that to your boyfriend who you claim to love."

She looked up at him with her big doe eyes filled with tears. "I do love you. I was just avoiding you because...because..."

"Because why?" A sense of dread was filling Ashton's chest, and as she spoke the next seven words he suddenly couldn't breathe.

"Because I think we need a break."

The screaming match that followed wasn't something Ashton was particularly proud of. Bayla kept trying to keep her voice down, but it got harder and harder as the argument wore on.

"Ashton, you claim that you want me to be happy, so why can't you except that this is going to make me happy?" She was struggling to get the words out now.

"Because I love you! I love you so goddamn much! I let you go once, I can't let you go again." Ashton slammed his hand down on the counter, making her flinch.

"I gave up so much for you, you don't even know." She whispered with tears forming in her eyes. "I listened to that shit band you like, I drove you everywhere when you didn't have your license, I let you sleep over when your parents were fighting..."

"Hey, Brand New isn't a shit band." Ashton interjected. Bayla shook her head at him and kept going.

"The point is, I need some time for myself. You clearly don't understand why, but please just trust that it's what I need."

"So now you're not going to give me a reason why you're breaking up with me? You can tell me anything, you know you can!" Ashton attempted to lower his voice but his tone was still dripping with anger.

Bayla shook her head again before dropping her gaze to the floor. "I can't. I can't tell you."

"Tell me so we can make this work!" Ashton begged, tipping her chin up so he could look her in the eye.

"I can't." Every word out of her mouth stung.

"Then fine." Ashton dropped his hand and backed away. "I guess if I'm the only one who wants us to stay together..."

"Ashton, that's not what I meant!"

"...then we're done." Ashton's voice cracked as he said it. "Goodbye, Bayla."

"Mac and cheese or frozen pizza?"

Ashton jerked his head up at Bayla's question. "Hmm? Oh, um, mac and cheese I guess." She nodded and turned back around to prepare the food.

"Can we talk now?" He asked as she poured the noodles into a pot of boiling water.

"Sure, go ahead." Her words sounded flat and emotionless, as though she were already distancing herself from the conversation that hadn't even started yet.

"Why did you have to leave?" Bayla bit her lip and looked up at the ceiling. "And why did we have to break up? I loved you, Taylor Beth."

"And I loved you too." Ashton couldn't help but notice how much emphasis she put on the past tense of 'loved'. "But I had to put myself first. Our relationship was too draining for me."

Ashton really wasn't sure what she meant. "But why didn't you talk to me about it? We could have fixed it!"

"No," Bayla let out a heavy sigh. "We couldn't have. It was me, not you."

"Really? Because that's not how you made it sound." He forced out a fake chuckle. "Can you just tell me why?"

Bayla opened her mouth like she was about to, then paused and closed it again. "Maybe some other time." She sounded defeated. "We have some wine in the basement, you want some with your mac and cheese?"

Realizing that this meant their short-lived discussion was over, Ashton sighed and nodded. "Sure, let's get drunk."

-

haha this isn't going to end well

this chapter confused me and i was the one who wrote it oops oh well everything will be explained soon

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