The Fifth Member for a Summer or Two

Chapter Five

I woke up the next morning with two sets of arms still around me.

I was still curled up into Luke's chest and he had his arms around my upper back, while Ashton had his face nuzzled into my back and his arms around my waist. I tried to move without waking them, but I felt the arms around my waist tighten.

"I'm up, babe." Ashton whispered.

"Hi." I whispered rolling over and out of Luke's arms and into Ashton's. Luke rolled over and curled up, not waking up.

"How are you this morning?" Ashton asked.

"The truth or the fake lie I've been holding up for a while?" I asked.

"Well, I would prefer the truth." He said resting his chin on top of my head.

I wouldn't be able to have this conversation with him if I had to look at him. I would just end up crying.

"I feel numb. I feel like there's a whole in my chest where my heart should be. I feel small and unimportant. I feel ugly and insecure. I feel like I'm a fucking idiot for putting up with his shit for this long." I said, getting angry towards the end.

"Ashton, do you know what it feels like to have the person you love be seeing other people on the side?" I said into his shirt.

"No." He whispered.

"I feel like I'm not good enough. I've actually felt like that for a while, I've just been putting up a confident act. I feel like I'm broken; like there's something wrong with me. Like, why am I not good enough for him? What makes those other girls better?" I said.

"Annie. You are not broken, and there is nothing wrong with you." He said rubbing my back.

He pulled away slightly and lifted my chin so I was looking into his eyes.

"Nobody's perfect, and neither are you. But, you are the perfect Annabelle Mae Taylor that was born on May 26th in 1994 in Australia that grew up chasing her dreams and joined some lame band and has 4 weird ass guys as her best friends. There is no one else that does Annabelle Taylor more perfect than you. So don't let some fucking asshole think

you're broken, or that there's something wrong with you. Because there isn't." He told me.

He actually had me smiling.

"Thank you." I whispered.

"You are very welcome." He whispered back, kissing my forehead.

A few moments, I felt the bed dip and then a grunt as Luke hit the ground.

I pulled out of Ashton's arms and moved over to the edge of the bed looking down at Luke from over the edge.

"Did you fall out of bed?" I giggled.

He had the worst bed head, but really it was cute, and he was trying to rub the sleep from his eyes.