Lost in the Sounds || a.f.i.

Replacing the Pearl

                                                                          All I Want- Kodaline          

                                                                             +One Year Later+

I had just gotten home from my shift at the store after a full day of classes and the thing I was most looking forward to, after sleep, was my call with Ash. It was Friday night, which was our desginated "date night". Meaning we both spared a few minutes in each of our schedules to talk on Skype, just us, every Friday at 6:30 Pacific Time. Last time I talked to him, he said they were almost done recording in London.

It was 6:27, and I had just sat down with my laptop at the kitchen table with a salad in front of me. I had cut my hair short, but I left it natural, so it sat curly and frizzy around my face that was covered by a pair of round glasses.

I clicked the call button at 6:29. I waited for a minute until a notice came up saying that he was unavailable for Skype.

Had he forgotten? Was he with someone else?

I couldn't help but feel like he'd betrayed me somehow. Like we'd been away too long and he'd given up or something. I knew he would never give up on us, but it still felt like it.

Then I heard a knock on my door.

I opened it cautiously to find four familiar faces dressed in classy tuxedos.

My jaw dropped in disbelief and I immediately felt the tears start in.

Luke, Calum, and Michael each held a single rose. They stood around Ashton in the middle who was also on the verge of happy-tears. He just stood there, admiring me for a moment, and I did the same for him.

Just then, he dropped down onto a single knee. He revealed a small black box and my hand covered my mouth. A tear slid silently down my cheek. He delicately opened the small box.

"Wren Irene Matson," he said with a bold smile. I continued to stand in the door way, tears pooling on top of my bottom eyelashes. "Will you marry me?"

I nodded and he slipped the classic single diamond ring onto my left hand. Replacing the pearl with it.

He got up and picked me up off the ground in the most satisfying hug I had ever had. The boys cheered behind us while Ashton showered me with kisses all over my face. Eventually, the boys slipped away and left us alone.

I stopped Ashton for a minute just so that I could hold his face in my hands and take in everything about him again. He had changed, but he was still Ashton. And I was so in love with that boy.

"I didn't realize how much hair you had chopped off," he said as he looked me dead in the eyes.

"Didn't realize you let your hair grow out so much," I giggled.

"I've missed you so much, Wren." He whispered before placing a quick kiss on my lips.

"And I you, mi amor." I replied.

"What does that even mean?" he laughed. The dimples I loved so had returned. And they were here to stay. They were all mine.

"Sorry, I forgot that living in California means basically living in Mexico," I laughed with him. "It means, 'my love'".

"Ahh, okay. Got it." He leaned down and attatched his lips to mine. I had missed that so much. He kissed me softly, but forcefully, and I couldn't get enough of it.

The next morning, I woke up next to the boy from next door. The boy who I fell for. The light from the window flooded the room and highlighted his every feature. I traced his jawline and lips just like I did almost 2 years ago. It felt so fluid and familiar.

His eyes fluttered open and he smiled a bit in the midst of a yawn. He reached out and touched my frizzy hair.

"Goodmorning, lovely." he said in his coarse morning voice that made my stomach drop.

"Hi," I said, too distracted by the fact that he was back, here with me again.

"I used to say I could get used to waking up to you," he said with a growing smirk, his eyes darting all over my face and neck. "Now I really do get to wake up to this every morning."

"Is that a thing you're happy about?" I asked with false concern. I giggled a little.

"Dear lord, am I happy about that."

DEAR GOD THERES ONLY ONE MORE CHAPTER AGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH im so sorry if this sucks, it's 12 at night here. also, im reallllllllll sorry about how incredibly cliché this entire thing was like wow