Washed Up ≫ A.I

Chapter [30]

[Charlotte Kendall]

Ashton had made me feel a lot better about everything. I was still furious with Tyson and Benson for going behind my back but I wasn't thinking about it as much anymore. Ashton was good at helping me forget it all.

Earlier I had kissed Ashton basically breaking my own forced rules. Just in that moment I wanted to kiss him and I was glad he wanted to kiss me back. For awhile now we had left the kiss out of context as Ashton offered I take a walk with him. For now he was trying his best to make me laugh and it was working.

"So you're a professional tree climber is that right?" Ashton nudges my left shoulder as we walk through the jungle once again. It was very close to sunset and the trees where all colored in dark purples and reds.

I laugh a little and lift up the bottom off my shirt. Ashton's eyes widen at the large scrape down my side towards my belly button, "I wouldn't say professional." I add judging by the size of my slip up in the tree earlier. Before I could even get my shirt down Ashton pokes my side curiously with his finger. "Ow! Hey!"

"Sorry." He pulls both hands away and raise them in surrender with a straight face.

I pull my top down and glare at him long enough for his smirk to form. We both stop in our tracks and Ashton bursts out into a loud laughter. I punch him in the shoulder before falling into him in laughter as well. "Why don't you give tree climbing a try then." I challenge him in between laughs.

He immediately accepts and rolls up his sleeves. He was wearing a new top for once, a black thermal from Brandon's pile of stolen clothes. His sleeves folded at his elbows as he stretched out his arms and cracked his knuckles with his palms facing me. I let go of a little giggle while watching this six foot man march over to the shortest tree near by. I'm sure once he started climbing the poor thing it would just flop over into a broken limp; or at least Ashton might.

"Are you ready?" He calls out for me to watch. I nod with a silly grin on my lips as I fold my arms across my chest. Ashton put his shoe up against the tree and steadied himself as he looked up to the nearest branch. It wasn't far up but he still jumped anyways to latch onto the tree. He missed of course and I accidentally laughed too hard. "Stop laughing!" He practically whined over to me.

I held my breath and waited for my cheeks to burn red. He tried again but this time was stuck dangling over a couple of inches of ground. By now I was so focused on Ashton failing to impress me. His feet kicked out and wrapped around the tree stump until he was stuck and couldn't figure out a way to move up the tree.

"Are you going to climb the thing or just hang there like a limp sloth?" I mock from a far as he shushes me from laughing.

"Shut up, I'm strategizing." Suddenly there was a cracking noise and Ashton hopped down so fast, too afraid of falling from the tree in embarrassment. I was laughing once again as he walked over to me brushing the branch crumbs from his palms. "Did you see that? That damn tree couldn't handle me."

"Oh yeah Ashton, congrats on scaring a tree off." I state sarcastically causing him to giggle under his breath. We continue to walk back towards the fields again as the jungle grew darker. I can't help but hold Ashton's hand as we step over thick bundles of bushes and grass. I hadn't stopped giggling over Ashton's tree climbing attempt.

"You know, I'm glad I can make you laugh." He mumbles once we stop discussing every small detail.

We were close to the fields border line and I could already see the fire pits smoke from between the trees thick brush. It had taken me a moment to remember where we were and what we've been doing.