Second Chance || Luke Hemmings

|| 7 ||

"Hey ash! Where's the cereal?" I ask him, searching through the cupboard quickly. I feel like my stomach will eat itself if I don't eat something right away.

"It's in here!" He calls back to me, and I just groan. I mean I know the living room isn't far away, but who wants to walk???¿

I trudge up and around the corner into the living room, seeing a giggly Ashton and his girlfriend eating cereal on the floor, bowls in their hands, box of lucky charms set in between them along with the carton of milk.

"Seriously?" I say, slightly annoyed, slightly finding them amusing and adorable.

"Sorry," he mumbles through a mouthful of marshmallows.

I take the box and the milk from them and walk into the kitchen to pour myself some. And when I do finally get to take a bite, I am ultimately satisfied. Lucky charms are always a good choice, take a note.

"So, Al," Ashton walks in with two empty bowls and walks over to put them in the sink.

"Hm?" I look up from my phone to look at him.

"Do you ever stop talking to Michael?" Ashton laughs, leaning against the top of the island.

"For your information, I'm not talking to Michael, I'm talking to Luke," I say, a matter-o-factly.

"Well tell your boyfriend to be ready by 2 today, because we're going to go to the beach," Ashton says to me, and I feel a smile form in my face. I haven't been to the beach in a while, mainly because Michael is a vampire, Ashton, Luke, and Calum weren't here, and I'm not really close enough with anyone else to go to the beach with. I mean I would've gone by myself, but it's more fun going with people.

"Sweet!" I cheer, almost knocking my full bowl over. Yikes, that could've been bad.

Ashton laughs and begins to walk away, and one thing jumps forth in my mind before he disappears. Now should be the time I tell him huh? Calum was right, what happens if I do wait longer to tell him. He'd be pissed.

"Ashton," I call out to him before he turns the corner. He stops and turns around to look back at me.

"How come you never told me about Janelle?" I  ask him as kindly as possible. Dammit Al, WRONG QUESTION.

"Well," he steps forward from where he was standing, so he could lower his voice, "I know you were stressing out and stuff with school and with Luke, and all that, and mom told me about your little break down, and I just figured that the time wasn't right and you needed someone to talk to who had your full attention. If I told you about Janelle, you probably wouldn't have bothered me as much as you did. But I'm glad you did, because you need other people besides Michael to talk to, and I just want to make sure you're okay."

And what he had said just hit home, and made me feel crappier, too.

"Thank you," I smile up at him. He's right. If I had known about Janelle, I wouldn't have called him as much because I would've probably felt like I was interrupting a moment they were probably having.

"Hey, you always come first in my life, kiddo," he genuinely smiled at me and came closer to give me one of his famous Ashton hugs. One of my favorite things in the world.every sister needs her brotherly love, especially me.

"Now, you have a girlfriend who's probably concerned that you tripped and died because you've been in here too long, go enjoy your morning," I shoo him off of me and watch as he walks away, happily.

After he leaves out of sight, I sigh. I don't deserve him as a brother. Honestly, I'm too needy of him, and I still haven't told him the truth.

"Seriously, Al," I say to myself, letting my head flop against my forearms on the table.
**