I'm Sorry • Lashton

Chapter 10

It's fun and games until we both get hurt,
we play with fire 'cause we like the way it burns,
no use in patching up a sinking ship
-Ancient history // Set It Off

Living with the Hemmings' was honestly not as terrible as Ashton thought it would be. Or maybe he felt this way, because he barely spent time in the house. Despite his mother's subtle hissing and glaring every time he left the house, Ashton chose to stay away. In fact, the only reason he ever felt the need to go inside the house, was to sleep and sometimes eat. It had reached the point, where he would sometimes even shower at Rio's place. It wasn't that he was avoiding his family and the Hemmings' family, but rather that he was avoiding his roommate. His roommate who completely ignored him every time he entered the room, and who barely offered Ashton space let alone a warm welcome. In fact, the shorter boy couldn't even think of the last time he had spoken to Luke, aside from the odd 'excuse me', and maybe a 'good morning' if Luke was feeling a little less bitchy.

Even so, Ashton wasn't expecting his behaviour to go unnoticed. But he really didn't expect Liz of all people, to give him a stern talk. She managed to corner him pretty expertly, and Ashton would have probably been impressed if he wasn't so petrified.

It was late at night, but not too late. Ashton had just returned from his jog, and once he got inside, he strung his earplugs around his neck, before making his way into the Hemmings' kitchen to grab a water bottle. He still felt a little wary, making his way around the house as if it was his own, despite Luke's parents and brothers insisting that they do treat it like their own home. Even the word home sounded foreign in Ashton's mind. He didn't dare say it out loud.

"Ashton?" Liz's voice echoed around the kitchen, and Ashton almost jumped because he wasn't expecting company that's why he exercised at stupid o clock at night.

"Yes?" The hazel-eyed boy turned slightly to face the blonde woman, who stood smiling at him as if she were his own son and Ashton felt like he might melt under the gaze of this woman who had taken his family in and cared for them, and yeah it hadn't even been a full week yet but Liz Hemmings was like some sort of positive angel for all the favours she had done for Ashton and his family. The least he could do was hold a decent conversation with her.

"Let's talk for a minute. Sit down" She smiled warmly, pulling out a chair at the kitchen table, and Ashton mimicked her actions by pulling out the chair opposite.
"How do you like living here, Ashton?" She asked once he had settled down.

Ashton shifted slightly before answering,

"I like it. I'm uh- very grateful that you've allowed me and my family to stay here-"

"Oh don't start that" Liz laughed, shaking her head "I hear enough of it from your mother. But no, I meant you. How are you doing? I feel like you..." She trailed off, thinking better of her words, but Ashton was suddenly apprehensive,

"You feel like?" He pressed on. The welcoming look on Liz's face had now been replaced with a look of concern, and something else that disappeared too quickly for Ashton to catch on to it,

"I feel like there's a tension. You seem to spend the least time inside this house. Is it the fact that you feel a little strange being in a new home? Your mother and I have been friends for countless years, but I suppose I'm only really familiar to Lauren and Harry. I did speak to the two but-"

"What did they say?" Ashton cut in. He didn't mean to sound rude, but he was a little puzzled as to where this conversation was heading, and he also just wanted to shower and sleep at this point. But to walk away wouldn't be polite, and Liz had obviously been meaning to have this conversation for a while now,