Sleeping With a Friend

Chapter Sixteen

I woke up the next morning in Ashton's bed,and unlike other times, his arm was draped around my waist, like I hadn't just asked for one of his best friends number's last night. He seemed to have gotten over it really fast because moments after the initial thought, his lips were on mine and we were peeling off each other's clothes on the way to his bedroom. It was a night like any other and I hated to admit that. The more I thought about him, about my feelings for him, they grew almost too much to fathom.

"So I'll see you later?" Ashton asked as I gathered my belongings.

"Yeah. If I don't have a date with Michael." I could see him tense up just at the sound of his name, which made me giggle. I hadn't texted Michael yet, but I hoped he would want to go out. It wouldn't have to be a date, maybe just a movie or dinner. I just needed to keep up the charade long enough to find out if Ashton really had feelings for me or not. The way he was acting could make me think yes, but if he had eyes for other women then what was the point? I wasn't trying to get all wrapped up in someone like that more than I already was.

"Do you need a ride home?" I chuckled at his question.

"I drove last night. Remember?"

"Oh right. Right. Uh, I'll just talk to you later." I nodded and walked out the front door. He was standing in the doorway, pajama pants hung low on his bare hips. "Wait! Y/N!" He yelled, making me stop dead in my tracks and whip around so my bag it my back.

"What?" I wondered why he had stopped me and deeply hoped he would reveal some feeling toward me.

"Um do you want to get breakfast?" I could see nervous written all over his face. Now the second time I saw him act this way. It honestly warmed my heart to see him act a bit frantic around me.

"Sure," I chuckled, walking back to his house. It was only 10 am and his neighbors were beginning to go out and about.

"Oh, hello hun!" A sweet old woman yelled at us from two doors away.

"Hi Mrs. Tooley. How are you?" Ashton yelled back, stepping off the porch and over to the edge of his house.

"I'm good! Is this your girlfriend?" She seemed so happy to ask.

"Oh-no-" We both began but she was too eager to keep going.

"You guys make a very cute couple!" Mrs. Tooley was grinning from ear to ear. She really did seem like a sweet and harmless old woman who only looked for friendship in those around her, but she was wrong on that part. I looked over at her to see that she was still smiling over at us, holding a morning paper in her hands.

"Well you have a good day! We have a few errands to run!" Ashton smiled, telling her in the nicest way possible to leave us alone. She nodded, wide smile still upon her face and went back into her house.

"Why didn't you just tell her that we aren't a couple?" I inquired, following Ashton back into his house.

"She's an old woman, I thought it would make her happy." I agreed on making her happy, but with Luke and Sophie, it was the quickest response anyone had ever made. Of course I had said it too, but it made me feel like I was some sort of plan of his. "Why does it matter?" He added.

"Well only because every time she sees me she'll ask something about you. Don't you think so?"

"She probably won't even remember this happened."

"Seriously?" I scoffed at him. "That was kinda mean."

"Y/N it's not even that big of a deal." An almost evil laugh left his lips and I suddenly felt like I didn't know the person standing in front of me.

"But she's a harmless old woman. You don't need to spin her lies like you've already done to your friends." I spat, feeling more infuriated.

"Are you talking about this?" He pointed between the two of us. "We agreed not tell anyone. You were there, remember?" His attitude was not pleasant.

"Of course I remember. I just wish it wasn't a lie." I regretted the words as soon as they came out of my mouth.

"Y/N..." Ashton started, face creasing. "What is this really about?" I took a deep, shaky breath.

"You'd just deny anything in front of our friends, any sort of relationship with me. All I am to you is your game, your poor, sad game where you take my heart and crush it in your hands." I tried my hardest to hold back the tears as they built up behind my eyes. My chin started quivering, but I knew I couldn't lose it in front of Ashton.

"I didn't know that you-"

"You know what? I'm not even hungry." I cut him off, sucking in a breath. "I'm just gonna go home, but thanks for the offer." I turned on my heels and walked straight out the door and towards my car. There was a big possibility that I had just ruined what Ashton and I had, but an even bigger possibility for me going home and regretting ever starting it with him.