Brutality // Ashton Irwin

FOUR

I don't ask any questions. I know why we're leaving. It's my fault.

I sigh and stare out of the plane window. We've been flying for what feels like days.

I look over at Ashton, and find him staring back at me. He smirks and raises his eyebrows.

"It's rude to stare," he whispers, as if it's a secret. Why is he being annoying and not an ass?

"Says you, you prick," I test the waters... and he laughs.

What? I question his polite attitude and decide that he's only being decent because we're in such a crowded area.

I roll my eyes and face the window again, eventually falling into a deep slumber.

"Wake up, Jamie."

I stir awake, turning towards the voice and whining wordlessly.

"Now," the voice demands in a much stricter tone, and my eyes snap open to Ashton's agitated ones staring down at me.

"Grab a bag," his head gestures towards them, and I do as he says.

We walk out into the airport, and I suck in a deep breath. I'm so far away from my family, I just know.

I look around for a sign that may hint to where we are, but I can't find one. After a few moments, I decide to ask Ashton.

"Um, where are we?" I ask weakly, and I expect him to tell me to shut up, but instead he replies.

"New South Wales."

What? I have no idea where that is. I mean, should I?

"Whe- where?" I ask.

He simply laughs and says, "It's in Australia."

My eyes widen. I'm much farther from my family than I had thought. Have they cried over me? Surely my best friend has noticed my absence. She freaks out when I don't answer a text. There's no telling what she's doing now that I've seemingly dropped off the face of the earth.

There are many questions racing through me: does Ashton have a house here? What is my family doing? Am I going to die here?

My eyes scan the crowded airport as we trudge along. I notice that Ashton is catching the eye of nearly every girl we pass. He could have any girl he wants. Why has he kidnapped me? He could get a girl much better than I with the wink of an eye. I don't understand him.. not at all.

How are we going to get anywhere without a car? Is someone going to pick us up?

As I think of this, a tall man with black hair walks up to us, and Ashton nods to him, suddenly gripping my arm tightly.

"Who is-"

"Be quiet," Ashton mumbles harshly.

We reach a black van, and I'm shoved in the back seat along with all of the luggage that Ashton isn't gentle about throwing on me. The door closes and I try to open it, but it's locked.

I hear low talk outside the door, but I can't make out what they're saying.

The door opens again, and Ashton slides in next to me, only luggage bags separating us. He smirks at me again, and the van stars moving abruptly.

"When we get to the house, I'm going to show you to your room, and you're going to regret writing what you did on the back of that door. And the next time I take you somewhere, you can piss your pants if you have to because I'm not letting you out of my sight again," he glared at me and I freeze. I suddenly realize that I'm going to be stuck with Ashton for a long, long time.

"Okay?" He smiles sweetly, and I let out a shaky breath, nodding quickly to avoid making him angry.

I find it strange that the man driving has said nothing this entire time. Who is he?

Ashton nods at me as if he's approving my response, then he pulls his phone from his back pocket, and I wonder where mine is. Has he stolen it?

My mind begins to wander towards how he'll make me regret, and the darkest images fill me. I stare at the back of the seat in front of me, and I'm petrified.

After a while, I hear gravel beneath the tires, and we pull to a halt.

Ashton glares at me, silently telling me to stay seated as he opens the door on his side.

A few minutes later, he opens the door closest to me, and pulls me out along with the luggage, which isn't much.

I crane my head to see the van driving off, but there is another vehicle parked in the driveway.

Dread fills me and my legs shake as Ashton pushes me into the fairly large house.

I gasp as the clattering of the bags on the ground breaks the vast silence in the air.

"Upstairs," he says, voice monotone.

I walk upstairs, Ashton close behind, and he opens the door farthest down the short hall. It reveals a large room with a much more personal feel than the last. Does he live here? Is this his actual room?

He locks the door behind himself and sits on the bed, crossing his legs as I awkwardly fold my hands and stand in the middle of the room.

He stares at me as if he's in deep thought. After a moment, his face brightens and he quickly walks into the bathroom, the sound of a cabinet opening fills the closed space and I bite my lip in anticipation for the worst.

I'm greatly confused when his hand eerily peeks out from the door frame, beckoning me towards him.

I walk slowly towards the door, and he pulls me inside, forcing me down onto the edge of the bathtub.

He turns me so that I face the inside of the tub, and his hand brushes through my hair.

"So long and pretty," he remarks, and I squeeze my eyes shut.

He then yanks my hair into his fist, and cuts everything below it off. I gasp.

"But not anymore," he mocks, letting my hair go. It barely reaches my shoulders, while it used to go to the middle of my back.

"Don't ever," he starts, slashing the scissors across my cheek, "try anything," he makes another gash on the same cheek, "like that again," He makes a final cut across my collar bone, and I seethe in pain.

I stare at him, eyes wide, and a single tear slips down my face. I bite my lip, afraid to raise my hand onto my stinging face as my breath heaves.

At least it wasn't as bad as I had imagined.

Ashton stares blankly at me, and after a few moments, his hand slowly caresses my check. He wipes his thumb over the cuts, and his eyebrows furrow.

I squeeze my eyelids together in fear, but his hand suddenly drops from my face.

I open my eyes to find him exiting the bathroom, only to return with a large grey shirt.

He tosses it to me, and I give him a confused look as it lands in my lap.

"Take a shower," his face scrunches up, "you smell like shit."

And then he closes the door.