Loving Him (Ashton Irwin a.u.)

Chapter 24

Nobody ever wants to be disappointed.

Just over a month went by before I began awaiting some news. I had been working for several weeks on a promotion at work, hoping to write my own column in the paper. Over that time I had pushed Ashton away. I didn't have time for him. I needed to impress my boss and do everything I could to get promoted. While I had felt the work was paying off and I was earning a good reputation, Ashton and I had fought more frequently than ever before in our eight-month relationship.

"I'm just trying to spend time with my girlfriend! What's wrong with that?!" Ashton snapped at me, carting his fingers through his hair frustratedly as I flinched from his loud voice in my desk chair.

"I'm working, Ashton," I replied simply and as calmly as I could.

"You're always working these days!" he retorted as he rubbed both his hands over his face.

After a shaky inhale, I whispered, "Please don't shout, Ashton."

"Don't you tell me what to do, alright?!"

At that moment a set of distressed cries echoed in from the living room and Ashton huffed in annoyance. He looked between me and the door a few times as he weighed up his options. With a sigh he pointed an accusatory finger at me and said assertively, "This conversation isn't over," before stomping out the room to see to his son.

His aggression was overwhelming, granted, but I was used to it at that point. We'd been over this countless times, and yet every time he went through the same routine to try and pry me off my work. It never worked, and it always resulted in him picking up Aiden and storming out my apartment.

Upon telling Kia about our fights she had suggested I considered calling it quits, but I couldn't even imagine myself doing that. Even going on a break felt impossible to me. Though we fought like an old couple we always made up. We were in love. This was just a common stage in any long-term relationship. At least - that's what I told myself.

"I don't like fighting with you," Ashton said gently as he re-entered the room with his son in his arms. "But I just need you to understand my perspective."

"Your perspective?" I scoffed. "I know I've been a little bit unavailable the last few weeks, Ashton, but this job is a little bit more important to me than deciding which crappy film to watch before we make out."

"Jobs come and go, Mais!" he shouted, causing Aiden to start whining and clinging on around his father's neck.

"Yeah, well so do relationships."

The room went quiet. It was a good thing we were home alone, because I wouldn't've wanted Saskia and J to overhear. They never fought as a couple, and at this point it led me to wonder if it was because they had a healthy or an unhealthy relationship.

"So I guess that settles it, then," Ashton said dejectedly with his strong, broad shoulders slumped. After one last look around the room he turned on his heel and made his way towards the front door.

My mind caught on as the door opened. "Wait, what?" I called as I ran after him. "It settles what? What are you doing?!"

"I don't want to do this in front of my son," he mumbled over his shoulder.

"Do what?! Ashton!" I grabbed him by his bicep and turned him to face me. "What are you doing?!"

"I think we need space, Maisie," he said finally with a sigh. Gently lowering Aiden to the floor, he began to explain himself. "We're fighting so much, I think it would be best if we just had some time apart until this promotion thing blows over, you know?"