Relocating

Think

"So, what are you doing later?" He asks and I laugh into his chest. We haven't moved off the sidewalk since our kiss.

"I was planning on sleeping. It's been a long night." I respond and he nods his head sort of sadly.

"Yeah." He responds.

"Maybe we could hang out in the coffee house for a bit. All of us. You can meet Cole, my new friend." I say.

Ashton shrugs and we walk into the coffee house. Dan grins because he knows he was right. Ashton did love me and he does now.

"Told you." He says and winks.

"You should have bet on it Dan." Eliza says and laughs.

"Can I get some of the cut?" Cole asks, making everyone laugh. He's been talking about Ashton and me all night.

"You're Cole, right?" Ashton asks.

"Yep. I told you Rachel." He says and grins at me.

"Yeah. Yeah." I respond. I feel an arm wrap around my waist and pull me close. It's Ashton's. I smile at him and wrap my own arm around him.

"So, what's the plan?" I ask and look at the group.

"Sleep." Several of them say.

"Why don't you two go to the bar down the street and figure other stuff out?" Aria suggests to us.

"Fine by me. You wanna go?" He asks me.

"Can we rain check for tomorrow night? We can go as a big group tomorrow." I say.

"Yeah. That's fine." He says.

Everyone else nods and we gather our stuff. I hug everyone and thank them for coming. I thank Dan for letting me do a Creative Writing night and hug him as well. Cole walks out with Ashton and me. He walks ahead of us, though, so we have a minute to say goodbye. Ashton moves in for a kiss. He gives me a peck on the lips and then hugs me tightly.

"Bye." He whispers.

"See you tomorrow." I whisper back and we leave the hug.

I catch up with Cole and we begin walking back to the apartment. My flats are starting to hurt, so I pause and take them off. I stick them in my bag and catch up with Cole.

"Rachel?" He asks.

"Yeah?"

"You're barefoot."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"My flats were starting to hurt, so I took them off."

"Oh alright. You wanna stop here for a drink?" He asks and points to the bar sign.

"Why not?" I say and put my shoes back on.

We walk into the bar and Cole gets me a beer from the counter. We sit down at a table. Some drunk group is singing the Friends theme song on stage. They're having fun, though. That's all that matters really.

I'm thinking about the outcome of tonight. Ashton and I were sort of together again. Well, we were together. I was confused. I didn't know if I was ready to go back to the way we were. I love him. There was no doubt in my mind that I love Ashton. I love him a lot. I never stopped. However, I was scared. What if history repeats itself and I end up hurting again? It's possible.

"Hey, don't over think things about Ashton." Cole says breaking my thoughts.

"Yeah. It's just so..." I trail off.

"Scary." He says and I nod.

"It's alright. Love is supposed to be a bit scary. You feel so much it's crazy. You don't want that feeling to go away. It's like a drug that digs into you and you feel free. You feel...right." He says.

"Damn. That's deep." I say and he laughs.

"Well? It's true. Isn't it?"

"Yeah, you're right." I say.

I finish off my drink and we decide to leave. I feel fine. I'm not a light weight I've discovered since I turned 21. Cole isn't either. He's the same Cole he is every other time of day.

We walk out of the bar and I take my shoes off again. Last time I wear flats. My feet are killing me. I'm really tired. I'm complaining like a bitch. All I want is my apartment.

"Hop on." Cole says and squats so I can get a piggyback ride.

"Thanks." I say and jump on.

Cole carries me the rest of the way to the apartment building. He also carries me to my place. I thank him for going out of his way and hug him. He says goodnight and walks to the elevator. I fall asleep as soon as I hit my bed.