Hey, Angel. (Ashton's missing twin)

Chapter Twenty Seven. (edited!)

//Angel//

"So, Angel, tell us a little bit about yourself!" The interviewer looks at me and I glance at the audience where everyone else is looking at me. A few moments pass before Ashton speaks up instead.

"Sorry, this is a lot to take in for her. As well as the rest of us and my family. I'll just talk, if that's okay?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well, if you've seen some of the news articles and interviews from around when I was born or the one I did, I think last year? Then you know what we knew originally. After that, we hadn't heard anything up until a few weeks ago. My mum got a phone call from the doctor that she'd had who's now the chief of a different hospital, basically saying that they may have found Angel but they needed a DNA test. She said that they could use anybody in the family for the blood test, but if it was me then obviously the results would be more conclusive. So the lads and I went back home, I gave blood for the test, and met Angela, who is my twin sister."

"Wow, what a story. It's so fantastic that you've finally found her nearly 20 years later!" The host cheers. I try to smile but can't muster a genuine one, what happened isn't fantastic.

Sure it's awesome that we found each other, but it seriously sucks that it ever happened in the first place. I could've had an entire life with a twin and little siblings, I wouldn't have been alone all of those days my mom was at work. I would've been Australian and had an accent, and probably grew up knowing Luke, Calum, and Michael or their siblings. I would've had an entirely different life, and while my life was okay, that was still stolen from me by the person I had thought to be my only family.

The lights on stage dim a while later and I realize the boys are walking off stage, I'd zoned out for the rest of the short interview. Calum is the last behind the others and turns to look at me, stepping forward and taking my hand.

"C'mon, we gotta go." He leads me off stage and into one of the buses once everyone was changed back into normal clothes, telling the others we'll hang back while they go to dinner.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah I uh- I guess." I say without looking at him.

"Yeah right," I look up to see he's shaking his head. He sighs, "You don't have to lie to me little bird." He says, wiping a tear from my cheek.

"I am older than you, you know." I state matter of factly, sniffling a little.

Calum laughs, "Yeah, but in my eyes you're as fragile as a little bird." He explains.

I scoff, "I am not fragile, don't be a dick."

"I wasn't, I'm just trying to care for you." He rolls his eyes.

"What?" I say hesitantly.

"Oh, god. I shouldn't have said that." He covers his face. "I didn't mean it like... Look, I just care about you a lot." He takes my hands into both of his. "I'm sorry, Angela. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"And yet, you're holding my hands?"

He lets my hands go abruptly, apologizing again.

"I didn't say that it was bad." I state shyly. Calum blushes and takes my right hand into his left, intertwining our fingers and setting his other hand on them.

"I'm always gonna be here for you, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I trust you more than anybody else on this tour." I laugh a bit.

"Since the boys are still out, what do you say we watch some movies?"

I sigh, "I'd much rather get out to be honest, I've been cooped up in a bus for far too long."