Hey, Angel. (Ashton's missing twin)

Chapter Thirty One. (edited!)

//Angel//

"So, how'd you like your weekend in Doncaster sis?" Ash looks down at me as we stand a yard away from the others catching up.

"It was... fun."

"And you and Louis are good friends now?"

"Yes. Problem?"

"No." He nods, smirking and pursing his lips.

"What?" I turn to face him fully.

"Nothing." He smiles.

"Shut up, tell me." He raises an eyebrow and I hit his arm.

Ashton laughs and shakes his head until he notices my serious expression and tones it down.

"What? Seriously it's nothing."

"I just- I don't need you to treat me like I'm a child. Or like someone you can't tell everything to, or like I'm fragile and everything you say is a wrecking ball."

"Okay." He seems taken off guard and raises his head to look away, absentmindedly watching the group.

"Ash," he looks back to me, "I didn't choose to leave. Someone stole me from you and I can deal with that. But now I have you, I didn't have any family before and now I have so much. I'm not leaving, I never wanted to in the first place. So please stop treating me like I'm gonna run if you say the wrong thing."

"I know that, and I'll try." He slings his right arm around my shoulder and brings me in for a hug. I press my left cheek against his chest and he holds me tight. "I wouldn't let you leave even if you wanted to, by the way. You're stuck with me now."

"Good." I breathe.

"Does Harry like you or something?"

"What, why?" I look up at him and he shrugs.

"He kept staring at you before break and then he just kept asking how you were doing during break." I sigh, so he didn't give up wanting to know who Autumn is.

"No he doesn't like me, he just wants-"

Ash interrupts me with a semi relieved sigh. "Good, because someone else does."

"Wait what?" I shout and back away from him, but he holds me at arms length.

"Shush!"

"Sorry," I lean closer to him again, "but seriously?"

"Yes." He rolls his eyes. "Why is that so surprising?"

I shrug, "I dunno, I mean your friends are cute but-"

"Ugh. See this is why I didn't want to tell you."

"Hush, anyway they're all younger than us."

Ashton smirks at me saying 'us' rather than just 'me' and then speaks. "Aren't you one of those people that think age is just a number? Besides it's only like 3 years max, that's practically nothing."

"Hmm, well my- uhm, nevermind." I look down awkwardly for a few seconds, wiping the story my mom told me about her and my dad from my mind. It's probably not true anyway. "Uh, there were a lot of freshmen dating seniors in high school." I shrug, turning my head to look at the boys. "I guess it's not much different." Ash watches me as I watch them.

"So you do like one of them?"

"What?" I turn to my face my brother again.

"You were smirking at them you creep. Come on let's go dance."

"Don't call me a creep, ya dingus." Ash rolls his eyes and takes my hand to lead me to the group.

As soon as we're in the crooked circle that the group made to talk, Calum slings his arm over my shoulder. "Bout time songbird."