Deciding on You || a.i. (Book 2)

25 | Ashton

Depending on the day, Maddie either wakes up before the sun rises or after the sun sets. Today, a Saturday during which her friends are all at her house, she has seemingly chosen the latter.

"Maddie," I whine, nudging the purple, velvet comforter she has pulled up to her shoulders, "Please get up."

"I'm tired, Ashton," she mumbles into her pillow, "I'll get up in a little while."

Reagan stayed with her in her bed last night and, while she let Maddie sleep, she came into the living room and woke me and Michael up downstairs at the ass crack of dawn. They were giggling over Frosted Flakes at, like, 9am.

I tried to crash in Cooper's room after that, but apparently that isn't a thing now that I've slept with his little sister in every sense of the word. I ended up sleeping in the hallway.

So, I'd say I'm tired too.

"It's noon, baby," I say, and she rolls over so that her back is to me. "Maddie."

"Noon is too early," she whines. "And if you don't let me sleep, I won't be your baby."

"Your brown hair looks gorgeous, by the way," I say, trying another tactic. She looks over her shoulder to give me a sleepy smile. "I love it and you."

"That's sweet, but I love sleep more than you."

"You do realize I could pick you up right now and carry you out of bed, right?" I ask and she rolls to face me again, looking at me through slitted eyes. "I'll do it."

For a minute, all I hear are the sounds of her ceiling fan spinning and the birds chirping outside. I keep my hands on my hips and try to look serious. Maddie looks up and off to the side.

"I'll kiss you if you let me sleep for another hour," she smiles, and my shoulders slump. She knows my weakness.

"Maddie," I sigh, "Fine, I guess."

I lean over and she sits up just barely enough to graze my lips with a kiss. Like always, my stomach falls into my freaking ass.

While I want to pull her out of bed anyway, I keep my promise and leave her alone. I don't want to give her another reason to be upset with me after last night, no matter how small.

Downstairs, everyone is exactly where I left them. Michael and Reagan are talking quietly on one couch, but other than that, it's awkwardly silent.

"Ashton, seriously. Why am I sitting in a room with St. Hood," Cooper points at Calum, who's sitting on the floor with Maddie's dog, "A girl you had hate sex with, the troll doll, and the girl who will probably cheat on him with you eventually?"

As soon as he asks, everyone starts talking at once.

"Ew, I'd never sleep with Ashton," Reagan says, glancing at me, "No offense. That'd be like sleeping with a hybrid of my sister's boyfriend and my brother."

"Troll doll? Really?" Michael seethes.

"I was wondering the same," Hannah says. I forgot how annoying her voice was.

"I'm a saint now?" Calum asks, smiling to himself.

"Everyone shut up," I say, careful not to raise my voice too much. Maddie's probably fallen back asleep by now. She could barely keep her eyes open when I was up there.

They bicker for another moment before finally quieting down. I don't know why, but I thought everyone would get along better than this.