Rescue // Ashton Irwin

two.

Adley.

I felt like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest.

Noah was walking with a girl, talking and laughing as they came closer and closer to the café. It didn't come as a surprise, I always had a hunch that he was cheating on me, but I was more worried about the fact that they were almost at the door.

"I, uh, have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back," I blurted, quickly getting up from the table leaving Ashton alone looking concerned.

I quickly ducked into a crevice in the wall, making myself invisible to Noah and Ashton, but still able to hear everything that was going on.

"Ash! My man! How are you?" Noah greeted.

They know each other? I thought to myself.

"Good, good. Who's this?" Ashton asked, referring to his new girl, I assumed.

"Brie, my lovely girlfriend," he gushed. She blushed and hid her face in his broad shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her.

My heart dropped to my stomach at his words. Even though I knew it in the back of my mind, hearing him introduce her to his friends the same way he used to do when we first got together made me want to burst into tears right on the spot. But, I was still out with Ashton and I wasn't about to ruin his day because I wasn't good enough for my own boyfriend.

When I finally was able to get out of my own head, Noah and his perfect girlfriend- second girlfriend- were long gone and Ashton was waiting patiently for me at our table.

"Hey, sorry it took so long. I got lost on the way to the bathroom and then there was a line," I lied.

"No, it's okay," he assured, but I could tell that he didn't buy it.

I silently cursed myself for not coming up with a more believable lie, but I'd never been good at coming up with something at the blink of an eye. Thankfully, Ashton was too nice to mention it.

"Is everything okay? You seem kind of off," he asked, his tone laced with worry.

"Yeah, I'm just not feeling well. Mind if we take the rest of this day as a rain check?"

I cursed myself again. That was the most cliche excuse I'd ever heard, but I couldn't think of anything better. I loved being around Ashton, but I couldn't keep up a happy mask for much longer and I didn't want to be a bother to him.

"Of course! Are you sure you're okay though?" I could tell that he was still concerned.

"Yes, Ash, I'm fine," I laughed, standing up from the table and gathering my things.

Ashton followed suit, grabbing his jacket off of the chair and shrugging it over his shoulders before leaving through the cafe doors.

"Can I at least walk you home?" He practically begged.

"No, no, you don't have to do that. Thank you for everything. I'll see you on Thursday," I said quickly, giving him a small wave before rushing away from him.

Now that I was aware of the fact that Noah and Ashton knew each other and were friends, I really had to be careful. I couldn't let Noah know that I even knew Ashton, because he would never allow me to see him again. And, I couldn't let Ashton know that Noah was my boyfriend.

The only reason I even know Ashton is because I joined a support group for people in an abusive relationship. And, even though Ashton doesn't have a college education, he isn't stupid. If he found out that I was in a relationship with Noah he would be finding out that one of his friends has been causing me physical and emotional pain since I was sixteen.