24 DAYS

Day 11 - pt 2

Day 11 - Saturday - Part 2

"I like it. It's not your typical romance novel I mean I'm only half way through it but I can see the bigger meaning. It's not just about love." He continued. I nodded at him as he showed an understanding in what I had written.

"You'll make a good writer some day. Maybe even something more," he smiled. His smile was heart warming, so genuine. It was like he really believed in me.

"Shall we get in the water?" He changed the subject, hopping up to strip off, leaving him in his boxers. He laughed before running over to the tyre swing, I admired the way the muscles in his back moved as he ran.

"Come on!" He shouted with a laugh as he jumped in. With a splash I soon saw his wet mop or curls come up from the water as he shook his head.

"Come on! Scar!" He yelled, nobody had ever called me Scar before. It was usually Lettie or just Scarlett. I never really liked 'Scar' but there was something about the way he said it; the way the butterflies erupted in my stomach that made it sound so lovely. I shook my head at him.

"I don't do water! I didn't even bring my bathers!" I yelled back.

"That's what underwear is for! Come on it's beautiful in here!" Ash shouted back and I rolled my eyes before taking off my shirt before standing to slip my shorts and shoes off. Ash screamed as I ran over to the tyre swing, causing me to laugh. I shook my head, screaming as I clung to the rope before I dropped into the water. I pushed my hair back as I giggled when I came above water but I couldn't see Ashton anywhere. He wouldn't just get out when I got in, would he? And before I knew it I felt something touch behind my knee. I turned around quickly, my legs jerking around in the water as I screamed.

"Ow!" Ash said aloud as he came back to the surface of the water.

"You freaked me out!" I said as I splashed him. Only then did I notice he was holding his eye. I must have kicked him or something? Shit! My mouth dropped open and I apologised continuously before telling him it was his own fault seeing as he scared me. He pouted before replying.

"I think I've gone blind," he spoke. I slapped at his arm so that he would move it out the way and I could see I his eye was okay. He's so dramatic.

"Oh my god," I spoke as my eyes widened.

"I AM GOING TO GO BLIND AREN'T I?" He questioned in a panic.

"I didn't meant to hit you, I'll totally understand if you hate me for this I-" I replied but I began to laugh before I could finish due to his facial expression.

"You're a twat," he said to me as I lost it in a fit of giggles.

"You should have seen your face," I threw my head back as I laughed. It was priceless. The next thing I knew I was underwater as Ash had tackled me down. As we came back up his arms were still tight around my middle; our faces only inches away from one another. I pushed back his dark, wet curls softly and I could feel his eyes on me. I looked back into his for what seemed like a fraction of time before I felt him pinch my bum. I squealed and jumped around and onto his back.

"My butt is sensitive," I pouted, causing the both of us to chuckle and Ashton piggy backed me out of the river and back to his ute. He sat me at the edge of his ute, wrapping a towel around me. I watched the way he studied my body as he slowly and gently pulled the thick blue towel over my shoulders. My stomach stirred with warmth as his fingertips trailed over my bare shoulders and I looked down when his eyes met mine briefly. His hand placed itself on my jawline as he pulled my head up gently so that my eyes were locked with his. The ember colour of his eyes were hard to read, as if he had some sort of block on them that wouldn't allow me in. I wanted him to let me in. I wanted to help him in whatever way possible. I wanted to be the one to save him from whatever it was that was going on. Soon enough his hand dropped from my face and he left me sitting there to catch the breath I never knew I was holding. Seconds later Ash came back with a small pink box in his hand. He took a seat beside me, but not too close. He handed me a pink cupcake with a swirl of pink icing on top.

"They had no more muffins," he commented as he pulled out his own banana flavoured cupcake.

"I think I preferred this spontaneous menu change," I replied with a smile and he returned the favour.

"Me too, icing is better than muffins."

"Good news for you then because I don't like icing," I added. He looked at me as if I was from another planet and I smiled back at him widely.

"Crazy," he muttered as he took a bite of his cupcake and I did the same, leaving the icing for him to finish.

"So what do you want to do in the future?" I asked as we continued to nibble on our cupcakes.

"I want to be a social worker. But I also want to help people in any way I can; just make them happy." He glanced at me as he paused. "I uh, I want to go to Africa when I'm older and volunteer there for a while. Voluntary work at the hospital, orphanages and all that sort of stuff." Ash finished.

"Do you do any voluntary work now or?" I asked, curious. Maybe that's why he was always running off here and there.

"No, I would like to I just.. Can't. Not right now." He replied, my eyes never left him as he spoke and finally he stared back into mine as he continued. "I don't want to make any promises right now. I don't want to let anybody down like if I wasn't to turn up one day or something. I'm trying to be careful but sometimes I just.. Can't help it." He finished, he seemed like he was referring to something other than the voluntary work and I wasn't quite sure what to do I simply nodded before looking back to the river as I tugged at the towel around me.

"Sorry," Ashton said quietly, his head down and I left it alone.

"Want the icing now?" I asked, handing him the top layer. He took it without a word as I made my way to the corner of the ute, leaving Ash sitting on the edge. I cuddled my knees into me, the towel still around me as I stared at the green view. I listened to the soft sound of the radio and I was familiar with the song.

~

Ashton's point of view:

I turned to look at Scar diagonally behind me as I heard her soft voice sing along to Fix You. It was quiet but it was calming. Her voice was rather angelic and it suited the song well. She was utterly amazing. She knew how to handle me, even in the short period of time we'd known each other. We just got along, it just worked. We worked.

No Ash! Don't do this to her. Let her go, she doesn't deserve this.

And as much as I tried to leave I couldn't. Every time I went to shut her out and let go something pulled me back to her. She didn't know everything, not yet, maybe not even ever but I needed her. She made everything feel okay and even if I were to tell her, she would know exactly what to do; what to say. She was my saviour; as cheesy as that sounded, she was. When I was with her I forgot about everything for a while. I forgot until I was reminded. I noticed she was staring back at me now, I forgot I was even looking at her; too caught up in my thoughts.

"You have a gorgeous voice," I complimented awkwardly as my voice caught in my throat. She smiled at me sadly but appreciatively before letting her head rest against the back of the ute. I looked down as I threw the cupcake wrappers in the smoothie container and turned back to see Scarlett's head in her hands.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I forgot my house keys," she whined as she turned her head to me. I was contemplating on asking her over to my place or not; deciding whether it would be appropriate.

"When will your mum be home?"

"5:30 maybe 6 tonight," she replied as she took her bottom lip between her teeth.