Confiding in You ϟ a.i.

Chapter 23

== Ashton's POV ==

I follow Lily to the front of Lukes house with a groan, already frustrated with her before a word leaves her mouth. I don't think she's prepared for the piece of my mind she's about to get from me. How could she have the audacity to greet me like that in front of anyone, much less Maddie? Not to mention now she's forcing me to leave Maddie by herself so that we can 'talk.' She opens her mouth, but I'm on edge and cut her off before she can speak.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I burst out, struggling to keep my anger from causing me to lash out violently. Lily rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, obviously used to my outbursts.

"I didn't see her, okay?"

"She was in plain sight!" I screech, thankful for the loud music that's keeping anyone from hearing me. If it weren't for that, I'm sure someone in the room would have relayed this conversation right back to Cooper.

"Okay, whatever," she pushes her bangs out of her face in a huff, "I just wanted to make sure you didn't tell her, but obviously you haven't."

"I'm going to eventually," I mutter and somehow she hears me, her face contorting in annoyance. I let out my own frustration with a shrill moan, covering my face with my hands, "This was a mistake, a huge mistake."

"Four times isn't a mistake," Her voice gets increasingly annoying with each time she speaks. Lucky for her, I'm not like her boyfriend and I'm not about to smack her across the face. "You know what you're doing and you can't keep using impulse as a damn excuse."

"You're at fault too," I whine, hugging myself and gripping my biceps tightly. I can't believe we're even having this conversation again. Over and over, she keeps blaming me. Each time, it never fails to piss me off. She always manages to be drunk each time, too, which just adds onto the annoyance of her contradictory words. 

"I didn't sleep with my best friend's girlfriend."

I let out a single laugh, having heard it multiple times before. I respond the same way every time, but she doesn't get it still. "You slept with your boyfriend's best friend. It's the same thing."

"Yeah, but I still love him," she defends like always. I'm getting so sick of this kind of conversation. I wish it would all just go away, but it won't no matter what I do. I turn on my heel in an attempt to escape it at least for tonight, but she grabs my arm and turns me back to face her, "When are you going to stop lying to yourself and ruining your best friend's relationships long enough to actually go and try to get the girl you really like?"

"I can't and you know that," I sigh, resting my forehead in the palm of my hand. It's only a second, though, before I lift my head irritably, "You should know. The whole reason any of this happened is because I came to you for advice."

"So you're just going to watch as she fucks Luke?" Lily asks harshly, shaking her head, "You're pathetic."

You weren't saying that when you were gripping the sheets and moaning my name last week, I think but decide to keep it to myself. It's best not to start the same argument for the millionth time already. Even if she wants to insult me, I just have to try to explain myself, like always. Hopefully we can decide to just act like it never happened and will never happen and leave it at that. Soon.

"I feel an ever-present need to protect her and we both know the best way to do that is to let Luke have her," I pause, swallowing a lump that I wish wasn't forming in my throat, "He isn't fucking her though, I know that for sure."

"Right, just like I didn't fuck you after practice on Monday," She laughs irritatedly and keeps shaking her head at me, like I'm a child. Then again, with the irresponsible decisions I've been making lately, you'd think I was a child.