Second Chance Romance - Ashton Irwin

One: Goodbyes are Always the Hardest

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- Chelsea

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I let out a yawn and stretched my arms, slowly waking up. My eyes fluttered open to see an empty space next to me where Ashton usually sleeps. I glanced at the clock beside our bed and frowned, seeing as it was nearly 6 in the morning.

I furrowed my eyebrows and rolled out of bed, making my way to the living room. As soon as I’d seen the suitcases packed, I knew something was wrong. I tried thinking of something I'd done wrong -- something I'd done to make him leave -- but I couldn't think of anything. We hadn't had a fight in almost six months.

“Ashton?” I called out, running a hand through my messy morning hair.

After hearning no response, I walked to the kitchen to see him sitting at the island, a cup of coffee in one hand and his phone in the other. “Why are you awake, babe? It’s 6 o'clock in the morning…”

I shrugged my shoulders and poured myself a cup of coffee before I sat down across from him at the island, watching as he kept his eyes glued to his phone. “I woke up to an empty bed and I wondered where you were, Ash... You usually sleep in later than me.”

He nodded and finally locked eyes with me. “I know,” he murmured quietly before nervously taking a sip of his coffee. "But my plane takes off in nearly thirty minutes. I needed to leave early and I didn't want to wake you."

I nearly choked on my own coffee when he told me his plane was taking off. He hadn't mentioned anything about leaving, let alone a flight being scheduled.

“What?" I asked in complete disbelief. "Where are you going, Ash?” 

He looked up at me sadly and shook his head, taking his bottom lip between his teeth nervously. “London,” he spoke quietly, adverting any type of eye contact with me as possible.

I felt my heart breaking in two. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I felt my anger boiling through my veins. How could Ashton drop something so big on me all at once? “Is this because of your stupid band?” I snapped.

He was silent and took another down of his coffee

“Is there another girl?” I snapped again.

Ashton quickly shook his head and looked up at me, his narrowed eyes giving off a look of disbelief. “Are you kidding? Andrea, I wouldn’t leave you for any girl in the world!” He paused and looked into my eyes, a look of pure sadness filling his features. “But there’s something that needs to be done, Andy. I’ll be gone for a while.”

It took me a moment to process everything before it finally hit me -- Ashton was going to walk out on me in my sleep.

“Were you just going to walk out on me while I was sleeping, without a goodbye or anything?” I felt my bottom lip quivering as I watched Ashton frown, his face falling completely. I loved Ashton, and he knew this was hurting me.

“Babe, it’s not like that,” he muttered before standing to his feet and brushing past me.

“Then what is it, Ashton?” I raised my voice and stood up next to him. "Because it sure as hell sounds like you were about to walk out on me!"

Ashton glared at me, taking an intimidating step closer to me. "Do you really fucking think I'd walk out on you, Andrea? Do you not know me enough by now to know that I'm not fucking heartless?"

"Oh, so you were just going to wake me up a fucking minute before you left to tell me that you were leaving? Well guess what, Ashton? That isn't how it works. You're my boyfriend, you're supposed to tell me these kinds of things! Hell, I don't even know who you are anymore," I cried.

I looked into his hazel eyes, the only sound in the room was the simple drum of Ashton's heartbeat. I suddenly felt a single tear fall down my cheek. "Ashton, I love you. Please stay with me..."

He looked down at me and pressed a light kiss to my temple before shaking his head slowly. "I can't, Andy. As much as I want to be here with you, I have to leave. I'll be back before you know it, okay?"

I glared at him, shaking my head in disbelief. "Why are you even leaving, Ash?"

He shook his head, completely silent as he grabbed his luggage and bit his lip

He looked me over one last time, his eyes dancing along my body and he let out a loud sigh. "Fuck, this is exactly why I didn't want to wake you. Saying goodbye is always the hardest part." I watched a single tear fall from the corner of his eye and just like that, I felt my world crashing down.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him, seeing as he was already halfway out the door and nothing I could say could've kept him here with me. "Fuck you, Ash!"

He turned to look at me, hurt written all over his face. Another tear fell from his cheek. "I love you..."

I glared at him once more, trying to decide if I were more upset or angry about the situation.

“And I hate that I love you, Irwin,” I mumbled under my breath as tears started spilling from my eyes.

How could he just walk out on me, let alone what we had? I ran to the bedroom and pulled a duffle bag from the closet, throwing clothes into it rapidly.

I dialed my cousin’s number into my phone and pressed it between my ear and my shoulder. I hadn't talked to him in years, seeing as he was busy having fun in the real world and living his dream. I hoped I wouldn't be a bother to him, but I had no other choice.

Tears were falling from my eyes like a waterfall by now, and I sighed to myself. This was definitely not how I intended on starting my morning.

Finally, the ringing had stopped and my cousin’s voice had answered. The words spilled out of my mouth by accident, but I wouldn’t take them back. “Niall, get me a plane for wherever you are.”