Save Me (Halren)

14

Lauren's POV
"Okay. I need everyone to listen up and don't try to smart-ass me or whatever kind of crap you'll do." I say. They all look up at me shocked but turn their full attention onto my tense figure in front of them all.

"Yeah, what is it?" Camila asks. I take a deep breath, holding back tears because I know how much Ashley trusted me with this so called 'secret'.

"S-she told me not to tell you guys but... she needs help. She needs to know there's more than just one person on her side. She..." I pause for second, avoiding her eyes before continuing. "Ashley has serious depression and anxiety, it just keeps getting worse as the days go by. I also heard her say she... s-she wants to k-k-kill herself." I let out an unsteady breath as they all stare at me, speechless, especially Ashley who just shakes her head and sends me something like a glare. That's when I burst out in tears and run out of the tour bus.

Earlier that day...

"Thank you so much Laur." Ashley thanks me and I smile back at her. I set her down on the couch as I wonder, does she know I'd do anything for her. She smiles back, or at least tries to as I carefully rest her foot on a table in front of her. She groans in pain but allows me. I sigh then walk over to the mini fridge.

"It's seems pretty bad, Ash. Do you want to maybe go to the hospital or something, get it looked at?" I ask, she immediately answers with,

"No, I'm fine but thanks for the offer." I stop at the fridge and turn around, giving her a look.

"I didn't really mean that as a question." I start to look through the fridge for something to put on her ankle.

"Didn't think so." She responds as I roll my eyes and smile softly to myself. Next thing I know, I'm holding up a few ice cubes in my hands, shivering at the freezing cold solid water touching my once warm hand.

"Why have a million little ice cubes but no ice packs?" I ask with a sigh, she just shrugs her shoulders. I finally find a pack of peas after dropping the cubes back in. I pull out the pack and show her with a sorry look on my face. "We have this, but it's huge."

"I don't care right now." She says. I nod and bring it over to her, carefully smiling and padding across the room. I stop in front of her foot and bite my lip as I carefully lower the pack onto her foot. I let go of it slowly, letting the peas fit around her ankle as she yelped in pain. I freak out, thinking I've hurt her even more.

"Sorry, do you want me to take it off?!" I say in a stressed, scared voice. She nods quickly and I grab it, carefully lifting it off her foot. I set it aside as an idea forms in my head. "Here, I'll help you lift your foot up onto the couch, maybe that'll help because you'll have more support." I suggest. She nods as I carefully move her leg and she shifts to the side, giving room for her leg to lay. I furrow my eyebrows, hoping I'm not hurting her. Then I grab the bag and look her in the eye. "I want you to scream or yelp, even hit me if I hurt you. Feel free to kick me as well, just something so I know I'm hurting you."

"Okay." Ashley agrees quietly before I try to rest the pack on her foot as carefully as I can, scared to death of hurting her. When I'm about three quarters done, she yelps but tells me to keep going so I do as I'm told. I let go slowly backing away then looking back at her, seeing the tears in her eyes.

"I'm so so sorry for hurting you." I apologize but she shakes her head as if telling me it's alright. "Hospital tomorrow morning." I inform her and instantly see fear in her eyes for some reason, maybe she had a bad experience or something. "I'm sorry, it's just really bad and I want you to be able to get better." I apologize once more.

She nods, looking away from me. "True." We fall silent for a minute as my gaze travels down to her lips. I just want to show her some type of affection that would signal I care a lot more than any normal person would. I just want to make her feel better. It hurts seeing her so fragile like this, I just want to kiss her. I really want to show her I care. She meets my gaze once again quickly glancing at my lips and smiling slightly. She holds out her hand and I grab it, resulting in her pulling me closer to her. "Kneel down Lauren." She tells me so I do, half expecting what happens. She cups my face with her one hand, looking into my eyes then leaning closer. Our lips touch and I instantly feel a spark of energy run through my body. I put my hand on the back of her neck, deepening the kiss and tangel my hands in her hair before she pulls away.

"Sorry." She says with a shy smile. "I was just a little... Scared I guess." I smile softly at her as I push a strand of lose hair out of her face.

"I love you, there's no reason to be scared." I say, standing up briefly then taking a seat on the table behind me. She sighs, looking away from me then shakes her head.

"I know, it's just... Something was telling me not to but I knew I wanted to kiss you because ever since I first saw you, I've had... Feelings for you. I love you, Lauren." She tells me with a smile at the end. I smile back and grab her hand as I say,

"I love you too." I trace patterns on her hand with my finger as we both stay silent for a few minutes, just staring at each other. That's when I remember what I wanted to tell her. "Ashley, do you... Do you believe what they say about you?" I ask carefully.

"I-I... Well, I try not to, but..." She pauses and shakes her head not making eye contact with me. "Y-yeah, T-They tell me to."

"Don't Ash. You know you're much better than what they say. I'm sure you have many fans who care." I say, giving her hand a tight squeeze as I see tears in her eyes. "I wish I could hug you right now but I don't want to hurt you."

"This works... Or you could kiss me again." A huge smile spreads across my face. I didn't expect her to want to kiss again.

"Really?!" I ask. She nods her head with a small smile on her face so I lean in closer and peck her on the lips right before the rest of the group comes in. I bite my lip, thankful that no one other than Ashley can see the blush on my cheeks. "That was close." I wisper to her. She giggles a little before the girls come rushing to our sides with faces of shock.

"Oh my gosh, Ash are you okay?" Camila asks.

"What happened?" Dinah asks after Camila. Ashely explains to them about how her foot got broken as I just held her hand and rubbed my thumb back and forth on the back of hand, staring at her with a soft smile. I love her, I do, and I'm sure of it now.