24 DAYS

Day 11 - pt. 4

“Scarlett!” I heard Ashton call from behind me as I walked as fast as I could through the sticks and dirt covering the floor. He had to stop doing that.
“Scar just, hang on a second!”

“Ouch!” I yelped, quickly picking my foot back off of the floor and moving to my left to avoid large stick that had grazed my calf. I kept walking until finally I spotted Ashton’s ute. I picked up everything we had spread out over the floor and just seconds later Ashton appeared beside me.

“Scar please stop,” Ashton pleaded.

“I think it’s best you just take me home.” I replied, not looking up at him.

“Scar-”

“Scarlett. My name is Scarlett.” I defended.

“Scarlett listen to me.” Ashton said sternly and I felt his hands grip my shoulders to turn me to him.

“What!?” I yelled, not really intending to.

“What is going on?” He asked, as if he didn’t understand any of it.

“Really, Ashton?”

“What?” He asked again. He was both blind and stupid. This is probably why he had no friends.

“You can’t do that to people, Ash. I now we barely know each other but you can’t do things like today or make me feel like you actually care about me and then go and say that you ‘have to be careful’ or you ‘shouldn’t be doing this.’ I have no issue in being there for you as a friend but you have got to stop, Ash. Don’t lead people on if you can’t be who they need.” I finished and he looked a little stunned.

“Right. I’m sorry. I’ll take you home.” He finally spoke, continuing to pick up our belongings.

“That’s it?” I asked.
“We’re not even going to talk about it?”

“What am I meant to say, Scar? I can’t give you what you need and you know that now. I have other things that I have to put first and if that means that we can’t hang out then maybe we just shouldn’t.”

//

The car drive home was silent yet it wasn’t awkward. It was as if we were a long term couple who just had an argument that would be resolved tomorrow morning. The difference being that we weren’t going to be the same tomorrow morning and we had only known one another for a few days. If this was anybody else I probably wouldn’t have reacted the way I did. There was just something that made me feel like myself around Ash.

And then he finally spoke, just as we pulled into my drive way.
“I’m sorry for what I said.”

“Better now than later, right?”

“No, Scar. I didn’t mean- I just. I put a lot of things on the line to be able to spend time with you-“

“Well thanks.” I interrupted.

“Just let me talk, please.” Ashton stated and I stayed quiet.
“There’s a lot going on for me right now which is why I can’t promise you anything and I know it’s a lot to ask but please, can you just be patient with me. I don’t want to stop hanging out with you but I can’t tell you that I won’t make last minute cancellations or sometimes cancellations without warning. I know that’s not what friends are meant to do or ask for, for that matter. And it’s not because you mean nothing to me it’s just that for the first time in forever I’ve found someone else outside of my family who actually means something to me and I don’t know how that’s happened with only knowing you for a minimal amount of time but it has.” Ashton got out, talking too fast yet I somehow seemed to gather every word he spoke.

“It’s your sister, right?” I asked quietly after a moment and Ashton nodded his head the slightest bit.

“Is that why you-” I trailed off, looking at his wrist only to have him cover it up; but he nodded.

“It was once.” He added.

“Is she-”

“I can’t really talk about it. Not now. I’m sorry.” Ashton spoke slowly, his eyes never connecting to mine.

“Right. Well, you know where to find me if you need anything. Thanks for the smoothies and cupcakes.” I replied sincerely, hopping out of the car.

“Yeah no worries, thanks for coming.” Ash replied, looking at me through the rolled down window on the passenger side and I gave him a smile.

“Stay safe,” I said, giving the door one last shove to make it close properly before taking a few steps back from the ute.

“You too,” he smiled slightly, his dimples still as evident as ever. And too soon after he was reversing out the driveway. I prayed him and his family would be okay.