Unpredictable (A Lashton Fanfic)

Chapter Fifteen - All That Mattered...

            When I said that, Ashton looked at me in disbelief. I think he was waiting for me to laugh and say I was joking, but what I had said was far from a joke. “I’m serious, Ash.”

            After a few more moments of silence, he smiled and threw his arms around me. “I told you,” he whispered. “I told you one day you’d come to your senses. I love you too, Lukey. I always have and I always will.”

            “I know you have, and I should’ve realized my true feelings for you a long time ago. I’m sorry. I’ve hurt you more times than I can count, and I guess it was because I was scared. I knew I was falling for you, and I didn’t want to.” I admitted.

            Ashton started to say something, but stopped when a figure emerged from the shadows. “I understand now why you wouldn’t answer my calls.” I turned around to find Ariana standing behind us, her arms crossed over her chest.

            “I’m sorry, Ari--” I started, but she interrupted me. “Enough with the apologies, Luke. This is the second day in a row that you’ve left without telling me where you were going, and this is also the second day in a row that I’ve found you with him.” She motioned towards Ashton, a disgusted expression on her face. “Is there something going on between you two?”

            I sighed. “I don’t have to tell you everywhere I go and every person I hang out with, do I?”

            Ariana flipped her hair over her shoulders. “Yes, actually, you do. I’m your girlfriend, remember? Anyway, Luke, you didn’t answer my question. Is there something going on between you and Ashton?”

            “Actually,” I said defiantly. “You are not my girlfriend. I can’t trust you, and even if I did I don’t have any romantic feelings towards you whatsoever. The only person I do love and will ever love is the person standing next to me right now.”

            “Are you breaking up with me?” Ariana asked, wiping tears away that were obviously fake. “Please, please don’t tell me you’re breaking up with me.”

            I started laughing. “I never was with you to begin with, Ari. I’m sorry, but I just don’t, nor will I ever, like you, much less love you.” As soon as I said it I knew it was a mistake. Her eyes suddenly darkened, and her innocent, heartbroken expression turned into one of pure anger. “You’re going to regret this, Luke Hemmings.” She took a few threatening steps toward Ashton, and I pushed him behind me protectively. “If you touch him I will kill you.”

            Ariana smirked. “Kill me? You can’t even touch me, much less kill me. Have you forgotten who I’m friends with?” she smiled mysteriously and turned back around as if she was going to walk away. She suddenly stopped, however, and turned to face us once more. “You might have thought Nathan is making your life miserable, but that’s nothing compared to what I’ve got in store for you.”

            Once she had walked away, Ashton and I immediately started walking back to the Range Rover. “Are you okay?” he asked me.

            “I was perfectly fine until she showed up and ruined everything, just like she always does. I’m sorry, Ash.” I sighed and started to open the passenger’s side door, but he stepped in front of me and leaned his head against my chest. “Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault.” He took a deep breath before finally saying, “We’re going to get through this, you know. As long as we’re together we’ll be fine.”

            I put my arms around him and it was in that moment that I realized that nothing else mattered—not Nathan, or Ariana, or even the other boys. All that mattered was us, right here, right now.

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When we arrived back at the hotel thirty minutes later, I was surprised to find Austin, Cody, Michael and Calum standing outside by the tour bus. “What’s up, guys?” I asked as we walked over to them.

            Michael started to reply, but stopped when he noticed Ashton. “I thought you had quit the band, Ash. What made you miraculously decide to come back?”

            Ashton shrugged and looked up at me. “Well, Hunter and I didn’t exactly work out, and so I had no reason not to come back.”

            “Wait a second,” Cody smiled as realization crossed his face. “Are you and Luke—together?”

            Ashton nodded and took my hand. “Yes, we are. Anyway, why are you guys standing out here? And where are the others?”

            “Colin is at the mall, and Harry and the boys are at the beach,” Calum said simply. “and the reason we’re standing out here is because we just got a text message from our manager saying we had to be in Las Vegas by no later than eight-thirty tomorrow morning for the Billboard Music Awards.”

            “Wait—what?” I asked in confusion. We don’t go to award shows. That’s One Direction’s job, not ours. We’re not famous enough for that yet.

            Michael rolled his eyes. “We’re performing at the Billboard Music Awards tomorrow night, do I need to explain it in any more detail or do you understand what I just said?”

            “I’m confused. We haven’t even released a full-length album yet, why would they ask us to perform at a nationally televised award show?” I said.

            “Are you and Cody performing, too?” Ashton asked Austin, who was standing quietly beside him. “I am, but Cody isn’t. He’s going just because he can.”

            I nodded, still confused. This was amazing, but I found it hard to believe that someone had asked our band to perform at a huge award show. Things like that just don’t happen to a wannabe punk rock band from Sydney like us. I stood there, so caught up in my thoughts that I almost didn’t see Calum and the others walk onto the tour bus and close the door behind them. “We’re leaving already?”

            “Obviously,” Michael snapped. “Didn’t you hear Calum say we had to be there by a certain time tomorrow morning?”

            I ignored him and looked over at Cody, who I knew would answer my next question without being so rude. “Is all of our stuff already in here?”

            “Yeah,” Cody replied, taking off his dark blue sunglasses. “We had it all packed up while you and Ashton were out.”

             I nodded again, kicked off my shoes, and propped my feet up on the seat in front of me. “Wake me up when we get to Las Vegas, then.”