Sunshine in the Summer (Ashton Irwin)

Chapter 8

After we finished up at that store I took us home, I couldn’t handle anything else. My stomach was a mess of nerves and I had a headache from stress. This was all ridiculous I know, but I couldn’t help it.

I was exhausted by the time I finally got Ellen back in the house plus all of our purchases and the lunch I’d got from a Chinese type restaurant. Ellen wanted to put on a new outfit along with her silver shoes but after that was done and we ate, I turned on Cinderella and curled up on the couch and tried not to cry.

Eventually I decided I needed to give in and call my mom.

“Lacey seriousy? It’s 4 am,” my mom said groggily into the phone.

“I know I’m sorry…”

I could hear her sit up in her bed. “Sweetie, is everything alright?”

“Kind of, I don’t really know.”

“Did something happen with Thomas?”

“No he’s fine, its…there’s another guy.”

“Uh oh.”

“No, it’s not like that. I don’t even really know the other guy but I think about him more often than Thomas and I don’t think it’s supposed to be like that.”

“Well, getting too close to a boy over there isn’t really smart to begin with Lace, you have to come back home eventually. But who is this other boy?”

“He’s actually a friend of Thomas’ but I keep seeing him randomly. He doesn’t really seem to notice me too much but he seems so nice and he’s really cute and I don’t know why but I like him a lot but how can I like him so much when I don’t even know him? And I talked to him for the first time today because I ran into him at the store and I was just really stressed out the whole time and I wanted to cry and I’m crying right now because it’s all just too much and that’s the worst part is I don’t even know why any of this is happening because I don’t know a whole lot more about him other than the fact that he’s insanely good looking and can sing and play guitar and I think I heard someone say he can play the drums too and his name is Ashton.”

“Whoa whoa whoa, slow down before you give yourself an aneurism. All this is Lacey is a crush. An intense one. Sure you’ve liked boys before the way you like Thomas, but this is an actual crush. And you don’t have to know the person to feel that way. Nor does it have to work out. Actually, it usually doesn’t. I remember I was 15 when I had my first real crush and he turned out to be a theft and got arrested right in front of me and sent to juvie.”

“…Damn.”

“I know. And don’t swear to me,” she teased. “But don’t let it freak you out so much. Just enjoy your summer in Sydney and if you’re going to give a boy attention give it to Thomas, the one who actually does notice you. Alright?”

“Alright,” I said, feeling a little better.

Later that night Thomas was at the door. Aunt V had called and said she wouldn’t be home until tomorrow afternoon and Ellen was already in bed. After my mom’s little pep talk I was actually excited to see Thomas because she’s right, he does notice me and after that stressful day I just kind of needed a hug.

So as soon as I opened the door and he gave me his winning smile I hugged him. He froze for a moment surprised before he wrapped his arms around me.

“I KNEW you couldn’t get enough of me!” he teased, making me laugh.

“Bad day, sorry.”

“What happened?” he asked, leaning back to look at me.

“Just a general bad day, I’m just stressed is all.” I stepped back so he could come inside.

“Is Vilenna still at the hospital?”

“Yeah, she’ll be home tomorrow afternoon sometime.” We were both sitting on the couch now. He looked like he had something on his mind. “Is everything okay?” I asked.

He thought for a moment. “Do you remember when I said you can be hard to read?”

“Yeah…”

“I just don’t always know how I should go about…things.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there’s something I’ve been wanting to do but I don’t know if I should.” He wouldn’t look me in the eye.

“Uh,” I wasn’t sure what to say because I had no idea what he was talking about.

He looked at me then with a questioning look.

“I guess if someone else were asking me advice on what you just said I would tell them to just go for it…” I wasn’t sure if that made sense but I didn’t know what else to say.

The corner of his mouth twitched and his right hand gently grabbed the side of my head and he kissed me. His lips were big and warm, and soft against mine. It hadn’t even occurred to me until just then that we hadn’t even kissed yet and something about that was strange to me. I should have at least thought about it by now.

He worked his mouth against mine for a moment before slowly pulling away and searching my eyes for a response.

I didn’t know what to say so, “That’s what you were so stressed about?”

He laughed. “Part of me felt like you didn’t want me to! I didn’t want to freak you out or anything!”

I laughed too. “I have kissed a boy before ya know.”

“Just not one as fantastic as me,” he said, sitting up straight and proper.

“I have to admit you are probably the best kisser I’ve experienced.”

“Probably? Probably! Well I guess I’ll just have to make that a definitely now won’t I?”

He pushed my loose hair behind my ear before holding the side of my head again and kissing me. This time he pushed his tongue into my mouth and I welcomed it. He really was a good kisser.

This time he didn’t pull away. He leaned over me and guided my body down so he was on top of me. I’d made out with boys before but never while we were lying down and never this intensely. I felt so…grown up in this house in Australia while it was dark and there were no adults around and I was kissing this hot Australian boy with a hot Australian accent.

Then your face popped into my head like a firework on the Fourth of July. You were smiling and laughing, hair bouncing and dimples radiating.

I jerked my head back, startling him.

“What? Was that too much? I’m sorry-“

“No no no, you didn’t do anything, sorry.” I had no way to explain my outburst.

“It’s okay, I should probably stop anyway before it gets too hard. To stop I mean.” I felt what he meant when he lifted his groin off me and it made me blush.

You were starting to really piss me off. But at the same time I wasn’t actually mad, just curious. I just wanted to know you so bad. Then, if you turned out to be some criminal like my mom’s crush then I could forget about you and have hot make out sessions with Thomas on Aunt V’s couch.

But of course, you weren’t going to make it that easy.