Laconic » a.i

2.3

//ashton//

I woke up to someone nudging me with their hand. My arm immediately tightened around where Bridgette lay over my body, but she didn't say anything. I opened my eyes and looked down at her to see her still sound asleep. I looked above us and saw Luke looking down at me.

"Can we talk?" he asked quietly.

While I really didn't want to be away from Bridgette at all for a while, I nodded. I slipped out from under her, trying not to wake her, but that was unavoidable.

"Ashton?" she asked groggily.

"It's alright," I told her, smoothing her hair back. "Calum needs something. I'll be back in five minutes, I promise."

She nodded slightly and buried her face in my pillow. I followed Luke out the bedroom door and down to the kitchen. He stopped as he stood on the opposite side of the island as me, staring down at his hands that were placed on the smooth surface.

"You actually couldn't tell her you were with me," he said after what felt like minutes of silence. "She hates me that much."

"She doesn't hate you-"

"She literally got on top of me and punched me over and over," Luke stated. "I don't think that's how you show your affection."

"She's just upset that you pay more attention to, uh, Emily, right? Yeah, and Cooper's been there for you for a while and you two were best friends and now you just don't seem to care."

"I care!" Luke shouted, slamming his hands on the counter.

I reached over and put my hand over his mouth, "Bro, waking up the house isn't going to help you right now. Just let me explain what she's feeling and-"

"No," a quiet voice interrupted from the entrance to the kitchen. Bridgette stood in her cotton shorts that she wore the first time I slept over her house, and a white top. She rubbed one eye with the heel of her hand before walking into the kitchen and standing at the head of the counter, looking over at Luke, "let me explain."

-

//cooper//

"Can we talk?" Luke asked quietly.

That was what had woke me up at who-knows-what-time-it-was. I felt something moving around under me. I thought it was Calum -- it usually was lately -- until I remembered Ashton had come back. My heart raced because I remembered he was back and because he was now leaving.

"Ashton?" I asked, lifting my head once he was out of bed.

I felt his hand smoothing my hair back, "It's alright, Calum need something. I'll be back in five minutes, I promise."

Calum. Yeah, okay.

I knew Ashton was lying because he didn't want me getting upset he was going to talk to Luke but what he didn't know was that I'd heard Luke's voice already. But I just nodded and let the boys leave the room before I got out of bed as quietly as possible and left the bedroom too. As I descended the stairs, I could hear them quietly talking, but I knew I'd have to get closer to hear anything. What could Luke possibly want to talk to Ashton about?

"She hates me that much." Luke stated with a tired sigh.

Oh, that's what.

"She doesn't hate you-" Ashton began to protest but was cut off by Luke.

"She literally got on top of me and punched me over and over," Luke told him. "I don't think that's how you show your affection."

I thought back to when I'd done that, but I still didn't feel any better from doing it. I thought maybe I'd get some of my anger out but I didn't.