The Summer Before Senior Year

0.5

"When you said you knew Ashton, How did you know him?" Luke raised his eyebrows at me.

I froze up in that moment.

"Ashton is my ex-boyfriend." I said shakily. Luke looked at me like I just stabbed him or something. He sat down on the couch and huffed. Mumbling something i couldn't hear.

"Yeah..." I looked down fiddling with the hem of my flannel.

"You don't like him anymore? right?" Calum said behind me.

"Well, I'd like to be his friend, but I don't like like him." I sighed.

"How come we didn't know this?" Luke asked.

"We kept it private, it was more special that way at the time. I was afraid we would be judged on the age gap so we just kept it our little secret, but both our parents found out."

"Oh.." Luke, Mike, and Cal said in unison.

"Should I go talk to him?" I said nervously.

"Nooo morg don't-"

"Yes, tell him you'd much rather be good friends than go through all this tension." Luke cut off Ali.

With that I made my way outside seeing ashton, with a blunt in between his fingers sitting against a brick wall. I shut the basement door behind me causing ash to look up at me then quickly look away. I walked slowly over to him than sat down beside him

"Ashton I'm sorry I...I was just hoping you moved on by now. Luke invi-"

"I have moved on!" He snapped.

"Clearly not Ash! The way you looked at me and stormed out of that room and are smoking a blunt right now tells me other wise!" I shouted making me realize that everybody was looking through the basement window by now.

"Okay fine, I haven't." he sniffled.

"Ashton you deserve someone better, who actually loves you back. What we had was real and I did have feelings for you but I just don't feel that way anymore and I'm sorry I can't change the way I feel. I just hope we can be friends somehow and forget about this."

"How can I move on when you want to be friends?" He breathed

"You need to find someone else to fulfill your happiness and forget about it. Or simply start being more confident in yourself." I slightly smiled at him. "You deserve happiness."

"Thanks." He said bitterly.

"I did love you by the way." I said.

"Then why? Why did you just leave? I just don't understand if you loved me you just left me with no good explaination."

"My parents weren't doing too well with money ash, they didn't like that you were 19 and I was just 16. We were going through a really tough time and I also felt I had no time for a boyfriend and I needed to focus on my education. And then my sister passed and everything just crumbled in my life. It just wasn't the right time." I gulped trying to keep in the tears that were threatening to leave my eyes.

"I get it Morgan, I want to move on and start
over as friends. Luke told me he liked the girl that was coming over today, but he never told me the name.When it ended up being you, I just couldn't imagine you with someone else. But Luke is my best friend, so if you want to be with him, I promise you I wouldn't jeaprodise that. I want both you and Luke happy. So friends?" He sniffled holding out his hand.

"Friends." I smiled taking his hand and shaking it.

"I'll give you some space for a few weeks, and I wish the best for you." I said pulling my self back up to my feet.

"Thank you." He whispered as I walked back to Mikes basement door.

I was bombarded by questions when I walked back inside.

"What happened?"

"Are you alright?"

"What did he say?"

"Is he okay?"

"We are both fine, we just agreed on being just friends but I need to give him some space, let him try to move on this time. Thanks for invited me Luke."

"You're leaving already? You've been here for only 5 minutes." Luke said disappointed, the three boys frowning along with Ali who enjoyed the company.

"Ashton needs space, and me being here isn't gonna help. We can hangout alone sometime if you want?" I said to Luke as I grabbed my purse and starbucks off of a little table.

"Ooooo!" Calum, Ali, and Mikey cooed as Luke and I both blushed.

"Of course I want to." Luke said putting his arms out towards me for a hug. I hugged him back and closed my eyes as his arms wrapped around me. It felt so long but only lasted two seconds since Ali was waiting for me by the stair case after she hugged Michael and Calum goodbye. I quickly hugged Cal and then Mike and made my way up the stairs with Ali shouting another bye.

-

Luke's P.O.V.

After Morgan left I sat back down on the couch and grabbed my guitar continuing to tune it like I was before drama happened.

"Well Luke's gotta girlfriend that's new." Calum chirped at me doing a weird eyebrow thing.

"She's not my girlfriend!" I laughed my cheeks turning a deep red.

"Ah c'mon lukiepoo we know you want to touch her boobs." Michael blurted. I looked up from my guitar and glared up at him as he sat down next to me on the couch with a cheese puff in his hand.

Right then, Ashton walked through the door which caused the tension level to rise up to 100%.

"Can I talk to Luke alone." Ashton spoke. I watched as Calum and Michael got up and walked up the the stairs causing me to tense up. I leant the guitar against the arm of the sofa and looked up at ashton who stood in front of me.

"Dude I swear I didn't know she was your-"

"Luke it's fine,really." He chuckled which caught me by surprise.

"Then what is it that you want to talk about?" I said confused.

"She likes you Luke." He gave me a small smile.

"How would you know?"

"When I told her you liked her, the look in her eyes was the same look she had when I told her I loved her for the first time." He said above a whisper.

"Why would you want to tell me this, she is your ex-girlfriend."

"Your my little brother Luke. If I don't give her happiness, I want you to give her happiness. Love her as much as you can and hold her as tight like you never want to let go, for me. I'll promise you it won't make me sad, I can figure out how to be happy without a girl. I just need you to love her for me. I know you just met her but you guys seem right for each other." He said showing his dimples.

"Mate you are so sappy." I chuckled.

"I'm being serious though." He giggled.

"Thanks ash"I got up to give him a big brotherly hug.

"Well that went better than expected, I thought my whole basement would be in pieces." Michael joked as he walked back In the basement, making Ashton roll his eyes.