Deep Down Under (Ashton Irwin)

Chapter 12- Ashton

Chapter 12 

Ashton 

'Hey, it's Megan, leave a message after the...' her voicemail repeated in my ear for the fifteenth time, and I ended the call with a sigh. I had finally swallowed my pride and tried calling Megan, only to get her voicemail time and time again. Either she was avoiding me, or wanted me to move on. But after the twit cam, where I had basically admitted my feelings for her to all our fans, I wanted to keep trying. 

I wouldn't let her go. 

'...I can't believe she was here, what was she thinking?' I heard Luke's voice travel through my open door from the other room. It was low, as though he didn't want to be overheard. I crept forward to listen. 

'I have no idea, I just hope Ash doesn't find out. It's tough enough as it is.' Calum's voice came next, and I realised with a jolt that they must have been talking about Megan. I held my breath and continued to listen. 

'What did you guys say to her?' Michael asked. There was a long pause before anyone answered, and I got so frustrated that I nearly revealed myself. But I really wanted to hear what they were going to say. 

'We may have laid into her a little-' Luke confessed. 

'Yeah, we might have been kind of harsh on her. She looked really upset-' 

'What did you do?' I said loudly, striding out of my bedroom into the living room where they were all gathered. All three looked like deer caught in the headlights of a car, and I felt some smug satisfaction instantly replaced by anger. 

'Ash! I didn't know you were here,' Calum said. I frowned at him. 

'You two saw Megan? When?' I asked, watching as Calum and Luke shared a guilty look between them. 'I know she's in America, guys. I saw her after the concert last night, when I was with Nikki.' 

'What?' Luke said, surprised. 'Why didn't you say anything?' 

'Because nothing happened, and I didn't know you guys had to know every detail of my life. When did you see Megan?' I repeated, determined not to get off the subject. 

'Yesterday. She was in a coffee shop Calum and I went into,' Luke confessed. 

'Where?' 

'What?' 

'Where was the coffee shop?' I asked impatiently. 

'Why?' Calum asked, and I turned my gaze on him. 

'Because it might be close to where she is staying, and I need to talk to her,' I said. 

'No,' Michael said immediately, speaking up for the first time since I had come out of the bedroom. 

'Why not?' I asked. 

'You shouldn't go and see her, Ashton. She broke up with you, you need to let it go,' he said, but there was a sadness to his eyes that stopped it sounding harsh. 

'I need to talk to her. I saw her last night, and I know she didn't tell me the whole story. I want answers,' I said to them. There was a range of emotions between my three band mates, from anger to pity. I knew they were as conflicted as I was, as they liked Megan but hated what she had done to me. 

'Ashton, I'm sorry-' 

'Just tell me,' I said to Calum. He shook his head, as did Luke when I looked to him.  I sighed, frustrated, and ran my hand through my hair before collapsing down on the couch. 

'Ashton, it's for the best.' 

'Like hell it is! You guys don't understand. Megan, she- she loves me, OK? I've seen it. Calum, that video you sent Niall a few weeks back, it showed me everything I needed to know.' 

'Then why did she break u-'

'Because she was terrified! Megan's life has been one shit-storm after another, she lost her parents in a car accident when she was little. An accident she was in. Her whole life she was tossed aside by foster parents, by friends- everyone. She doesn't know how to even love herself, so she definitely doesn't know how to let someone else do it either.' 

I took a deep breath before carrying on. 

'And there's more. A couple of days before she broke up with me, Megan ran into some of our fans whilst she was out.' 

'Ah, shit...' Michael said under his breath. I nodded, seeing that all three of them knew exactly what that meant. 

'They said things to her, things that weren't true. About how I was just using her, that she wasn't worth my time...' I could see the guy's faces falling as I told them all about Megan's unfortunate encounter with some of our less savoury fans. 

'So...that's why she broke up with you? Because of something some fans said to her?' Luke asked, and I nodded. 

'But that's- that's stupid.' 

'Maybe to you or me, but to Megan? That's like someone telling you everything that's wrong with you and throwing it in your face. She couldn't handle it, so she pushed me away,' I took a deep breath, 'but I want to fight for her.' 

None of the guys spoke for a long time, all six eyes locked onto me with an intensity that started to make me uncomfortable. 

'Ah shit, man. She was at a coffee house near the Hilton,' Luke said finally, throwing his hands up in defeat. I leapt forward and pulled him into a hug, slapping him on the back before rushing out of the hotel room and down towards the lift. 

* * * * 

'Ashton! What are you doing here?' she asked as I leant against the doorframe, panting slightly. 

'Rosie. Is...Megan...here?' I gasped, clutching a stitch in my side. 

'Come in, you look like you are about to pass out,' Rosie said, grabbing my arm and basically dragging me into the room, plonking me down on the sofa before handing me a bottle of water. I took a few gulps and then turned to her. 

'Is Megan here?' 

Rosie didn't answer, and her eyes looked slightly guilty. 

'Ashton...no. I'm sorry.'

My heart plummeted down to my feet. 

'Where is she?' 

'You just missed her. She's headed for the airport, she's going home back to England,' Rosie said. 'She said she couldn't be here anymore. She...she saw you last night, and-' 

'What?' I said impatiently. 

'She said that it hurt to see that you had moved on.' I blinked a couple of times in shock. 

'Moved on? I havent moved on!' 

'Then who was that girl you were with last night?' 

I took a big frustrated breath and pinched my nose. Of course, of course Megan would see me and Nikki together and assume. It's exactly what I would have done if the roles had been reversed. 

'That was- never mind. When did she leave?'

'About half an hour ago.' I stood up, and Rosie did too. 'Are you going after her?' 

'That's the plan.' 

Author's Note: ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO!!! I'm so excited for you guys to read the finale, it's going to be epic!!  I hope you guys are loving the drama between these two, it's been so much fun to write!! 

Happy reading, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts! :) 

Elle x