Adopted by Luke Hemmings

21

- This may have a trigger warning, so be prepared. -

When I woke up, I heard crying from a few rooms away. I looked to my side and Emma laid there fast asleep, cuddling a blanket. I rose from my warm and comfortable spot and went down the hall. I stopped at a door and looked up, remembering this is where Ashton is staying. I immediately walked inside and the bathroom door was shut.

"Ashton," I said knocking.

"Please just go," he spoke quietly.

"Open the door," I spoke sternly.

"Luke I beg you, please just leave," he answered.

I hit the door with my shoulder as hard as I could, it busting down and me seeing a sight I wished to never see again.

Ashton had a razor blade in hand and there were 5 cuts down his arm. Blood was everywhere. I sat in front of him, putting a towel to his wrist.

"Ashton," I spoke softly.

"I'm sorry," he cried.

"Daddy?" Emma spoke from behind me.

"Emma, sweetie, will you please go wake up Uncle Michael and Uncle Calum for daddy?" I asked as she smiled and ran away.

If only she knew.

Minutes later Michael and Calum came running in. When they saw the sight of Ashton, they gasped.

"One is too deep. Watch her?" I asked looking at the cuts.

"We want to go," Calum insisted.

"We've got her, go," Niall spoke from behind us

He already had Emma cuddled to his bare chest. We only nodded, putting shirts on with our converse, staying in our sweatpants. Calum and I carried Ashton to the car and Michael drove us.

"Ashton why?" I cried as a tear went down my face.

"I, I don't know. It just felt right," he whispered.

We arrived and they put Ashton in a room to stitch his wrist up. We waited in the waiting room for him to return. But when he did, something wasn't right.

"What's up?" I asked him.

"Nothing, just tired. Can we go back?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, let's go," Calum spoke.

We all got inside and returned back to the house. Something is not right with Ashton. When we got inside he went straight upstairs. The other guys were downstairs and Emma was coloring. I walked over, kissed her on the cheek, and sat down.

"Ashton alright?" Louis asked.

"To be honest I don't know," Calum commented.

"He doesn't seem that way," Niall spoke.

"I'll be back," I spoke as I walked upstairs.

I stopped at his door and opened it, him sitting there staring at a wall.

"Ashton?" I spoke quietly.

"What did I do wrong?" He spoke towards me.

"You're scaring me," I commented as I sat before him in the floor.

"Well apparently my face scares people," he said sadly.

The hate, it's back.

"Ashton, don't read that bullshit. You and I both know that's not true," I said.

"Is it? I mean, I could scare children. I am ugly and god knows I just tear you guys down," he spoke.

"Do you even hear yourself? None of that is true Ashton. We're in this together, and we fix it together."

He looked at me, "You're right, sorry."

"Damn right I am," I spoke.

He laughed.

"Now get sleep. We're going to the beach tomorrow," I told him as he nodded.

I left, going downstairs. They all looked at me, then back towards the television where Harry and Michael tried defeating a mission on Disney Infinity.

"He alright?" Liam asked.

I nodded, "He's alright."

When Ashton woke up we grabbed food at the mall and shopped, me getting a few things for a special someone's birthday. That's right, Emma's birthday is in a week. God, where has the time gone? Even though I've only had her for a few months at the most. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve to make this birthday great.