The Therapist's Son // Ashton Irwin [AU] ✔

15.

"What do you mean you don't drive?" Ashton asked, eyes glued to the road ahead of us.

The rest of the week had been incredibly boring compared to Monday, when he first kissed me. Yet, he hadn't attempted again. It was like our "more than friends" status had lasted only an afternoon, then vanished like it had never even existed in the first place.

"I just... Don't." I shrugged.

"Not even in America?"

"Not really." I mumbled, fiddling with the bracelets I currently wore on my left wrist. I hadn't come close to a relapse in about a week and a half, something I was proud of. The urge was still there at times, but I could normally distract myself and fight it off.

I looked up when the car made a sudden right turn, before looking questioningly at the boy driving.

"What are you doing?"

"Driving, breathing, what about you?" He laughed, and I rolled my eyes at his sarcastic response.

"I mean, where are we going?" I clarified.

"I'm kidnapping you," He joked, and I glared at him, as if to say 'I'm getting really tired of your shit, Irwin'. "I'm kidding, I'm taking you out by where my dad taught me how to drive."

"Um, wh-why?" I choked out, trying to keep calm. I silently prayed it wasn't for the reason I thought.

"Because, you're, what? Seventeen? Almost eighteen? You need to know how to drive if you're staying here, easy as that." He casually explained.

Fuck.

"But, you said so yourself, its a small town and that you can practically walk anywhere." I protested. I couldn't get behind the wheel again, I couldn't. What if it happened again?

"Well, yeah, but I take it you want a license, don't you?" Ashton asked, quickly glancing over at me. I tried to cover my state of panic with a small smile.

"Yeah, I guess." It wasn't a lie. I wanted my license. Back home I had my permit, up until the accident. I liked the thought of legally being able to do something, I just couldn't do it.

"Okay, then," He looked around, biting his lip. "Its a bit further down, I think."

My heart erratically pounded in my chest, stomach twisting in a way that made me feel as if I was going to be sick, but I did my best to hide it. Ashton muttered something that I couldn't quite make out before he pulled over to the side of the road and put the vehicle in park, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening the car door.

"Are you getting out?" He asked. "Or are you going to drive from the passenger seat?"

"Ash, this isn't a good idea." I said.

"Of course it is. And afterwards, we'll still have time to go do whatever. It'll be fine."

"No, I mean, I can't drive." I tried to explain without giving anything away.

"Sure you can. Now come on." He got out of the car, walking around the front, opening my door. I sighed. He was persistent, there wasn't any way around this.

Luckily, we seemed to be the only people this far out here, and the only thing I could crash into was a nearby tree.

Still, I couldn't help but shake a little as I walked around the car, getting in the driver's seat, closing the door.

"Fuck," I cursed, the view from where I sat seemed all too familiar, except the sun was out and shining this time. It wasn't rainy and dark like the night of the accident. "Ashton, I can't do this."