It's Not Living If It's Not With You || Yungblud || D.H

-Eleven-

After we ate breakfast, we went over to the recording studio. The boys walked into the other room, behind the glass and began to play. I walked over and sat down on the couch, watching them.

Today you made me feel irrelevant
Twisted my intelligence
Made it seem there's no brain in my head
I'm like a skeleton, I can't shut my eyes
Right now
I feel like I'm an alien
I'm so fuckin' dangerous
Cover up the evidence with medicine
I can't find the light

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket and so I pulled it out.

That's great you're okay honey, stay that way. And if it's not safe for you to go to school, then don't. Your safety is more important. I love you Ashley.

I smiled and typed back,

Okay, I love you too mom.

I shut my phone off and then Dom walked out and sat next to me while the others played with their instruments.

"Hey is everything okay?" He asked me, concern in his eyes.

I nodded, "Yeah it was just my mom. She's okay. She said that that if I'm not going to be safe at school then I shouldn't go. She said that my safety is more important."

"Well she's right you know."

"Yeah I know. It's just, Olivia. I miss her. She's my bestfriend. And I don't even have her phone number." I said.

"Hey I'm sure you'll see each other again, or atleast talk to her again." I nodded.

After a few minutes I decided to ask, "How did you know I needed help?" He gave me a confused look and I continued, "Adam and Michael told me you thought I needed help on Sunday. How did you know?"

"Damn them, I can't trust them with anything." He laughed. "Well, I saw you up in your room, I don't know what it was, but you looked so alone, sad almost. And when you came over to my house, I knew. Your eyes showed everything. So did your mom's, but you're were so much more livid. You can tell almost anything by looking into someone's eyes."

I nodded, and then Adam and Michael walked out. "Ready to record the next song?" Adam asked. Dom nodded and gave me one last look before walking into the other room.

After they were done recording for the day, Dom dropped Adam and Michael off at their house and Dom and I went out to the park to talk more.

It was late enough that there wasn't anybody at the park so Dom and I went and sat on the swings.

"I want to leave, leave California." Dom looked over at me.

"Why? I love it here, well so far, I mean I met you so." I blushed and his my face, even though he couldn't see it in the dark.

"Because, I've lived here my entire life. I wish that asshole would just die, he deserves it. For what he's done to me and my mom." I paused, "I guess the real reason I want to leave California do bad is because in this place, nothing good has happened to me, well other than meeting you and Olivia. My whole life has been anything but normal. I've never had a boyfriend, the asshole made sure of that. I've never gone to a school dance, or done anything or any  event at the high school. I mean for fucks sake, it's like I've been a prisoner to that house for seventeen years! So I just want to run away and never look back." I paused, "But I can't, they'll always find me. I'll probably be back in that hell hole by Monday."

Dominic shook his head. "Ashley, you're not going back there, and I'm going to make sure of that."

"How can you be so sure!" I cried. "My mom ran away twice, once with me and the next when I was ten. Each time she was brought back and it was hell. The asshole literally locked her in her room for a week, and he only fed her twice during that whole week! He's a psycho! And he'll do literally anything to get us back, even if that means going through people.

"Dominic, I don't want you to get hurt. You should let me run away. You've already seen what he can do, and he probably went easy on You! Why do you even want to keep me safe, it's not like it's your job. You could just drop me off at the train station and forget all about me."

Dom was now Infront of me grabbing my shoulders, shaking me slightly. "Ashley!" He snapped. I looked at his face and continued. "Ashley, I'm not letting you go anywhere. I care too fucking much about you to let anything happen to you. In these four days that I've known you, you mean just as much to me as Adam and Michael do.

"And I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. I'm not scared of the asshole okay? He can beat me up all he wants, I'll fight back." He said and wiped away my tears.

"Dom, he could literally fucking kill you." I said.

"Let him try, I'm not letting you go anywhere." I nodded and hugged him.

"Thank you Dom."

Eventually we went home, because it got too cold. Well that and the weirdos started to come out to the park. When we got home, Adam and Michael were already asleep, so Dom and I stayed up eating ice cream and watching a movie.

"I should get a job." I said to Dom while we watched the movie.

"Why?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know, so I had a little money. I mean you're always buying me things. I don't like being helpless. Plus you wouldn't have to see me all the time."

"Yeah but then how would I know if you're safe?"

"Ok fine. So what if I got a job at the coffee shop across the street from the studio, so you could keep an eye on me?"

"I don't know, I think you should wait until the whole thing with the asshole blows over. Just to be safe. And I really don't mind buying you things Ash. Me Adam and Michael all signed a contract, from a record label. We're being paid a shit load of money to create this album. I can afford to buy things for you Ash."

"You may be able to afford it, but you're also paying for your house, which you're not even living in because of me." I said.

"Ok so I'll sell the house." I just looked at him with my mouth wide open.

"Dom! We haven't even known each other for a full week, and your already talking about selling your house for me!" I said, trying to be as nice as possible. "Don't you think we're moving a little fast, I mean I get we're friends but.."

"Ash, our situation is different. I mean for fucks sake you're hiding from your asshole of a father, and I want to keep you safe! If that means selling my house, I will, without a second thought about it."

"Well then where would you live?" I asked.

"I would buy a new house or rent an apartment, and you would stay with me." He said, having clearly thought about it before.

"Dom, let's just take some time and think about it.. I don't want to do anything irrational, that we might regret later on. I don't want to screw up your music career. You know, with Zoey and everything." Dom put his arm around me and I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"I know, I know.. everything will work out, I promise." Even if it isn't the way we want it to, I thought to myself.