Laconic » a.i

5.0

//ashton//

Joy had Bridgette sit up on the counter while she looked her over and asked her questions -- Mali-Koa was upstairs somewhere. She said "I don't know" as her answer for everything except when asked if she knew how she got out. Then she'd start mumbling things that didn't make sense and trail off.

"Could you hear anything when you were...asleep?" Mrs. Hood wondered for lack of a better word.

Bridgette shook her head.

"Do you remember any of these people?" she asked, gesturing behind her to the table where we were all sitting.

She pointed to Luke, "He said his name is Luke and he's my best friend," Then she pointed to Michael, "and Luke said his name was Michael and that I dated him. Luke also said I have a boyfriend named Ashton but I don't know who he is."

"Ashton," Mrs. Hood called to me softly. I stood from my seat next to Calum and walked forward, standing right next to Calum's mom. "This is Ashton. He's very nice, I promise, and he cares a lot about you."

Bridgette looked me up and down but she didn't seem disgusted or anything, which was good. She finally met my eyes -- well, my sunglasses -- and just stared at me.

"Are you blind?" she wondered, tilting her head to the side.

I let out a little chuckle and shook my head.

"Then why do you wear those?"

I just shrugged. I felt that because Bridgette was so vulnerable again, I should stick to being quiet just to be safe. I didn't want to freak her out with my gifts. It was like I was starting my relationship over with Bridgette and I didn't know if I liked it. When I first started talking to her, I loved it, but because we had come so far before it was kind of bittersweet in a way.

"Are you mute?"

I shrugged and leaned my head to one side. Kind of.

"Ashton has gifts -- you remember what those are, right?" Joy asked and Cooper nodded. "Good," she smiled. "Well, Ashton has gifts that control people. He used to talk and not wear glasses once you two got closer but now he probably just wants to be cautious, right Ashton?"

I nodded.

"So he is...like me." Cooper said, looking between Mrs. Hood and myself for an answer.

I nodded before letting my body fade out for a second just to show her.

Cooper didn't seem very terrified about not remembering anything, unless her waking up was brought into the conversation. But she seemed very curious to know everything, which was good. At least she wasn't opposed to any of us.

"Okay," she nodded. "I mean, he's cute, so that's good."

Everyone in the room laughed lightly but then Luke started laughing too hard and had to leave the room. I guess maybe we all needed some relief in this tense situation.

-

It was decided we'd stay at Calum's house that night because Mama Hood didn't want Bridgette going off with us the way she was now. Calum slept in his room -- obviously -- with Noel, while everyone else slept in the living room. Joy gave up the guest room for Bridgette, and while I really wanted to go lay with her, I knew I probably shouldn't.

But that didn't mean I couldn't go check on her, right?

Annie was asleep on Michael while he laid on a blanket on the floor, Jeremy was asleep on the couch, and Luke and Emily were sitting on the other couch watching TV. No one would notice if I disappeared, right? So while I sat on the floor by the couch Jeremy was asleep on, I slowly faded out. Once I wasn't visible, I stood and walked silently down the hall to the door to the guest room. It was left cracked just in case so I poked my head in to see if she was awake. Bridgette was laying on her back, looking up at the ceiling. She was laying like she was in the casket and it made me feel uneasy.

I slipped into her room -- I was so thankful the door didn't make any noise -- and stood in the corner, looking at her. After being away from her and thinking she was dead, I wanted nothing more than to be close with her. This would have to do.

"I know you're there." her soft voice actually made me jump because it was so silent except for the low droning of the TV in the living room.

I sighed and let myself be seen again. I walked over to the side of her bed and looked down. Her eyes were actually open. She looked up at me and her mouth pulled up slightly at one corner, "You can lay down if you'd like."

She scooted over to make room for me -- the bed was only a full but it could still fit us both -- and I laid down next to her above the covers. I was on my back but I kept my face toward her.

"Do you sleep too?" she wondered, staring up at the ceiling again.

I nodded.

"I'm scared to go back to sleep," she admitted before looking at me. "What if I don't wake up? What if that woman comes back?"

I shook my head and pointed to myself. I'll be here.

She rolled over so she was completely facing me. I did the same.

"So what exactly are your gifts?" she asked. "I mean, I know they have something to do with your sunglasses and the fact you don't say anything to me."

Would it really be so bad if I told her? She already knew everything about ghosts -- it wasn't like how it was when I first met her.

No, I can do one better than that.

I took of my sunglasses, turning over to lay them on the nightstand before looking back at Cooper. I held her face carefully in my hands and stared into her eyes.

I can talk with my eyes and control people with my words.

She pulled back a little, looking slightly scared. I knew I fucked up. I should've just not done anything.

"That's amazing," she breathed after a moment. She put her face closer to mine again. "Can you do it again? Can you show me, like, me before?"

I put my hands back as a smile grew on my face. I showed her the memory I had after I slept over her house the first time. She had woken me up and while her hair was a mess and she was in an old t-shirt, she still looked so gorgeous.

"Can you show me more?" she requested once it was over, placing her hands over mine to keep them there.

So that's what we did that night until her eyes fluttered closed. I showed her the first time we met, the time we went for pizza with Calum, the time she managed to get me out of my house before it was torn down, the time she made me remember her, our first time together -- everything. But it was late -- probably some early time in the morning by now -- and we were both getting tired.

"You'll be here?" she murmured as her eyelids got heavier and she struggled to stay awake. "The whole night?"

"Mhmm." I nodded as she scooted closer to me. I put my arms around her as she got comfortable against my chest.

"I'm glad that you ended up being my boyfriend." she sighed before she went to sleep.

"Me too." I replied quietly, but she didn't hear me.