The Runaway 2 - N.H.

[36] Me?

••

Sorry for the swears in this chapter .o.

••

Ashton's POV

It's been eight months to the day since Braeden left. Luke's birthday was a few weeks ago so now he's finally eighteen, but he wasn't as excited as he should have been. Probably because when they first met Braeden promised him she'd take him out to his first night club on the night of his eighteenth.

We have yet another show tonight. I don't really get sick of it but today has been edgy. Niall brought up Braeden when we were eating breakfast. Apparently she told Niall and Louis she had to stay in rehab an extra few months but when Louis rang up the facility to pay she had actually gotten out early.

Niall asked the four of us if we knew where she was or if we'd spoken to her and Michael went ballistic, saying he should keep track of her and how he didn't deserve her. Then Niall started telling Michael to stop talking about her like she's a dog and that it's his fault she had to go to the facility in the first place.

It was a mess.

Louis, Michael, Niall, Harry, Calum and I all started yelling and eventually Luke just stood up, told us all to grow the fuck up and walked out.

He hasn't left his bunk since eight this morning. It's almost three o'clock.

"Ash?" Calum asks and walks into the back of the bus with me.

"Hey man." I mumble.

"You... You wanna go for a walk or something when the bus stops?" He asks quietly.

"Yeah sure. All four of us?" He nods and turns around.

"I'll get Luke." He mumbles and walks out.

We are all back to being close. That is when no one brings up Bee. Niall and I are pretty good friends now too. He still hates Mikey and Cal. Luke he doesn't have a massive problem with but doesn't like being in a room with. Louis is more mature and will talk to all of us.

I wish Bee could be with us. I honestly think she'd love being on tour, she loves music and she gets along well with us all... I mean she could get along well everybody if her and Mikey made amends.

I don't know why she's left Louis like this. All she's ever wanted was to be close with him again and she's thrown it all away. Maybe she found a new guy or something and doesn't want to tell Niall. He told me they had sex that night and that she told him she loved him; it doesn't surprise me.

I don't know if Bee knows but Anna and I stayed together. We talk as much as possible and whenever I have time off I go to see her. I ask her about Bee sometimes but she knows about as much as the rest of us do and it tears her apart. For all we know she could be dead.

Wherever she is, I wish more than anything she is happy. She deserves a wonderful life.

"Let's go, Ash!" I hear Calum yell and I hadn't even realised the bus stopped.

I quickly pull on my shoes and grab my back pack. This is our first time in San Fran Cisco so hopefully we can do some sightseeing before we get spotted and mobbed. We love our fans but we also love privacy.

We start walking down the street, keeping our heads low and our hoods up. "It's nice." Calum mumbles trying to break tension.

"Mm," I hum, I look over to Michael and see his purple hair is starting to fade to a pale white colour.

"What's your next colour man?" I ask trying to get him to talk. He hasn't said much since this morning.

No one ever brings up Bee. We all know better. Luke and Michael are the worst because they haven't spoken to her in so long, at least Louis and Niall had contact for the first few months.

"Red. I think," He mumbles and runs a hand through his hair.

"Oh," I can't help but remember Braeden's favourite colour is red.

"Bee's favourite c-" Luke starts as he kicks a pebble.

"That's enough," Calum growls at him and Luke stops in his tracks.

"You're not my fucking mother, Calum," He fires back.

"Yeah? At least your mother knows not to bring up Braeden in front of him," Calum says and gestures to Michael. They fight like this a lot, wether it's over Bee or not. There's still tension between them since everything that happened in Boston.

"You didn't call her Bee," Luke says almost sadly.

"You didn't call her BeeBee," Calum fights back and the four of us just stand there in a circle kind of square.

"I... It's not the same if it's not said to her, you know?" He says and kicks another pebble.

"I'm not your child guys. That's no how this works, you don't need to protect me like that," Michael murmurs.

"We just know it hurts you Mikey. We don't think of you as a child," Calum says and turns to start walking again.

"So... Excited for the show tonight?" I ask trying to stir up a nice conversation.

"Oh my fuck. Look how hot that girl is." Calum gasps as we all look in the direction he's drooling over. A tall, skinny brunette girl stands across the street. She's wearing skinny jeans and a tight purple singlet. For a second I think it could be Braeden but she turns to her friend sitting down and my heart starts beating again. She really is quite beautiful. Even from the back her friend looks pretty too; she has long, red-dyed hair and a curvy body.

The first girl seems to spot us all staring and she whispers something to her friend and looks away. Almost three seconds later her red haired friend turns around to us. Now my heart really stops. Her face falls straight away and almost instantaneously I hear Michael let out a tiny squeak.

It's Braeden, obviously. Her mouth has formed a tiny o and all I want to do is run over there and hug her. But I don't, none of us do. We all just stand there and stare at her like she's some kind of monster. Her friend looks over again and seems to ask her if she's okay but Braeden just stands quickly and walks away. The four of us stay standing there, staring at the space where she used to be.

My phone starts ringing and I quickly answer it hoping it's her "Hello?"

"Guys where are you? Soundcheck's in an hour," Louis huffs on the other end.

"Louis... I-"

"Don't," Michael warns and steps closer. "Don't you fucking dare."

"Ash? What is it?" Louis asks confused.

"Nothing we'll be back soon," I say and hang up. "Fuck off Michael," I growl and he looks shocked.

"What?"

"You think if you weren't here she'd still have done that? This is your fucking fault. All of it," I spit to him and he clenches his jaw.

"Watch your mouth you so-"

"Me? Me watch my mouth? You need to watch yourself, you disgusting little cunt," I turn on my heels and start walking back towards the bus before I give them a chance to say anything back.