The Doppelgänger Effect ❃ lashton

epilogue

A S H T O N

 

               Saying Ashton was lonely was an understatement. Luke had to return to Heaven and Ashton had to explain to the police that the younger male had come into his house, choking on air and crying. They believed it. Today was Luke’s official funeral. Ashton was in a suit, sitting in the front row.

“Who are you?” A small girl asked him,

Ashton let his eyes flicker to her from the ground, “Ashton and you, darling?”

“Willow. Want to play hide-and-seek?”

Ashton let a small smile on his lips, “Maybe later.”

Willow raised her eyebrows, tugging at Ashton’s sleeves, “Lukey told me never to do that.” She pointed to the newest scars Ashton had made on his wrist. “He said, ‘it’s a bad thing, promise me you’ll never do it’” She giggled, “I promised, you should promise him too.”

Ashton’s eyes filled with tears and he nodded, “I will. Thank you, Willow.”

Willow smiled and nodded before sitting beside Ashton, “Promise we’ll play hide-and-seek later?”

Ashton nodded, “Promise.”

               The two didn’t speak as the funeral started, Ashton had a straight face and his eyes flickered to the ground. He couldn’t listen to any of the shit that was going on. The funeral ended and he shook hands with everyone before Willow tugged on his sleeve.

“Hide-and-seek?”

Ashton saw the blue in her eyes that reminded him of Luke, the pouty lips, the blonde hair, everything. “Sure. Where’s your mum?”

Willow pointed to a woman in a black dress with tears in her eyes as she placed her hand on Luke’s casket.  Ashton made his way over, with a small smile on his lips as he started to speak,

“He’s not there.”

The woman nodded, “I know.”

“He’s probably dancing on the casket.” Ashton let out a small chuckle.

The woman looked to Ashton, “Who are you?”

“I was Luke’s boyfriend… sort of.”

She raised her eyebrows but she engulfed him in a hug, “Ashton.”

“How… how did you know?”

“He talked about you all the time… Well, before he started going out and walking around so much.”

Ashton blushed, “Really?”

“Mhm..”

Willow appeared at their side, tugging on Ashton’s sleeves again, “Time to play!” She giggled.

Ashton chuckled, “Alright.”

“Ashton, why don’t you come back for diner at our house tonight?” The woman spoke.

“Of course.”

+ - +

“One… Two… Three…” Ashton counted, “…Twenty! Ready or not here I come!”

               Ashton started to look for Willow again; they were at Luke’s aunt’s house, playing hide-and-seek. Ashton searched, he jogged inside and looked for Willow, and somehow he made it to Luke’s room. He opened the door and walked in. He took a deep breath, looking around. Ashton found a green, army bag on his bed. He went over and opened it. Ashton found a sketch-pad along with colored pencils and sharpeners. Ashton let his fingers glide over the cover and open the book, the first thing he saw, it was him. He was sitting in art class, looking down at his art project. Luke had gotten ever detail, Ashton’s lips, eyes, nose, ears, hair… his bracelets, his drum sticks lying beside his bag. Ashton let out a choked sob, mixed with a chuckle.

               Ashton kept looking, wiping his eyes. He looked at another page. It was him. Another, it was him. Another, it was a letter. To him. He read over it, by the end he was crying once again. He fell to the bed and forgot about hide-and-seek with Willow but only remembered hide-and-seek with the doppelgangers. He remembered every waking moment he could have spent with Luke. How he could have been the one to rid Luke of his sweaters and for him to be the one to let Luke be himself, showing his scars. Showing them like they were the best thing that happened because he made it. Ashton curled up in Luke’s bed and fell asleep.

+ - +

               Twenty years. It had been twenty years since Luke had saved Ashton. Ashton sat in a coffee shop, twirling the straw in his coffee. The bell rung, he lifted his head and looked around, seeing a now-grown-up Willow. He chuckled and sat up more.

“Hey, Willow.”

“Hey, Ashton.”

“How’re you? How’s college?”

“It’s great. I’m great. Going to my cousin’s dream college is amazing I suppose.”

“Yeah? I’m sure Luke would be pretty happy for you.”

“I hope so.”

“He is. I know it.”

               The two sat in silence for awhile longer. They talked about college and Willow getting married in two months. They talked about Luke, which Ashton got teary eyed at. They talked about how Ashton was now living in London. They talked about everything. And all Ashton could feel, was his heart thumping like Luke was watching. Little did he know, he was.