Xx, Ashton || a.i.

Chapter 31: Truth

Truth

Lydia's POV

Seeing Ashton and Harry say their goodbyes has to be one of the saddest things I've ever seen. They both cried and I almost cried myself.

Anne cried too, not entirely because she'd miss Ashton, but because she was worried.

Which was understandable, given the previous situation he'd been through.

"I love you, Laur, be good." Ashton told her, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you too, loser."

Ashton and his siblings embraced each other in a group hug for a few seconds and Anne pulled me in for another hug.

"Thank you so much for everything, Anne." I said, I told her one last time.

I couldn't believe all of the boy's families had actually voluntarily gotten up at 3 in the morning to say goodbye to us.

"Come and visit anytime, sweetie." she gushed, squeezing my shoulders. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." she said half-jokingly, nodding at Ashton.

"Muuuum." he whined, rolling his eyes.

"When did my little boy grow up?" She released my shoulders and hugged him tightly for a few seconds, her eyes glossy with tears again.

"Good question." He sighed and kissed her hair before pulling away. "I love you, Mum, call me if anything changes." 

"I love you too, Ash." she smiled. "Take care of Lydia."

"Always."

A voice came on the loudspeaker, making our group quiet down.

"Attention travelers, flight 715 to JFK International Airport in New York, New York, is now boarding. Please make your way to Gate 6."

"That's us." Luke sighed, kissing Liz on the cheek as he picked up his bag. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

-

The flight back to New York was quiet... almost depressing, actually.

Coming back to New York came with many burdens I wasn't ready to deal with. Coming home would mean I'd have to face my mother eventually. I'd have to come back to the school my uncle teaches at. I'd have new roommates. New classes. New everything.

The only thing I was genuinely looking forward to was seeing Eliana again.

It would even be different between Ashton and I. After spending so many nights sleeping in the same bed, I didn't want to go back to my tiny, twin sized bed, next to the drafty window.

Ashton and I slept for a majority of the flight, leaving only a few hours for painfully boring airplane movies.

Even Michael had fallen asleep, and I could hear him snoring from 3 rows away.

"This movie sucks." Ashton muttered to himself, clicking buttons aimlessly on his arm rest.

We were about two hours away from JFK and I couldn't stop staring at the ring on my finger. Ashton told me it was a "promise ring" concept from his grandfather to grandmother, but it couldn't be a purity ring, considering we'd ruined that pact about five minutes after he gave it to me.

"Ash?"

"Hmm."

"What's the promise?"

"Huh?"