cherry wine [cashton]

this ain't for the best

Ashton woke up from the sound of his phone buzzing. When he checked the time, he discovered that he had received several texts throughout the night.

Calum: you up?

Calum we need to talk about last night, I can't sleep.

Jim: please text me when you wake up

Jim: I'm so sorry. Just know that I love you and that it will never happen again

Jim: I'm gonna change, I promise.

Calum: I'm coming over later

Mom: Hi honey, I heard you coming home last night. I'm making breakfast, feel free to come down.

He put the phone down without responding to any of the texts. Right now, he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

But that wish was quickly shattered just like the glass from last night, as Ashton heard a knock on his door.

"Go away," he grunted out.

"You okay in there, honey?" his mother asked through the door. He knew, she wouldn't barge in unless it was in emergency. She respected his privacy. "There's someone at the door for you. "

Ashton sat up in his bed too fast, making his head spin. "Who is it?"

"It's Calum," she said.

Ashton released a breath, he didn't realize, he had been holding. At the same time, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His face was a wreck. It was littered with small cuts that almost made it look like he had freckles. He looked at the dark circles under his eyes before he met his own gaze in the mirror. His eyes looked lifeless. Calum couldn't see him like this, he just couldn't.

"Tell him I'm still sleeping," he called out through the door.

Anne gave a displeased hum in return, before she walked back down the stairs.

From his bed he could hear muted voices and a door shutting. He shut his eyes as a tear slid down his cheek.

-

Hours later he decided that he needed some fresh air to clear his mind. But that meant he had to face his mother, who was undoubtably catching up on Beverly Hills reruns downstairs on the couch.

He put on a hoodie to cover as much as his face as possible before he left his room.

"Oh hi, glad to see you're awake," he heard a voice call out.

Ashton tried to hide his face, but his mom noticed the bruises and cuts right away.

When she saw them, she gasped. "What happened?"

"Nothing. I'm going out. I'll be back," and with that he left his house and started wandering aimlessly down the street.

- 

AN: this is kind of boring but it's just a filler. i almost have the next couple of chapters mapped out, so brace yourselves! 

Songs i've added to the playlist:
Perfectly wrong – Shawn Mendes
You don't do it for me anymore – Demi Lovato
Jet Black Heart – 5SOS
Drive – Oh Wonder
Sad Forever – Lauv