Always - Sequel to Stay Together For The Kids

Chantelle.

"Hello, princess!" I bound up to the door, taking Ruby out Luke's arms.

"I'm a queen, actually." Luke grins, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

Ruby is half asleep, and she seems very tired.

"How late did she stay up last night?" I ask him with a chuckle.

"What?" Luke says defensively. "She likes watching Cops with me."

I shake my head with a chuckle, bouncing Ruby on my hip.

Ashton walks up behind us, and gives Luke a quick hug.

"Did you see the game last night?" Luke says excitedly.

Ashton frowns. "Since when were you interested in football?"

Luke scoffs. "Ever since Sophie took me to match, thanks very much."

I giggle. "Manly."

"It's probably on the news now." Luke ignores my comment and walks to the tv, turning it on.

"Sure, you can use the tv." I say sarcastically, warranting a glare from Luke.

I sit down on the dining room chair, watching Luke scan through the channels.

"Damn." He breathes. He turns back to Ashton. "You need to look it up man, it's almost good enough to make you enjoy the game."

Ashton laughs. "I'll have to check it out." He nods.

But it's a certain blonde that gets my attention as my eyes scan over the TV.

"What the fuck?" I say, forgetting my almost two year old daughter is sitting on my lap.

Luke and Ashton quickly follow my gaze, my jaw too agape to say anything currently.

"Is that Chantelle?" Luke splutters loudly.

"Oh my god, why is she on my tv?" Ashton looks nauseous.

"Turn it off." Luke says quickly, asking his head, and trying to get Ashton to turn away from it.

"No." I shake my head. I have heard snippets of what she is saying, and my heart has already stopped. "Turn it up."

Luke frowns but does so, walking over to the tv and turning it up manually on the monitor.

"... I always knew she was scheming. I just never thought they would do this." Chantelle dabs at what I assume is a tear with a hanker chief.

She is sitting on a comfy looking lounge chair, her platinum blonde hair flowing over her shoulders.

The tv pans in on an a man who I recognise vaguely from a gossip show, who has a very somber face on. "So you're saying they planned this?" He asks her.

The camera turns on her now. She nods, looking upset. "I don't know if she ever meant to kill Michael. But she was divorcing him, and they were having secret visits at my house a week before his passing." Chantelle shakes his head. "There's more to this story that they aren't telling us."

"Oh my god." I hear Luke breathe.

I can't talk. I can't breathe. My heart is hammering in my chest. The blood feels like it's thundering through my ears. I can't believe what I'm hearing.

"What are you saying, Chantelle?" The interviewer says dramatically.

"Lily and Ashton killed Michael Clifford. I'm sure of it." She looks into the camera. "Michael deserves justice. We can't let them get away with this."

"Thank you, Chantelle." The interviewer says, shaking her hand. "I understand this must of being very difficult for you."

Chantelle nods, dabbing at her fake tears again.

"Turn it off." A growl escapes Ashton and my eyes finally flick away from the tv.

I hear the tv turn off but my eyes are trained on Ashton. He is shaking, his eyes staring at the silent tv, his jaw clenching. I've never seen him this mad in my life.

"No one will believe her." I say quickly. My voice is tiny, and I don't even believe myself when I say it. Everything she said is going through my head, every word ripping through my heart again.

"I knew she would do something like this." Ashton spits, starting to pace. His fists clench, and his breathing quickens.

"What's going on?" Luke asks us both sternly.

Ashton stops pacing, and we share a glance. Luke wasn't supposed to know about Ashton and I yet. We weren't ready to tell anyone yet. I guess Chantelle decided that for us.

"Is it true?" Luke says quietly.

"You think we would kill Michael?" Ashton yells, snapping, a furious glare masking his face.

Luke's jaw twitches. "Do you think I would ever think that?" Luke snaps to Ashton. "I meant is it true about you two?" Luke turns to me.

I look over to Ash, then back to Luke, not knowing what to say. "Yes." I eventually say, looking down to the ground. I can hear Luke letting out a low whistle and Ashton starting to pace again.

I look up to Luke, who is watching me with a look I've never wanted to see before in his eyes. Distrust.

"I never would of hurt Michael." I say quickly, shaking my head, begging for him to believe me. "Ashton and I only kissed after Michael died. And even now, I don't know what we are. I could never, I would never-" But the rest of my sentence I can't get out, as I have started sobbing, started uncontrollably sobbing, the kind I only remembered after Michael had died.

I feel Ruby lift off of me and I curl my body closer to my chest, trying to make the pain go away. I try to breathe, to control my crying. It doesn't seem to work.

I feel big hands take over me, pulling me into their chest, trying to hush me, rocking me back and forth.

I wipe my eyes, expecting to see Ashton's comforting smile next to me, and am surprised when I see Luke's concerned face looking at me.

"Luke-" I choke out.

"Shh." He says, trying to get me to calm down. "I know, I know."

I lean back down into his chest. "I could never hurt him." I whisper.

"I know." Luke says.

I look to find Ashton, and see him leaning on the arm of the couch, holding Ruby. He is watching me with worry, staring at me crying into Luke.

"I'm sorry." Luke says softly to me.

I sniffle, finally starting to calm down, silently crying. "I'm sorry too." I tell him.

"Chantelle wanted this." Ashton says abruptly.

Luke and I look to Ash, who is white as a ghost.

"That's why she did this. Not for fame or to get the world to hate us." Ashton shakes his head. "That's too easy for her. She wanted us to doubt each other. To cut us off from each other." Ashton says, bowing his head.

He pauses for a second, and then looks back up. "I don't know about you, but I'm not going to let her win." He tells us both.

Luke squeezes me tighter, and I rest my head on his shoulder. "It's us against them." Luke breathes.

I look from Luke to Ash, a certain gratefulness for each other spreading between us. But there was no denying the fear. Luke said it was us against them. I'm just afraid to find out who 'them' is.

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Sorry about the weird chapter. Idk. I hate writing parts were Lily cries, I never feel like I get it right.

But oh weeelllll