a sky full of stars / yungblud

fifteen

hartley's point of view

I was with Ashton in the kitchen cooking dinner, because out of the five of us, only the two of us could actually cook a meal. The others can't cook, even if their life depended on it. He was chopping up some tomatoes and I was sitting on the counter, hesitantly stirring in the pot with garlic and onions roasting. "So, are you excited for the wedding? It's coming up quite soon!" Ash asked while throwing the now chopped tomatoes in the pot. I held my breath and smiled at him. "I am. A lot. It feels completely right. And you know, being the 22-year old I am, you'd think I had so much more to do and see before settling down, but no Ashton. I believe that this is completely right, not only for me, but for Luke as well." Ashton and I have always had a brother/sister relationship, and he is there for me as much as I am for him. 

"I'm so happy for you guys, really, I am." He said and hugged me. I squeezed the shit out of him and mumbled "Thank you, Ash," In his chest. We were interrupted a few moments later by my phone ringing. The name Dorothy was on the display. Dorothy was my former landlady where I lived. She was a old, widowed lady who I'd sometimes keep company, and she'd never call unless she had something to tell me. "I should probably take this." I said, jumped off the counter, went upstairs in our bedroom and pressed the green button on my phone. "Hi, Dor! It's been a while!" I exclaimed and sat down. She laughed. 

"Why, yes dear! It certainly has been a long time." She calmly spoke and loudly slurped her drink. It ringed a little bit in my ear. I proceeded to keep the conversation going. "So, why did you call? Not that I don't enjoy when you call me, it's just; you never call unless you have something to tell me."

"Oh yes! There's a young man here asking for you! I told him that you moved out, but I thought I'd call you and ask you if you know him. A really handsome boy, if I must say so." Dorothy was laughing. I couldn't help but giggle myself. If Dorothy had been my grandma, I'd never be bored. "Well, who is he?" I asked with a pint of curiosity in my voice. "He says his name is Dominic. He's british too, I'm totally in love!" My jaw dropped a 100 feet. Fuck. I hadn't given him a thought for about three years. And here he was. 

"Hartley, darling, are you there?" Dorothy asked. I nodded, absolutely speechless, but then forgot she couldn't see me. "Yes, yes. I'm still here." I was in a total state of panic. I was roaming around our bedroom, trying to find my panic-cigarettes. I'd always smoke them when I was freaking out. I finally found them, took one out of the package and lit it up. I took a drag and let it slowly go through my body. 

"Please put him on the phone, Dorothy." 

It sounded like a few glitches before a familiar voice finally spoke. "Hi, love." I wheezed. "Dominic. To what do I owe you the pleasure?" I asked with a rather annoyed tone. He laughed at the end of the line. "You are not an easy girl to locate, I must say." 

"Locate? Not good timing, Dominic! I'm getting married in three weeks!" I thought to myself and put away my cigarette. Yet, I didn't say. 

"Pick up your pace, Dominic. What do you want from me?" 

"I just thought we could sit down and talk, yeah?" 

The other places were no longer existing towards him, and I knew that the moment he said 'yeah'. I could handle him. The only thing I had to do was not cave in. And that was exactly what I was doing right now. 

"I think that's a very bad idea." 

"Why?"

"I'm sorry, I can't get involved with you again. You broke my heart, Dominic. Broke it."

"I know, but I want a chance to make it right this time. I want to show you how much you mean to m-"

"Your words mean nothing. They're empty. I'm sorry, but I have someone else, Dominic. And he loves me very much. And I love him. Actually no, I'm not sorry. The thought of spending the rest of my life with him gives me the happiest feeling in the world!" I looked down at my engagement ring and remembered what I promised Luke the day he proposed to me. To love him unconditionally, and to talk him up and not down in hard times.

"And what does 'spending the rest of my life with him' mean?"

"It means that I'm engaged and that I'm getting married in three weeks." I said and hung up the phone. It was hard to speak to him the way I just did, but it had to be said. I'm off the market. 

I threw my phone on the bed and sought downstairs again. I was still totally speechless, and when I came down the stairs, all the boys were standing at the bottom of it. "What's up?" Luke asked and took my hands as soon as I came close to them. My look froze. "I- That was Dominic.. He's here?" I said and looked Luke deep in his eyes. They all mumbled an 'aw' and invited me in for a group hug. 

"I love you all so much. Thank you so much for being here for me. I appreciate it." Luke stuck out his head from the hug and looked at me, deeply confused. "I love you the most, don't tell the others" I mimed and smiled at him. "Now, let's eat!" I said, wrapping up the entire hug. Everyone moved over to the table except Luke and I. He pressed me up the wall and started kissing my lips. It was passionate, I enjoyed it. "Dude, we have to go eat now." I laughed at him. He lifted me up and carried me to the table. 

It had been 30 minutes and almost all of the food was gone. A knock at the door was heard. I got up and looked though the loophole to see who it was.

"Guys? I think we have a problem."