Wildflower | A. IRWIN

Part Twenty Four

     "If you continue staring at her like that, you're going to burn holes into her head, mate." Calum walked up to Ashton with a hesitant smile. "You know you could always just go up and talk to her?"

Ashton shook his head. "No, I'm probably just going to get drunk and wake up in the morning to forget that I ever saw her in the first place."

Calum frowned, "Ashton," he said, "that's not how you get back together with her. Talking is one of the few steps you have to take."

"I can't get back together with her," Ashton sighed. He put his head in his hands mumbling out intelligible words. "And what if she's moved on by now? I mean it hasn't been that long but we also haven't spoken, she could probably have another boyfriend for all I know."

"I'm sorry to break the news to you, Ash," Calum said, "but you're an idiot."

"I just want to go home, Cal."

Calum looked around awkwardly, "it's only seven thirty."

"Fuck..." Ashton dragged out. He looked up and suddenly, from across the room, locked eyes with the one person he was most internally conflicted with. "I'm gonna go." He ducked away from his friend and ran somewhere hidden by the crowd.

Calum stood confused as to where Ashton went until Iris and Keslie came up to him. "Hey, Iris," he greeted, "how are you doing?"

Iris smiled at him, "I've been good," she chuckled, "so it's been a while."

"More like a couple days," he nodded along, wondering why Ashton couldn't just man up and talk to the girl. "If you're looking for that wild drummer, stake out at the drinks table, you might catch sight of him a few times."

Iris frowned, "he left the room when he looked at me. Does he not want to talk to me that badly?"

"He's Ashton," Calum shrugged, "now my arm candy kinda ran off, I was hoping I could switch with you."

Iris looked over Kelsie who nodded. "Alright well I'll be back soon after I find him." She casted questioning look at Kelsie and Calum.

***

It took a bit of the night to find Ashton sitting outside, beside a fire pit. He swirled around the liquid in his cup, mesmerized by how oddly satisfying it was. He wasn't aware of Iriss presence until he heard her voice from behind him.

"Why are you avoiding me?" She asked, sitting right down next to him.

"Because," Ashton said. "I'm scared that I'm going to get attached to you again and then I'm going to be hit with the harsh reality that we have to be limited to friends."

"Right to the point, I see how it is." He cocked an eyebrow. "I'm transferring to a different network. I'll be a journalist who only travels in Los Angeles. Meaning I'll be home more and only have to go into the office during weekdays," Iris explains.

"So what I'm hearing is..." Ashton put his drink down, looking at her.

"I'm free to date whoever the hell I want and you, sir," she gestured, "are number one on my list."

"Well I should hope so," Ashton commented, "I don't think anyone wants to be with you as much as I do."

"I think it's going to be pretty difficult to top how much I want to be with you."

Ashton scoffed. "I doubt it, you're literally the definition of perfect—"

"But, Ashton, I love you."

Ashton froze, looking at her in the small firelight, searching her eyes as if she could be serious. She was joking in a sick way that would only leave Ashton a lot more drunk than he had planned to be by the end of the night. But there was no little smirk, and chuckle followed by her words.

He sat next to a girl who had just said that she loved him.

And he loved her too.

✌️😳 the end. thank you sm for reading!