Thin White Lies | a.i.

Four

Lily woke up this morning with a smile. It was finally saturday, which meant it was finally her birthay which meant she could finally see Ashton. Not a lot had changed since that day in the garage. Only Ashton now openly called her pet names, and Lily was a lot touchier with him. He didn't seem to mind. He never told her to stop. In fact, Ashton openly welcomes Lily's cuddles, and when she rubbed her nose against his, or when she bit him gently on the shoulder when they hugged. He would simply just giggle, and return the favour.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand beside her.

From: Ashton
Happy Birthday Princess, my little girl is finally fifteen!

Lily felt her cheeks grow warm. Okay, maybe a little had changed. Ashton had started calling her his little girl. His. Lily had to stop herself from melting every time he said it. Granted, it was always over text message. He'd yet to say it to her face. Maybe it was a boundaries thing. He was eighteen and she was barely fifteen, it was understandable that he didn't want to cross any lines.

She rolled over to her stomach, pulling her phone from the charger and typing a message back to Ashton almost immediately.

To: Ashton
Are you coming over? Are you bringing me McDonalds?

From: Ashton
I'm already here x

Her heart leapt and her stomach flipped over on itself. She had no time to do anything, for Ashton had seen her first thing in the morning more than once. Lily threw the covers off, stumbling out of bed in the process as she ran for her door. She took no time in swinging the thing open carelessly, running down the hall like an absolute idiot.

She bolted down the stairs happily, sliding on the slippery floor as she came to a clumsy stop in the lounge room. She gasped happily.

Her whole family was here. Her mum, her three big brothers Ben, Jack and Luke. Her other big brothers Michael and Calum and then there was Ashton, and a bad of McDonald's breakfast placed on the coffee table beside him. Lily gasped, excited to see her entire family, but there was no stopping the next words that tumbled from her innocent lips.

"Oh my God, Ashton!" She shouted, throwing herself at him, not bothering to care how ridiculous she must look. Her mother laughed lightly, brushing off her daughter and basically-adopted-son's behaviour as anything but inappropriate. Ashton had been spending almost every day at the Hemmings house, Lily was bound to form some sort of bond to him.

Luke groaned, again, at his sisters behaviour. "Remind me to never hang out with you two alone. God" he said. "Could you imagine."

Lily didn't care what he said. She couldn't. It was her birthday and Ashton was here and he brought her Hot Cakes.

Lily and her family spent the rest of the morning sharing stories of Lily's childhood, laughing together and eating fast food for breakfast. She opened various gifts from everyone. All except for Ashton. She was happy enough with his presence, anyway, she never expected a gift from him.

"You ready for your last present now?" He whispered in her ear. Lily looked up at him with her sparkling blue eyes, her blonde hair a mess from a reckless sleep the night before.

"What?" She asked him. "Ashy, you didn't have to get me anything. I told you I didn't want anything."

He only shrugged in response before standing to his feet. He held his hand out for Lily to take before helping her up beside him. Everyone seemed to have disappeared at this point, and Lily realised it was because they wanted to give the two privacy. Why? Lily had no idea. It wasn't until Ashton lead Lily into her mothers spare room, which Lily had turned into her personal library did she understand the need to be alone with him.