rainfall | ashton irwin au | completed

eighteen

The room was familiar, but the memory of it felt distant, as if it was from another life.

A bright orange beam spilling through the maroon coloured curtains was the only source of light I could find, but it was enough to cast a dim glow around my bedroom.

My bedroom. I recognised it now; the wooden dresser beside my bed and the piles of books scattered across the room. The only thing that looked out of place there was the sandy-haired boy, whose head was resting on my duvet as the rest of his body sat on a small chair that used to be near the window.

"Ashton?" I ran my fingers through his knotted hair instinctively, feeling as if it had been months, maybe even years, since the last time I had seen him. I didn't want to wake him, but I needed to see his eyes. They were the only things that could bring me comfort.

His head snapped up quickly, his tense face relaxing as his eyes roamed my face. "You're awake," he breathed softly, his long fingers lacing around my cold ones. "What were you thinking, going to Matt without us?"

I frowned, trying to pull the memory from the fog that was clouding my mind. It didn't take long for it to return, and I shuddered, my heart hammering against my aching chest. "I'm sorry. I just wanted this to be over for you all."

Ashton's eyes, gold against the ray of sunset, were filled with every emotion that had ever existed; anger, sadness, relief, worry. I felt guilty that I had put him through so much. I didn't deserve him, yet here he was, sat beside me as if it was the most important thing he would ever have to do.

"Lilah, it would never be over for me if I lost you." His voice croaked, causing my eyes to sting with unfallen tears. I had been trying to deny Ashton's feelings for so long, but now I could see that he really did care for me, a lot more than he should have. It terrified me more than Josh ever could.

I shuffled over to the other side of the bed and held the duvet back. I needed to feel his arms around me. He crawled in with raised eyebrows, surprised by my sudden willingness to be close to him. His arms fell around me as if they belonged there, and I rested my head against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart just as I had by the lake. I decided not to say anything for a few moments, desperate to forget the world and lie content against his beating heart and warm skin.

My mind wouldn't stop reminding me of what had happened though, and the silence only made my thoughts seem louder.

"How did you find me?" I asked finally.

He sighed. "I heard you walk out. I thought you might have been getting a drink or something. When you didn't come back I looked for you. I realised you'd gone and woke everybody up. I knew you would have gone to Matt."

"But how did you get me out of there?"

"Josh was passed out when I walked in. He'd taken your power and your mum thinks it was too much to absorb at once. Grace distracted Matt outside, and Luke and I took on Calum. He was stronger than we expected; he can deflect our powers back at us."

Ashton extended his arm, showing me the angry red flesh beneath a white bandage. I gasped in response, feeling even more remorse for what I had done. "Ashton, I'm so sorry."

"None of this is your fault, okay?" He covered his wound up again and slid his t-shirt over it quickly, as if to shield me from the feeling of guilt that it brought.

"Anyway, Grace knocked out Matt and helped us to stop Calum. It wasn't easy, but the amount of power he was using exhausted him and that's when we got you out of there. I think eventually he realised he didn't need you anymore. They'd gotten your power, and you were dying. There was no point in fighting us for you."