Sad [Lashton AU]

Chapter 14

Dedication: gooeyinalashtonshell. I'm not leaving you here.

They're cute and I'm shooketh.

-

"Luke?"

I ignore Ashton for a moment, staying in my curled up position.

"Luke?"

"What?" I ask, rolling over to look at the boy. He's sitting against my - his - bed.

"I think I like you a lot."

My breath hitches in my throat. "Oh."

He nods. "Yeah." He isn't facing me, which is good, because I do not want him to see the blush that's surely creeping up my neck.

"What are we supposed to do about it?"

He's silent for a while. "All we can do is figure it out."

"Figure what out?" I sit up. I had been taking a nap, but I clearly was not getting back to that anytime soon. It's been almost a week since Ashton and I talked about our relationship, if it can even be classified as that.

"Us." He glances back at me when the blankets shift, then goes back to staring at the wall opposite us. "What we are."

"I don't know what we are, Ashton." I pull the blankets around my shoulders, and he nods.

"I know. That's why we need to figure it out."

"Okay. How do we do that?"

"Do you like me?"

The question catches me off-guard. "I-"

"Guys," Calil says, bursting into the room and potentially saving the day.

Ashton stands quickly, as if we've been caught doing something we shouldn't. Her eyebrows come together in confusion.

"Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

"No," I say, before Ashton can respond. I stand, and he gives me a hurt look. "What's up, Cal?" The blanket falls from around my shoulders.

"Mrs. Lenolia has been talking to these guys outside for like half an hour. They're asking for you, Luke, and they won't leave. Mrs. Lenolia threatened to call the cops, but they aren't really doing anything bad."

"Me?" I ask, confused. "Who could be asking for me?"

Calil shrugs. "I don't know who they are. They just want to see you."

"Fine." I hobble down the stairs, following Calil, and I'm very aware that Ashton isn't behind me. For some reason, that makes me feel empty. I shake my head. I don't need to focus on Ashton right now.

The little kids are crowded around the front door, which is closed, and I push through them.

"Get back, guys," I say gently. "This is big kid stuff." They hesitantly back away from the door, and I squeeze my way outside, then quickly close the door behind me.

Calil pokes her head out. "Will you be okay?"

"Yeah," I say, waving her off. I turn to see Andy and Ronnie talking with Mrs. Lenolia, and my eyes widen.

"We just want to talk," Andy says, and he grins when he sees me. "There he is!" He slings an arm around my shoulders, and I try not to flinch.

"I tried to get them to leave." Mrs. Lenolia sounds exasperated. "I told them to come back on a visiting day, but, no, they refused."

"It's okay, Mrs. Lenolia," I say. "I'll get them to leave. You may want to go help the little ones inside. They're worried."

She looks between the three of us, then nods and goes back inside.