Project Daddy || a.i

Chapter 3 || "She'll give you a blowjob."

- Pandora -

"What the hell, Ashton?" I screamed, stomping into his house.

After our brief phone call, I had forced my Mum to drive me here, planning exactly what I was going to say and do. Her attempts to reason with me had been futile, and her lectures against the use of force to punish him had only added fuel to the fire. And yet, as I navigated my way to his living room, the only urge I had was to throw myself down onto his couch, burying my face into a pillow that smelt strongly of detergent and home.

This couldn't be happening.

"It hasn't even been a day, Ashton!" I moaned, my voice coming out as a muffled sob.

"I know," he sighed, sitting himself down beside me "but you know what, it could always be worse."

"How could this possibly be worse?" I questioned, raising my head from the pillow to shoot him a bitter glance.He just shrugged, tapping his fingers against his thighs. That's all he seemed to do, tap tunes out tunes and ignore reality.

I got it, he was into drums.

"I really dislike you right now," I stated bluntly, shaking my head in disapproval "I really, really dislike you."

"It's your fault too!" He defended, causing my face to redden angrily.

"How?" I exclaimed.

"Because you left without it!"

I thought for a second, clenching my hands into small fists. He wasn't exactly wrong, but that didn't stop me from wanting to punch him repeatedly in the stomach until he bled from his ass.

"Where did you see it last?" I attempted, trying to slow down my breathing. I gave Ashton time to think as I calmed myself, his gaze diverted towards the ceiling in hopes to find the answer there.

"I don't even know." He finally replied.

I groaned, throwing my head back in exasperation.

"How the hell are we meant to find it, then?"

"I don't know!" He exclaimed, slamming his hands harshly down onto the couch "You're the smart one!"

"Is that why you asked me here?" I questioned bitterly "Because I'm smart?"

"Why else?" He scoffed, causing my chest to tighten painfully. "We're not exactly mates, Pandora."

I kept quiet, studying my nails and trying to stop myself from crying. I didn't understand why that hurt me so badly, but it had, the stress of our absent baby fuelling the pity party that I held within the cavity of my chest.

"Dora-"

I frowned, the nickname causing me to shiver with disgust. Why did they insist on calling me that?

"Don't call me that." I ordered, turning my head to look at him.

"Sorry." He spoke, his words sincere as his eyes met mine. And I stilled, my jaw falling open.

Did he just- He couldn't have.

"Did you just apologise?" I smirked, watching his cheeks flush an adorable shade of pink, the most gentle expression of emotion I had received from him.

"No," he muttered, crossing his arms defensively as a symbolic attempt to shut me out, "I was being sarcastic."

"I don't think you were," I teased, nudging him gently, "I think you meant it."

"Why would I ever say sorry to a dork like you?" He spat, shuffling across and widening the gap between us.

I felt slightly offended, but I quickly brushed it off.