On the Run [a.i. au]

17. All You Had to Do Was Stay

Thalia's POV

"Are you sure someone took it?" Ashton asks calmly, rubbing my back.

I move around the perimeter of our little area, praying to God that I find it somewhere and can prove to myself that I'm losing my mind. After what seems like hours, I still can't find it. There's no way I lost it, which means that someone took it in the night.

Story of my life. One good thing happens, and something horrible comes into the picture just to take my happiness away me.

"It's gone," I whisper, falling to my knees. "Everything we had is gone."

Situating myself onto my bum, I pull my knees up to my chest. As I breathe slowly to keep my composure, so many thoughts run through my head. Who the hell would bother with us? What does the thief want our minimal amount of possessions for?

"Thal," Ashton mumbles soothingly as he sits beside me. "It's okay, I promise. We'll get through this together. We still have each other."

Sighing, I lean my head against his shoulder. Ashton has been my rock for only a short time, but it feels like he's been there for me my whole life. I don't want to know how things would've gone if he would've stayed in Southern Cross after saving me that night.

"I owe you, though," I argue weakly. "After everything you've done for me, I owe you everything. But everything keeps going wrong, Ashton."

A tear slips down my cheek as I shut my eyes. As much as I don't want to cry, it feels like the only thing I'm capable of doing right now.

"Hey," he says as he rubs a hand across my back. "Don't start thinking that you failed me. You could never do that."

Running a hand across my nose, I sit up. "W-what do you mean?"

Ashton flashes me a small smile, showing off his dimples. "You're so brave, Thal. The girl that I ran into in that alley isn't the same person that I'm looking at right now. I've gotten to watch you go through the toughest time of your life, and you've beaten everything that has come your way. Hell, you even took me down."

I laugh lightly at the memories of last night. "And to think, we hated each other when this all started."

"We did?"

I lean back, cocking my head to the side. "Yeah... at least, you acted like you did."

He chuckles, resting a hand on my knee. "I didn't hate you when we first met! Your questions just pissed me off because they were persistent and annoying."

"And you still haven't answered about 99 percent of them," I remark with a lazy grin. For the first time, I actually don't care that he's hiding things from me.

"Did you really hate me?" he asks quietly.

I smile sheepishly. "Perhaps..."

His mouth falls open in fake shock, sending me into hysterics.

"O... Only because you... You pissed me off!" I exclaimed in-between laughs. "I was nosy, okay?"

Laughing with me, he stands up. "You're crazy, Thalia Moore."

As he grabs my hands and pulls me up, I reply, "Tell me about it, Ashton Irwin."

Ash pulls me into a strong hug, and I immediately slack my shoulders in his arms. When I'm this close to him, I can't help but feel safe and secure. I feel... at peace.

"I'm glad that you aren't sad anymore," he murmurs in my ear before he releases me.

Pressing a kiss to his jaw, I smile. "Me, too."