Trouble

Chapter 12

Juliana's POV

I wake up in the tree house and I'm surrounded by a light fog. It must be early morning. I roll over and I'm face to face with a sleeping Ashton. His hair is a mess and I can't help myself I kiss him and carefully tuck one of his stray messy curls behind his ear. His eyes open and he opens his mouth to say something.

"Juliana Grace wake up!" My dad yells at me and I am yanked from my dream.

"Ok, ok I'm up why the hell are you yelling at me? What could you possibly want? Don't you have little miss one night stand in your bedroom?"

"Don't smart mouth me young lady. You can't just have people showing up here unannounced you hear me?"

"What are you even talking about?"

"You're little friend is in the kitchen." He grabs the bridge of his nose and he's obviously annoyed.

Was he talking about Ashton? Did he really show up here? He wouldn't he couldn't  there is no way he would stoop to anything like that. But it is Ashton we're talking about here...

"Who the hell are you talking about?"

"Some girl!"  I sigh with relief that it isn't Ashton but I'm still slightly confused.

"Are you talking about Flora?"

"I don't know her name all I know is that she interrupted my morning."

"Well good you deserve that." I say and jump out of bed. I run straight to the kitchen basically sliding down the banister in my rush. When I finally get there I see the familiar grey beanie and red curls and I can't hold my smile in any longer.

"Wow how nice of you to finally show up. I was beginning to think you forgot about little old me." I laugh and she jumps.

"Holy shit. How could I forget about you when I can't even get rid of you first."

I offer her breakfast and we sit down and just talk. We talk about everything, the whole Ashton situation all the way to her asking if I've heard from my mom at all. I gave her the truth and that is no other than a drunken phone call here and there she wants nothing to do with me. She wasn't all that surprised on that point but the whole Ashton was my first thing really shut her up. I think she was just shocked that I was doing all of this because I'malways her voice of reason when she wants to go do something stupid. I show her my tattoo and her mouth drops, but all and all she loved the quote.

"So when do I get to kill... I mean meet this guy?" She asks a smirk on her lips.

"Hahaha you're hilarious, but honestly I don't know..."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Well I haven't talked to him in a while outside of class." I'm picking at my bagel.

"How long is a while?"

"I don't know about three or four weeks I think."

"Juliana you obviously really like this guy annndd by what you are telling me about him he likes you a lot too."

"What are you getting at then Flora?" I ask getting annoyed even though I already know the answer to my own question.

"You need to text him and ask him to meet you somewhere."

"How will that work I can't drive he'd have to come here and I don't want that."

"I'll drive you duh."

"He won't like that idea."

"I don't really give a shit what he will like and won't like to be honest with you. I'm your best friend and I definitely deserve to meet your whatever he is."

"Ok, ok fine whatever you say. I have to go back to my room to get my phone. You're welcome to join me if you want." I say, and then start making my way back up to my room. I really have no idea what I'm even going to say to him, or if he will even answer me. I mean why would he I really haven't tried to be very nice to him and I don't know what he's been up to since homecoming.

"Well your dad seems to be having fun with his girlfriend." Flora says as we pass his room, and we can clearly hear the loud moans and bangs of his head board.

"Not his girlfriend she's more like his next piece of candy."

"Really? Your dad is one of those?"

"Yepp and apparently he's a legend in town."

"Gross. How do you deal with that every morning?" She asks as she closes the door to my bedroom behind her.

"That's the thing I don't. I'm usually at Michael's."

"Who is Michael?"

"It isn't like that I promise. His mom knows my dad's kind of lifestyle, hell everyone knows his lifestyle, and she is perfectly ok with me staying there as long as I need. Well Make yourself at home." I plop down on my bed and pick up my phone from the night table.

"So I assume this happens a lot?"

"Yeah basically everyday.."

'Ash?'  Is all I text him and I wait for him not to answer.

'Juliana? R you okay?'

'I'm fine y?'

'Well for one you haven't talked to me in weeks nd a random text seemed weird.'

'Oh sorry...'

'It's fine. Forgive me yet?? ;)'

I shake my head.

"What? Flora asks from my make up table and she's holding my tube of red lipstick.

"Nothing just Ashton." I go back to texting.

'I don't know. Can we meet at the tree house?'

"Meet? R you driving?'

'No I have someone driving me.'

"I'd rather give you a ride.'

'And I'd rather be driven.'

'Fine but if it is Michael the answer is no definitely not.'

'Don't start and don't worry it isn't mikey.'

'I'm sorry I'll see you soon'

I put my phone on my bed and take a deep breath.

"Well?" Flora asks as she sits next to me.

"Let me get dressed and then I'll tell you where to go."

***

We're sitting in Flora's rented Chevy and her mouth is hanging open.

"You're going to catch flies if you sit like that long enough." I say.

"Oh shut up this place is amazing."

"Yeah I know it's our place." I say just as I hear the familiar roar of his bike up the gravel path.

"A bike?" Flora raises her eyebrows.

"Shut up."

"I said nothing."

"You didn't have to."

It felt like ages before he was finally off his bike and walking towards the car. I just couldn't do this anymore I felt like I was going to explode! Between that perfect dream from this morning and waiting for him to finally show up here I wanted to be in his arms. I open the car door and jump out I am running to him tripping over my feet as I go. I run into him with so much force that he stumbles backward a few steps. He's laughing as I take a deep breath. My head is swimming as his scent fills my nose, oh dear god how I missed this more than anything.

"I missed you too Juliana I missed you too." He says taking my face in his hands and lifting it so I'm looking onto his eyes. I that one moment we were the only two there nothing else mattered, and then he kissed me.