Take My Hand - Lashton

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty

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Luke laughed as he rolled onto Ashton's chest and rested there. "I like the sound of that," he admitted, picking playfully at the hair on his chest.

"I thought he could go next week. I have time off and it would be the only time we could go before Stella has the baby," Ashton said, taking Luke's hand and holding it tightly to stop him from causing him any more pain.

"I'd like that. I don't have too much stuff to do so I could cram it all into the week and then we could just spend the whole time together!"

Ashton had just proposed the idea of going away for the weekend to Luke. He was hesitant at first. He knew that Luke liked stability. He liked waking up in the same bed. Going to the same kitchen and eating out of the same bowl. But Ashton thought it would be nice for a change of scenery. Some fresh sea air and no chance of running into anyone they know. Just the two of them. See how they cope in the presence of one another if it would provoke any fights. It was one thing to live together, but another to be alone together.

But Luke had instantly agreed. He didn't even think about what it would entail. What Ashton asking it might mean. He just simply nodded and said he would like to go. Ashton's heart ached with happiness. He wrapped his arms around Luke and held him tightly. Luke groaned but hugged back.

They stayed like that. Content in each others arms. Calmed by their breathing. It wasn't until Luke's phone started ringing that Ashton loosened his grip. Luke looked up at Ashton confused. His phone never rang. Only if Ashton called him and it clearly wasn't Ashton. He always phoned his parents so he could not think who it would be.

He climbed off Ashton and reached over to his bedside table. The phone still buzzing displayed an unknown number. "I don't know who it is," Luke said, looking over at Ashton for help.

Ashton shrugged. Sometimes he ignored unknown numbers and if it were important they would call back. Other times he answered them if he was bored. But Luke was a different person. If he didn't answer it now Ashton knew he would be thinking about who it would be all night. "Answer it."

"What if it's Aaron?" Luke whispered nervously, as if the person calling could already hear him.

Ashton had already thought of that. That was the first person his mind went to. He had been waiting for Aaron to call on an unknown number for a while now, it seemed inevitable. "Then hang up and block him."

"Hello," Luke said as slowly brought the phone up to his ear. He looked over at Ashton and gave him a nervous smile.

The person on the phone talked for a moment before Luke shook his head. "I said I didn't want to speak to the police," Luke said causing Ashton to look over at him alert. He shifted himself into a sitting position and watched his boyfriend carefully, trying to hear what the person on the phone was saying.

Then there was some more silence.

"I don't know. I don't know where he would be—"

Ashton figured it was the police on the phone, or someone in that profession. They were asking Luke questions and he assumed it was about Aaron.

"I haven't seen him— I bumped into him a couple of weeks ago and he said he was living there and then crashed with a friend beforehand."

"No. We're not in contact. What is this about? I didn't want to talk about it to the police," Luke mumbled, closing his eyes in frustrations There was nothing he hated more than endless questions that did not have a purpose — or a purpose that had not been revealed to him.

Ashton watched Luke listen his face growing paler as time passed. Suddenly Luke was shaking his head and dropping the phone from his ear. He had hung up. Next thing Ashton knew, before he could ask what was wrong, Luke was leaning over the side of the bed and throwing up.

"Luke!" Ashton exclaimed. He reached over and gently rubbed his back. He wanted to know what his boyfriend had just been told on the phone. But Ashton knew no words were going to leave his lips.

The phone lit up and began to buzz again. Ashton couldn't be sure it was the same number but he answered nonetheless. He listened to what the person had to say, pulling Luke into his lap so his head was resting in it.

"Okay," Ashton said with a deep sigh. "Can you cll back in the morning? Okay, thank you, bye." Ashton hung up and looked down at Luke. His eyes were closed. His breathing was a lot heavier than moments ago and he now smelled of sick. Ashton closed his eyes, stopping himself from crying. He thought they were finally getting somewhere and now Aaron had done this. "It's not your fault Luke."

Luke sobbed and grabbed Ashton calf to try and ease his panic. "You warned me— I should have listened to you."

"No," Ashton disagreed. "You did what was right for you. And it was right. We didn't know what he was going to do, but you knew what you would do." With one hand he was rubbing Luke's shoulder and the other he was playing with his hair.

Ashton thought Luke was going to be sick again, but he was just choking on his words. "I would have spoken to the police Ashton if I ever thought he'd do that. I know he hurt me pretty badly but I never thought he could kill someone."

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This chapter is an absolute mess. I'm sorry!

How is everyone doing? I feel a bit lost at the moment probably because I have nothing I need to be doing (no uni work or no job) and there is so much stuff I want to do so I end up just doing nothing!

Thank you so much for reading!