Washed Up ≫ A.I

Chapter [18]

[Ashton Irwin]
Day 8

I flipped over onto my back, smacking my head against the concrete feeling for the millionth time. This time around it woke me up completely, all thanks to the harsh sun beaming through and hitting me directly in the eyes. My eyes blinked viciously towards the sun, opening to a blinding glare that never went away until the movement beside me shifted away. I groaned and flipped over, looking away from the morning light and down a dark outline of the rest of the caves.

I sat up onto my elbow and noticed Charlotte curled up tightly beside me. She was wearing my Led Zeppelin shirt with her short arms tucked inside the arm holes and curled underneath. I shivered at a breeze after recognizing I was completely shirtless. However, I knew nothing happened after our small kiss because I fell asleep.

I finally got to sleep the whole night through.

"Charlotte," I nudged her shoulder gently, "Hey Char?"

With a second nudge nothing, until I felt sweet and brushed the one strand of hair that stuck to her eyelashes away. Charlotte rolled over gracefully, pulling her arms back through the arm holes of my shirt and blinking her dark chocolate eyes open softly.

Once she smiled after closing her eyes again I whispered 'Good morning' then she snapped awake.

"Ashton oh my God!" She gasped loudly, sitting up and looking down her chest. She pulled out the black cloth from her body before crawling to her feet and walking over to get her own top we laid out to dry after last night. "You must be freezing, I'm so sorry I should have never taken your shirt!" She was panicking over absolutely nothing, which was cute.

"Charlotte-"

I stopped once she threw my shirt over her head and tucked the ripped cloth between her knees. She quickly pulled her peach sleeves over her arms and shivered before fixing her hair, tossing the mess to one side.

"Charlotte!" I chuckled.

"Here, God. It is absolutely freezing in here Ashton." She huffed, hurrying back over to squat down beside me.

She goes to hand me my shirt but I stop her mid apology by grabbing her wrists and slowing her pulse down myself. She shut her lips instantly, peering her pupils straight into my own. I never felt her pulse slow, it raced in the reflection of her chest rising insanely. My fingers unraveled from her wrists, I wasn't trying to scare her just now.

"I offered you my shirt as a gentleman. So stop apologizing."

My voice came out in such a slow yet untamed tone. Her eyes barely blinked and her wrists never moved from my hands. It was like she went into shock and is no longer responsive. I felt relief once she shut her eyes and sucked in a breath through her teeth.

She mumbled, "You're right." Before falling forward onto her knees gently. She still handed me my shirt while not once taking a peek down at my torso. However, I knew she was checking me out once I fixed the shirt over my shoulders.

I stretched my head through the shirt and ruffled at my hair, catching her stare. Both of our bodies were still ashy in small places considering last night never happened. Apart from me and her- but I'm not supposed to think about that.

Charlotte rolled back down onto her bum and folded her hands around her knees before letting out a sigh. She was very good at avoiding all of the tension and minding that nothing ever happened, including just now- that I caught her checking me out.