Heterochromia ● a.i

46

(Ashton's P.O.V.)

"Ashton? Did you hear me?" Dylan says and shakes me a bit.

I shake my head out of my epiphany and blink multiple times. "Yeah, yeah. I uh, do you wanna run to your house and get your stuff?"

She furrows her eyebrows as I move her off me and stand up, "are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine! I'm great!"

"Okay..." She says and flushes the toilet.

Both of us walk out of the bathroom. I grab my keys and she walks out the door. When we get in the car, I grab the steering wheel probably too tight and I can sense Dylan's discomfort. It is very quiet and she unlocks her phone and taps on an app. I'm chewing on the side of my cheek feeling very insecure. So many questions reel through my mind.

When did she know she loved me? How long has it been? When did she admit it to herself? Why are they completely blue if she never told me? When is she going to tell me? Can they change back? Did I just miss a speck? Was I just seeing things?

The answer to each of these questions is: I don't know.

"Ashton, are you okay? You're really tense."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little panicked about my new living arrangement, that's all. Like, I need to find a job, I need to find the washer and dryer, and I need to find a place for all of your stuff, and you have to get your car, and I've just been thinking about this whole situation and I-" I ramble but she cuts me off.

"You need to calm down. Everything will be fine. I promise." She tries to reassure me.

"Where the hell can I find a job?"

"Hot Topic?"

I glare at her, "I highly doubt working at Hot Topic is going to but a dent in the bills for that place."

"Hey, I could get a job too. Like, at a book store or something."

"But it's only my name on the lease."

"Ashton, your name isn't even on the lease, it's your mom's."

"No, she had me sign it this morning."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. You didn't know."

By the time the car ride is over, I'm slightly more relaxed but Dylan has become more on edge. We walk into her house with the boxes from my mum and greet her mother. Gwen doesn't stop smiling at me and, to be completely honest, it makes me uncomfortable. Marcus runs upstairs to greet us as we pack Dylan's bathroom up.

"What's going on?" He asks.

Dylan takes a deep breath and turns to her brother. She sits in front of the sink with the cabinet doors open. "Mark, buddy, I'm - I'm going away for a while."

He furrows his eyebrows, "where are you going?"

"I'm going to live with Ashton." She says and nods her head to me.

Marcus goes to sit in Dylan's lap and he wraps his arms around her neck, connecting his hands. "Are you going to come back?"

"Sometimes."

"Will you take me to school?"

"No, babe. You're going to have to ride the bus. Like the big boy you are."

"But I like it when you drive me to school." The sadness is so clear in his voice, it makes my heart break.

"I know you do. But I'm going to have to drive to my own school."