Last Train Home (5SOS and 1D)

Chapter 82

VICTORIA'S POV

When we had won the case, all we thought of was how wonderful it was to finally have things back in order. I was glad that Ashton and his friends had their problems solved. Their parents flew back to Australia a week after we won the case and now, what I had been dreading the most had come.

The term was done and it was now summer. A good time for my friends and I to plan but I wished that summer didn't come. As the days went by I was counting down. Ashton and I spent time with one another as much as possible. He might not say anything about it, but I knew he was dreading it too. Maybe he was just afraid to say it to me. But he shouldn't be, I knew about it long ago. I was just in denial. But here it was, it's happening.

Ashton and I went to small road trips with his friends and mine and sure, it was fun. During those times, I wished that time would just stop. Two nights ago, he finally broke the news to me. I didn't show any signs of surprise. And it surprised him that I took the news well. I didn't want him to remember me crying, sad as it might be.

We're at his apartment today, I was helping him pack his things. We finished early and now, we had the whole afternoon to ourselves.

I stood outside at the balcony and stared out at the cityscape before me. Soon, the sun would set and time would be against us, as always. I walked back inside the room and found Ashton sitting at the edge of his bed, deep in thought.

I walked towards him and when he lifted his gaze, he reached out and took my hand. He kissed it and looked up at me.

"Tell me you don't want me to leave," Ashton softly said. "Tell me you want me to stay."

That's what I wanted. I wanted him to stay but as much as I wanted him here, I knew that he needed to go back to his family. He's been away from them for too long and that's where Ashton belonged. I might be the person he loved, but his choice was between me and his family, and I couldn't make him choose.

I didn't know what to say to him so I just leaned down and kissed him.

He pulled me down and soon, my back was on the bed. His grip wasn't tight but it's as if he didn't want to let go of me. I didn't want him to anyway. We continued this until things started heating up. My mind was clouded and soon, I found myself helping Ashton take off his shirt. I was the one who pulled it off of him.

Then it was me. As he slowly unbuttoned my blouse, my heart was pounding and my mind was in a state of mixed panic and adrenaline. It was hard to think whether we should stop.

As the last button was undone, Ashton stopped and looked down at me. He leaned down and kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose, my lips, and then my neck. I watched as he slowly buttoned back my blouse, his expression was now back to the calm one that I knew, the heat of the moment was gone.

"I'm sorry," Ashton said. "Got carried away, Princess." He pulled me up and faced me. "If we're really meant for each other," he reached out and tucked loose strands of hair behind my ear. "Someday, I'll marry you and then...we'll do it." His voice was deep but gentle at the same time. I was glad that we stopped. If we continued what we were doing, we might regret it. Ashton respected that and I loved him for that.

We sat on the bed with our backs against the headboard. I turned to him and put my forehead on his. He closed his eyes and I watched him, remembering every detail of him.

"Do you remember the time when you walked in that chemistry class?" I asked him.

I replayed the the time he walked in. He was late and he was even catching his breath. I remembered that I thought he must've ran all the way to the chemistry building.