The Spill Over

[56] Can't Risk Losing.

Ashley gulped. "You-You know?"

"Know what?" Zac asked, looking confused.

Ashley shook her head. "Nothing . . ." she swallowed as she continued. "Why do you think that I would be upset if you asked out Shannon?"

"Because you like me Ash."

"Wh- Yeah I like y-you. I like you, Sean, Jayden and many other guys. So does that mean that I would be upset if any one of them ask-asked out someone," Ashley retorted hotly.

Zac had shut his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He snapped them open when he heard what Ashley said. He shifted himself so that he was sitting facing her. "Y'know what I mean Ash. I know you like me as more than a friend. I know you've a thing for me."

"What? No!" Ashley exclaimed too quickly. "I mean- no, there's nothing of that sort."

Zac raised his eyebrows as he locked eyes with her. "Ash?"

The two teens held each other's gaze for a few seconds, before Ashley's gaze faltered and she just looked away towards the waves.

"Zac, what makes you think that I like you?" she asked nervously, as she fiddled with her guitar string bracelet.

"I know you well Ash, and so do Sean and Gab. I kinda figured that you might like me ever since the weekend at Victoria's beach house," Zac gently pointed out. "I've never seen you stumble when any other guy smiled at you."

"So is that one stumble the reason that made you believe that I'm crushing on you?" Ashley asked lowly.

"Um, no," Zac hesitated. "I know what girls behave like, when they've a thing for me and plus, I might have forced Gabriella to tell me."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I was really, really curious. It's not her fault so please don't get pissed at her, Ash?" Zac begged.

"Oh," Ashley replied, not trusting herself to speak further.

"So, is she right?"

Ashley sighed again. "Fine, I'll tell you. She's right. I like you, not just as a friend. I don't like that I like you, I wanted to stay off  'boy-drama' for as long as possible. I thought you liked me too . . . silly me," she said, now worked up. "When you asked out Shannon, I really hadn't expected it and yeah, that's the reason I was upset and crying." She swallowed before she continued speaking. "How could I have actually even thought for a second that an amazing and popular guy you might li-like me?" She shook her head at her thoughts. "I was wrong. This might sound silly, but I'm really saying out loud all that's been on my mind since the pa-past half an hour." Ashley shakily let her breath out, as she stared at her feet.

'I was so right, I can't handle girls who're in a bad mood.'  He sighed. "Ash, look at me . . ."

There was a long and awkward silence as Zac patiently waited for Ashley to look up. On the other hand, that was exactly what Ashley wasn't able to do right then - look at Zac in the eye.

Zac was about to say something, but was interrupted by somebody clearing their throat. As the two teens glanced to their right, they saw a man wearing a dark muscle shirt with the word 'Lifeguard' printed on the front in a neon color.

"Tide's gonna come in about ten minutes or so; you guys better leave before that," the lifeguard said firmly.

Ashley nodded her head. "Thanks for the heads up, we were just leaving."

"Make sure you do," the lifeguard spoke over his shoulder as he walked away, giving Ashley and Zac some privacy.

As the adult walked away, Ashley quickly got up, wanting to get away from Zac as soon as possible. She began to walk away immediately after getting up.