Clean ⇔ Cashton ✓

Glazed Eyes Empty Hearts

I shake my head, pushing away the thoughts. I splash water onto my face to try and wake me up before dabbing a bit of concealer over the fading bruise on my jaw. Luke has been pretty mellow lately, and nothing has set him off, which is great. Especially since Ashton has been nagging at me about Luke's angry scene at the restaurant ever since he found me embarrassingly crying in the bathroom. Clearly a low point for me.

Once I'm finished getting ready, I grab my phone and put it into my pocket, turning off my lights and heading back downstairs. I find Luke waiting for me by the door, scrolling mindlessly on his phone. His lips are pursed, his piercing glinting against the light. His eyes flicker up to me when he hears me reach the landing, and he smiles.

"There you are," he says brightly, slipping his phone into his bag. He grabs his keys and opens the door for me. I sneeze as I walk past him.

The drive to the restaurant is short, filled with Luke talking about this new project he's working on at work, and me trying not to cough every three seconds. I'm too tired to put all my effort into making conversation, but I doubt he minds. Once we pull up to the curb, Luke pats my leg and leans over, kissing my cheek quickly. I give him a smile before hurrying out of the car, closing the door. I watch Luke pull back out onto the main road, the shiny car disappearing in the midst of all the others.

I walk inside the restaurant, going straight to the back. The restaurant is empty, nobody having come in yet. I hear soft chattering in the break room, and I walk in to find the rest of the employees standing around chatting with each other. I spot Michael in the center, making some joke as everyone laughs. I swallow roughly before turning around and grabbing the black apron and tying it around my waist. I slip my notebook and a few rolls of silverware into the pockets, trying my best to ignore everyone else.

I sneeze into my arm as I leave the room, and my shoulders sag defeatedly. I don't know how I'm going to get through today. My head kills, pounding with each step I take. It feels as though a brick is sitting in the back of my throat, digging into the naked skin and making it hurt like hell just to swallow.

I am setting up the tables in my section when I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around, looking up to find Ashton standing there with his hands stuffed in his pockets, a bright smile on his face.

"Good morning!" he says cheerfully. However, his face falls when his eyes skim over my face, his lips dropping into a frown. His eyebrows furrow worriedly. "Hey, are you okay? You don't look well."

I sneeze in reply.

Ashton smiles sympathetically at me, shaking his head. He cocks his head at me and gently touches my shoulders, inspecting my red nose and swollen eyes. "Why in the world are you at work? You look miserable."

I shrug, refusing to meet his eyes. "I'm sure it's just a cold." My voice sounds weird, due to my stuffed up nose.

"You were perfectly fine yesterday, I don't think this is just a cold," Ashton murmurs. My heart speeds up at the intense attention, and I squirm away from his hands, turning back to the table and putting the final roll of silverware down on the table. A few guests walk into the restroom, and the host leads them to a table in Ashton's section. Ashton looks over and grimaces, glancing back at me worriedly before walking over to the table reluctantly.

I focus on setting up the rest of the tables, air returning to my lungs once Ashton leaves. It's not that I don't appreciate his care, I do, but I hate when people worry about me. There's nothing to worry about. I'm perfectly fine.

I head into the back once I'm finished setting up, taking a glance around the room before leaning against the corner, taking a tissue and pressing it up against my nose to try and prevent another sneeze. My head starts to throb again, and I suppress a groan. My eyes sting, and all I really want is to go to sleep.