Runaway - Ashton Irwin *completed*

twenty-two

"But--"

"It's too dangerous," he said. "Taylor, I'm sure mom will be fine. There's too much risk for you to come back to Albany and I'm surprised you even want anything to do with Mom after the way she treated you."

"Chris, I can't just make her feel like I don't care--"

"Why Taylor?" he challenged me. "Why does she deserve that from you after all the shit she said to you and all that she put you through when we were growing up? I'm sorry if I sound heartless but I don't want you coming back to Albany just for her. I'll keep you updated on what happens, but you can't come back. You know what'll happen if you do."

I sighed, knowing he was right. "I just feel like there's so much I left behind when I left there."

"It's nothing you can't live without," he said. "I just wanted you to know what's going on, I'm here until tomorrow morning with business work so I figured I should stop by and see you and let you know while I'm here."

I nodded. "I should get back to work anyways."

"I'll call you when I know more about the situation," he said, standing up. I stood as well.

We stood for a minute, not sure what to do or say. Finally, Chris pulled me in for another hug.

"I love you Taylor," he said.

"I love you too Chris."

-

"I hate the wind so much," I complained, sitting down with Ashton in our usual spot, practically frozen still from the bitter cold wind outside.

"You look like an ice cube!" Ashton helped me take my jacket off, wrapping his own warm one around me to thaw my frozen body faster.

"I'll go get us some cider," he said, standing from where he was sitting.

"Wait I'll come with you, I want to say hi to Luke."

Ashton and I walked up to the counter, Luke being goofy and obnoxious as always. Ashton joined in on it and I tried to laugh but it just wasn't working.

"Are you doing alright?" Ashton asked me as we waited for Luke to make the cider.

"Yeah I'm fine, I'm just a bit off," I said.

"Did something happen?" he asked.

"My brother came and visited me at work today." Luke's head popped up, interested in this information as well. I didn't want to be lying to either of them when I didn't have to be.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, he was just in town for business stuff and stopped by to say hi." It wasn't a lie.

"Oh well that's nice of him," Ashton said, taking the ciders Luke handed him over the counter.

"Yeah, it was nice seeing him again," I said, walking back to our spot. I sat down close to Ashton, still cold from the outside wind and seeking warmth. He seemed to pick up on this and leaned closer, putting an arm around me.

"It's only Tuesday and I'm already exhausted from the week," I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning my head against his shoulder.

"Once the week is over you'll be able to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday," he said. "Won't that be nice?"

"Yeah it will be." I wanted it to be Friday already.

"Hey, did Michael invite you to that party he's having on Friday?" Ashton asked me.

"Yes," I said. "I told him I was going."

"Good, because I said I was too and I have no idea what to do at those things. I always just end up standing around on my phone."

I laughed a little, remembering how at the last party Michael had, Ashton had occupied himself by looking at DVDs on shelves when he wasn't talking to me.

"Well I'll be there so don't worry," I said, reaching for my cider to take a sip.

"Little Taylor Parks coming to the rescue," he teased.

"I'm not that little."

"You're pretty little."

"Pretty yes, little no."

Ashton laughed, letting me pull away enough to take off his jacket, which was actually basically hanging on me because it was so big on me. I stayed sitting close to Ashton just because he smelled good.

"I need to get a car," I said. "Then I won't be walking in this freezing cold weather."

"I could give you rides, you know," he said. "Tuesday's and Thursday's I could pick you up from work and bring you here with me."

"It's okay," I said. "Luke said he's been looking at cars lately, I need to get one too and if you offer that I will just continue to procrastinate."

The next 20 minutes or so we spent talking and Ashton was able to ease my nerves about Chris a little. I waited for Luke to get off and we took a bus home, which reminded Luke to tell me that he found 2 decent cars we could pick between to buy so we'd have at least one vehicle soon.

The evening went by slowly and I was too tired to wait for my usual bedtime to come around. I collapsed into bed and tried not to worry about what was going on in Albany.