A Simple Mistake || Ashton Irwin (completed)

Part 36: Ashton

"Can't you trust me?" His voice shook. Focus, Ashton... You are supposed to be winning her back, not getting into fights with her. No matter how difficult she was being right now.

"You haven't given me enough of a reason to do so..." She whispered, looking away from him and making sure he let go of her arm.

"But you're still here, that must mean something." He reminded her, hopeful. He meant it; he didn't think she would give him the opportunity to talk. Hell, she shouldn't even have let him through the door the night before.

"That you just won't let me leave?" She asked, a hint of teasing in her voice. No matter how forced it sounded, Ashton welcomed it. It eased the tension between them the slightest bit. She was hesitant, wouldn't allow him in too much and was definitely avoiding to fall into anything she would consider their old ways.

"You're just scared." He realized out loud. That's why she didn't like it when he brought out the game of truth. A smirk twitched over his lips as her eyebrows furrowed and she pressed her hand against her hip. She was ready to pick a fight with him. This kind of fight amused him.

"Scared of what?" She asked him, her eyebrow raised as she spoke to him. Her tone of voice almost challenging him. He could kiss her right there and then if she'd let him.

"That you will remember why you fell in love with me in the first place. We fell in love while playing truth once before, I could remind you if we play it once again." He said a bit too cockily, his confidence as her face changed from one of a challenge to horror and then back.

"Fat chance." She huffed, rolling her eyes at him.

"Then prove it, play with me." He told her, this time he was laying out the challenge for her.

"You're infuriating, Ashton Irwin." She said with a sigh, her hand leaving her hip and falling limply beside her. An obvious sign she was giving in to his idea.

"And you're beautiful, Mia Carter." A glimpse of a blush began to taint her cheeks, or he liked to believe so. It could easily be the cold against her pale skin. Too quickly her eyes rolled and she was walking again, leaving him to hurry behind her before he was left too far behind.

A few minutes later we were sat back at her favorite coffee spot near campus, her hands wrapped around the white ceramic coffee mug. She looked warmer now, so inviting. He almost wanted to reach out and caress her cheek softly.

"Least favorite word?" He asked her softly, picking up his own mug and taking a drink from the dark, warm liquid.

"That one is easy, moist. And I think that is Heather's fault. She would say it at the most random times and would drag it out." She said, smiling at the thought of her friend. Her friends and family were important to her; that much was still true.

"Does she know that?" Ashton asked with a chuckle.

"Probably, because she still does it." She replied, her answer making Ashton laugh a little louder this time.

"Okay, your turn." He said.

"Hmm..." She hummed softly, taking another long drink from her cup as she drank. "Was Bee the only other girl you slept with after me?" Mia didn't look at him as she asked the question, her eyes fixed on the coffee mug. His hand reached across the table and wrapped around her hand, their fingers slowly lacing. Even then, she still wouldn't look at him, but she didn't pull away from his touch.

"You have been the only thing on my mind since LA. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't let you go. I did everything, absolutely everything to get myself to forget you." He whispered.