The Chase ▹ Ashton Irwin

CHAPTER SEVENTY

"Of course I am." I smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his gentle lips. I took a step back, and placed my fingertips at the corner of the box to open it.

"Don't open it here," Ashton said quickly. I shot him a confused look, and he just chuckled, his gaze falling to the ground. "It's kinda lame and cheap."

"Ash," I said. "Do you think I care one bit?"

"...No." he laughed. "But you need a computer to use it anyways, so I would wait if I were you."

I nodded, and placed the box into my bag, giving him one more hug as I rested my head in the crook of his neck. "I hope you know your present is coming soon."

"Really?" He asked. His tone of voice was so surprised, as if the fact that his girlfriend is giving him a Christmas present is the most ridiculous thing ever.

"Of course!" I replied, playfully swatting his arm. "And you're gonna love it."

"I better." Ashton joked.

"I know what he got you," Natalie said, stepping beside me. "It's fucking adorable."

"Natalie," Ashton laughed. The bell rang, and Ashton groaned. "Fuuuck."

"Is anyone going that way?" Calum asked, pointing towards the english building. I shook my head no, and looked over to Ashton. "You're walking me to my class, slave." I laughed, intertwining our fingers together again. We said goodbye to everyone for now, and started walking to my classroom. "When do I ever not walk you to your class?" Ashton chuckled.

"Chemistry."

"Well yeah fuck that Nick is there."

We both laughed, our sarcasm flowing perfectly together. I went silent, my eyebrows coming together in thought. I wanted to ask Ashton if he wanted to hang out or something tonight, because there's no way I'm gonna spend all afternoon once I got home around my mom.

"What's on your mind?" Ashton asked. I looked up at him to see him staring at me, his glasses shining a faint glare on me. I shrugged, my eyes falling back to the ground. "Broooooke." He said softly.

"It's nothing." I said. I know I could talk to him, of course, but I was about to go into my classroom and there were so many people here. Ashton eyed me, but I just smiled and kissed his cheek. "See you at lunch!" I said as happily as I could. He sighed, but smiled and kissed my forehead before we parted ways.

...

I got home around 3:00, excited that I didn't have to go to school for a very long time. Winter break always seemed to be longer than it really was, so thats a plus for me. I wasn't tutoring today; I had made plans to hang out with Ashton in his new place around 5:00. I wanted to open Ashton's present to me, because I had no idea what it was. I ran up to my room, my still quiet and awkward mom walking into the kitchen.

I sat down on my bed, and took the newspaper-wrapped box out of my bag. I carefully tore the paper off, and was surprised to see it wasn't a box at all. It was a stack of four CD's, all individually packed in their own clear CD case. They slid off on another as I took the rest of the paper off, a couple falling into my lap. Mix tapes. I let out a heartful chuckle, my face lighting up as I picked them up into my hands. Ashton's sloppy writing said different things on each one. I picked my laptop up off the floor, placing it on the bed as I uncased the first CD and slid it into my computer.

"Songs that are cute like you" he had written in sharpie on it. I settled down as I began to listen to each song on each of Ashton's new mix tapes to me.

1. Can't Stand It- NeverShoutNever

2. You Always Make Me Smile- Kyle Andrews

3. Smother Me- The Used