The Chase ▹ Ashton Irwin

CHAPTER NINETY ONE

"Ashton." She said suspiciously. She eyed him, as he leaned against the bar counter with his chin resting on his knuckle.

"Yes?" He said innocently. I tried not to laugh.

"Answer the question!" She said frustratedly.

"Okay okay!" Ashton replied. "So...basically...ugh, okay fine. We uh, need to go to somewhere for like, a few days."

"A few days?" His grandmother repeated. "Wait, where? Why?"

"Um," Ashton replied, his eyes darting around the room. He looked down at me, his eyebrows raised. "Brooke, here, needs someone to take her to California...." His voice trailed off once again, and he shot me a look that said 'I need a little help, here.'

I glanced over to Ashton's grandmother, and her eyes were wide with surprise. "...To...look at colleges!" I finished.

"Yes! Exactly!" Ashton played along, an overly-excited tone to his voice.

"Isn't it a little early?" She said, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't look really convinced.

"Pft, not at all!" Ashton lied. "It's like, a good thing to do nowadays. Like, juniors always start looking at colleges this early." He squeezed my hand, and I looked up at him to see he was genuinely trying not to laugh. I probably looked the same way.

"Well why aren't you?" His grandmother persisted.

"I'm not going to college, remember?" He replied, raising his eyebrows.

"California? Really?" She sighed.

"I just really want to go to UCLA." I told her. I felt a little bad for lying to her, but oh well. I really hate this place, and now that I've been thinking about this it sounded really fun. Ashton's grandmother was quiet for a couple moments, and Ashton looked at her with innocent eyes and big smile on his face. She looked around the room, her lips pursed together.

"Well why don't her parents-" she spoke up, but her voice was ceased as soon as I felt Ashton's grip on my hand grow tighter. I looked up at him, and he was now glaring at her with a look that said 'remember what I told you?'

I wonder why he was looking at her like that. I know I've been staying here for almost a week, which is probably a little too long...but she hasn't said anything about it. I know she likes me and stuff, and I'm always respectful and nice and everything, but she hasn't addressed the fact that I have literally been glued to Ashton's side since last weekend.

My memory went back to the night I found out everything, where I had come crying to Ashton in the middle of the night and stayed here once again. Though it was very vague, I can still remember waking up in the middle of the night and hearing Ashton's voice say 'our home? Might as well call it her home as well.'

Maybe she did know what was up. Which didn't bother me at all, because I think she gets it.

"Alright," She finally sighed. Ashton and I instantly both said "yessss" under our breaths. Well shit, that was easy. She looked over to Ashton, her eyebrows raised. "I swear to god Ashton I don't want you to pull any of your little schenanigans while I'm not around-"

"I'm not!" He said. "Honest. You trust me, right? Brooke does. Right Lovey?"

"Of course I do," I replied, looking up at him and poking one of his dimples.

"Where are you staying? Do you need money?" Ashton's grandmother went on, her questions coming out quite fast. She looked a little worried and concerned, and it reminded me a lot of how Ashton can be sometimes. I guess it runs in the family.