stutter » a. irwin

chapter 03. cowardly

❀ J U L I A ❀

"So, first you're spilling drinks, now you're stealing them? I don't even want to guess what's next."

Biting my lip, I turned around to face the one and only, Ashton Irwin. The alcohol was definitely getting to me, because my next response wasn't something I would ever say sober.

"I'm feeling a bit adventurous tonight. Better watch yourself or I might go for your shirt next." My eyes widened and I pressed my lips together after the words tumbled out. Apparently, alcohol made me very flirty.

Ashton ran a hand through his hair as he laughed. "Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to keep this one. My favourite one got stained when I went out to get coffee this morning."

Well crap, I hope this wasn't the part where he shoved his dry cleaning bill at my face.

"Uh, at least your shirt... will smell like raspberry tea?" I tried to joke. Clearly, humour wasn't one of my strong points, but I had pretty much given up on trying to make a good impression on Ashton. My track record couldn't get much worse anyway. To my disbelief, he apparently thought my pathetic excuse of a joke was actually funny - or maybe he was just being polite - since he was giggling adorably, showing those god forsaken dimples.

"That's certainly one way to look at things." he smiled, before reaching out to touch a piece of my now straightened hair curiously.

"Your hair is different," he observed, changing the subject suddenly. I nodded silently in response, glancing with wide eyes at the long fingers that were now playing with my hair absentmindedly. "It looks good."

"Thanks." I swallowed heavily as I tried not to show how much affect he had on me. Was Ashton always this flirty? Better yet, when did I become this bad at talking to boys? Maybe the alcohol was affecting the both of us tonight.

His eyes raked down my body, taking in my appearance, and I suddenly felt self-conscious in the denim shirt and vans I had thrown on previously. I had told Rachel that I didn't want any attention on me, but now I realized that I stood out the most.

Apparently, Ashton noticed it as well.

"You definitely stand out from all the girls in this club," he finally said, glancing around at the barely there dresses and stilettos around me. I bit my lip and fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Is.... that a bad thing?" I asked nervously. Ashton stepped closer to me, a smile tugging on the corners of his lips as he took in my appearance once again.

"Actually, I think it's a great thing."

❀❀❀

"So, what are you actually doing here tonight?" Ashton questioned, a beer bottle in hand. "You don't really seem the type to come to these kinds of things."

I would have been offended if it hadn't been completely true. The club scene wasn't my idea of fun at all, but I had actually managed to not embarrass myself yet. It was probably the alcohol, because there was no way I could accomplish that task sober. Maybe I should drink more often.

"I'm actually here with a friend of mine, but she um," I scanned the crowd for Rachel to no avail before continuing. "She's dancing with a couple of friends."

I paused as I saw Ashton give a short wave to someone behind me that he seemed to know. Craning my neck to see who it was, my eyes landed on a pretty blonde. Of course Ashton was here with someone else, most likely his girlfriend. Clearly, a guy that looked like him wouldn't be single. What I counted as flirting he probably saw as a normal thing. I was overthinking things like I always did.