My Bad [Lashton AU]

Chapter 29

Luke told me he left, but I don't think he ever told me why. Was it really because of me?

Did Luke really abandon his team just to be with me? Am I really a distraction?

I can't allow myself to get in the way of Luke and football. Or anything for that matter.

After Luke and I bought the spaghetti sticks and the sauce we got into my car and drove back to my place. The car ride was quiet, and not the good kind. Luke was staring out the window, and the tension was so strong you could cut it with a knife.

By the time we reached my house I killed the engine and I was going to climb out of the car, but then Luke yanked me back in.

"Luke!" I shouted, but he just wrapped his arms around me.

"Don't listen to Mason," he said. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Um..."

"You're not a distraction, I swear." He paused for a moment. "Well, you are on my mind a lot, but you're not distracting me from anything."

"That sounds to me like I am a distraction," I spoke softly. "Why did you leave then?"

"Hm?"

"The game yesterday. Why did you leave early?"

"Like I told Mason, I wasn't feeling well."

"But you seemed fine to me when you were at the..."

He really did leave the game for me.

"Ashton, I-" I pulled out of his arms and stormed off into my house. I hooked the keys onto the hanger I wasn't angry at him, no. I couldn't be angry at him. I was more angry at myself, because I'm just a distraction.

I'm just getting in his way.

"Ashton, wait!" Luke called after. "Please, don't be mad at me. Okay, I was feeling well, but there's a reason why I left the game yesterday!"

"Yeah? And what reason is that?" I asked, but it sounded more angry than I wanted it to be.

"I... I got worried, okay? When Calum told me you weren't at your fifth period class I freaked out. I didn't know what happened to you and I had to make sure you were okay. I was going to go after the game, but I couldn't... focus..." Luke just now realized what he was pretty much saying to me.

"You said I wasn't distracting you," I whispered, "but what you just told me now is telling me the complete opposite of what you said before."

"You're not distracting me from football. Really." Then he wore some expression on his face. It looked like... fear? "You're not going to leave me... are you?"

I don't want to leave him, but...

When I didn't answer Luke pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. "Nononononononono, don't do this! Please, Ash, I finally got you, and I'm not letting you go!"

"You're so loud," was all I said, laughing weakly.

"This isn't something to joke about. Don't do this to me. Tell me you're not leaving."

"... You sure I'm not distracting you at all?"

"I'm very sure."

As much as I'd like to believe that, I don't. But I'll just have to see where this takes us.

"Let's go see what Michael and Cal are up to," Luke suggested. I nodded as he took my hand in his and led me up to my room. They're most likely in there, I'm sure.

Luke opened the door and, sure enough, they were in there. Michael was sitting on a chair typing away on his phone and Calum was asleep on my bed.

Michael glanced up at us and waved. "Hi," he greeted.