Manipulative || A.I.

Exploit

"Then why did you put up with it? If you seem to hate me so much why would you put up with it this long?" he croaked out. His voice was betraying him. 

"Because I care about Amelia. And I wanted to help her. And for some freaking reason I feel you could actually be a decent human being behind all the douchebaggery, if you just break down the walls that you have spent years building up. I don't even think you know yourself anymore." she dabbed her eyes with her napkin. 

"After this entire month, talking everyday, nearly all day, you still don't consider me to be anything to you?" he spoke slowly, trying to calm his broken ego. 

"I consider you the queen in a game of chess. And I am simply a pawn you manipulate to keep yourself guarded and safe. We may have spoken everyday but you never actually told me anything about you. Only just now did I even know you had a brother. You would talk but really you were saying nothing. You were bragging about conquests, or telling me something about the concert you just performed, but nothing of substance." She grabbed at her own collar as if it was strangling her and she needed more air to breathe. 

"What do you want to know?" he asked. 

"I just want you to prove you are worth Amelia's time. Convince her and you won't need to tell me a single thing ever again." she said. 

"Your food," the waiter came dropping two large plates in front of them. 

"Thanks Mark. I lost my appetite though. Could you possibly bag this up for me to take home?" She asked so kindly Ashton was shocked she could change her emotions with the flick of a switch. 

"Of course Sarah," he grabbed the plate from her place-mat and quickly walked to the back. 

She took the napkin off her lap, slid her seat out from the table, bundled herself up like she had done the last time, with all her many layers, and the waiter came with her bagged up food. 

She looked down at him and gave him one of the most gut wrenching, weakening smiles, "Enjoy the food Ashton. I hope you have a good trip while you are here." 

And with that she walked out of the restaurant onto the cold New York City streets. He wanted to chase after her. He really did. But instead he slammed his hand so hard against the table, the staff all jumped and looked over at him. The waiter asked if there was something wrong with the food and Ashton just gave him a growl to leave him alone. 

He did not touch his plate. He tossed money on the table, gave the staff a nod, and stormed out to his car. 

Bzzz

The intercom then rang with a friendly, "Hello?"

"Amelia? It's Ashton. I know you want to avoid me at all costs but I need to talk to you. Please? You owe me that." 

There was no response from the other side and soon the door was buzzed open. He flew up the three or four flights of stairs and opened the hallway door to see Amelia's head sticking out of her apartment door. 

He smiled and walked up to her. He put out his arms and awkwardly she gave him a hug. It did not feel the same as all the other hugs they had shared. She did not fit the same way. 

"Ashton what are you doing here?" She asked letting go of him and letting him into her apartment. 

"I came to see you of course! My most bestest friend!" he tried to be so happy but she could read right through it. 

"Date went that badly again?" Amelia walked over to her kitchen to grab two beers out of the fridge. 

"It wasn't a date. But yeah. It went horribly. She again left before we even got to eat. I keep having to pay for uneaten meals." he tried to joke. 

"Oh Ashton. When will you realize she is not like the rest of the girls." Amelia handed him one of the beers. 

"She told me she is a pawn in my own personal chess game. And I basically all around a shitty human being." he tried to make light of it but even as he spoke the words he felt horrible. 

"Ashton..." she sat next to him on the couch. 

"But she is right. I was using her. I was using her to get to you," he looked Amelia right in the eyes and saw her face turn from friendly comfort to scared. "I have liked you for ages now and you have pushed me away. I was using her to try and get to you and here I am telling you how much I like you because of her. So in a way I guess she helped." He placed a hand on her cheek but she shot up to move away from him. 

"Ashton please don't do this," she paced the space in front of the couch. 

He jumped up to stop her from pacing. Before he had time to think about what he was doing he planted a kiss on her lips. They were soft, almost familiar. 

She kneed him in the crotch and he went down gracelessly. 

"Don't ever do that again Ashton!" She yelled, "I am your bloody sister!" 

Suddenly the pain of  his lower region was gone and he looked up at her from his place on the carpet. 

"My what?"

Weeeheeeyy didn't see that one coming did ya?! Yo Sarah is kinda one of my favorite characters right now! Just saying! She calls Ashton out like no one else does! 

How about we keep the positivity flowing. Since I didn't reach my goal on votes or comments i was not planning on posting this chapter BUT then I saw it actually charted on the two charts I had categorized this book in so I just thought Eff my own rules. But it would be really cool if we could another 50 votes and another 50 comments for another update? does that seem fair?...I think so :)

I love you all. Mamma Sammiekins OUT!