Ashton's Baby

Chapter Twenty-Two

It was Saturday, Luke woke up to an oddly quiet house. He stretched a bit before exploring to see that it really was empty. It was still too early for the maids to arrive, he supposed.

  "Luke!" Ashton barged through the front door with his arms full of grocery sacks. He barely made it inside before spilling them everywhere.

  "Crap," Ashton muttered, focused on his mess.

  "You want some help?" Luke asked, half sarcastically, picking up one of the broken sacks. Ashton chuckled to himself.

  "I don't usually do this. Usually my personal shopper goes out... But I wanted to do this myself".

  "What'd you get?"

   "Let me unpack everything". Ashton said, bringing the bags into the kitchen with Luke trailing behind.

  Luke was curious, and surprised to see Ashton out and about so early in the day. The older man began displaying all the food items on the counters. Luke quizzically watched.

   "I know you have had trouble eating the past few days. So I bought you foods that might be easier on your stomach!"

  Luke frowned. Did Ashton not realize what was going on? The blonde glanced over all of the food. His stomach rumbled slightly. Of course he wanted to eat, but he also didn't want to gain more weight. And there was no way Luke could ever purge. The thought of vomit made him cringe. He cried every time he caught the stomach flu because he knew how it would end...

  "Does anything sound good for breakfast? I'll make anything you want". Ashton smiled innocently. He knew what Luke was doing, Hell, he had done it before when he was younger. He just hoped Luke would give in so they could avoid tough confrontation, but Ashton knew an eating disorder wouldn't be cured by simply food alone.

  Panicked, Luke paled and began to stutter, "I-I don't know. I'm still feeling sick".

  Scrunching his brows together, Ashton placed a palm on Luke's forehead. The younger man bit his lip nervously, hoping his housemate would give in and let him play sick.

   "Ah, well maybe some soup and crackers would settle your stomach a little".

   "A-actually I told Michael I'd hang out with him today. I got to go-to"

  "This early? It's barely eight in the morning, Luke?"

  Damn! Luke's lies werent holding up and he didn't want to spin a whole book of lies just to escape one.

  "Yeah! We both have to study for a test that's due today at midnight! And it's for chemistry. We're both behind-"

   "Alright. If you insist, I'll drive you to Michael's." Ashton surrendered to Luke's lies, allowing the younger man to get away with them for the time being.

  * * *

  "Michael! Your friend is here!" Michael's mother yelled up the stairs to her son who was still asleep. Luke was thankful that she let him in, considering Ashton had waited until he was inside his friend's house before he drove back home.

  "I don't have friends at nine am, mom! Tell 'em to go away!" Michael shouted.

   "Wake up, you lazy sack of hair dye! Your friend Luke wants to study with you!"

  "I'll go wake him up, Karen". Luke offered, feeling a bit guilty for waking up his friend. Michael was the closest thing he had to a best friend. He hoped he wouldn't be mad that he just stopped over. It was easier to leave the house than to make up lies about not eating for Ashton to pretend to go along with.

   Michael groaned, sitting up in bed slowly. He was surprised to see Luke sitting on the end of his bed, checking out his room.

  "What up, study buddy?" Michael asked nonchalantly. Luke shrugged. "Did Ashton do something?" Of course Michael knew a little about Luke's living situation. Or, he knew that he lived with some guy named Ashton who was ridiculously rich, but that was about all he knew.

  Luke shrugged again, not wanting to get into it.

  "Well, do you want to hit up the kitchen and see if mom made breakfast?"

  "Sure," Luke replied, following his funky older friend downstairs. Michael nearly tore apart the kitchen trying to make a breakfast burrito that looked extremely unappetizing.

  Luke sneered, disgusted by the food Michael was making. A part of him also wondered how Michael stayed so skinny when he ate so much. It amazed him.

   "Want some?" The older boy asked as he chewed. Luke vigorously shook his head.

   "Suit yourself," Michael replied, inhaling the rest of his breakfast like a cartoon character would.