Ashton's Baby

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sitting in the study, Ashton was deep in thought. He truly had felt helpless when it came to helping Luke. On his desk was the number to a therapist he found online. Ashton wondered if that was enough. And how could one person fix somebody? Ashton wished he had the power to fix Luke.

  Money wasn't the solution. All the food and clothes he bought were going to waste. Sighing, the older man closed his laptop. Useless. He wondered if he could talk to Luke, force him to tell him what was going on in his head, but that felt to invasive. He decided Luke deserved some privacy and that would be too cruel.

  * * *

  Two in the afternoon passed on. Michael was snacking on chips and playing a game that Luke was pretending to be interested in. 

  "Want some chips?" Michael asked, pushing the bag towards Luke. Luke's stomach rumbled again, causing him to worry that Michael would find out. Michael didn't seem to notice. He continued playing the shooting game.

  It was when seven in the evening came around that Michael noticed. Luke decided to leave before the Clifford's invited him to dinner. Karen was busy boiling water when Luke tried to leave.

  "Hey Luke, have you eaten anything today?" Michael questioned, meaning well.

  "Yeah, yeah, Ashton's got dinner waiting at home-"

   "Really?

   "Yep," Luke answered, feeling nervous for some reason.

  "It's so weird that you haven't been hungry at all today. I wish I wasn't hungry all the time".

  Michael was watching his friend. Luke backed away ever so slightly.

  "Does Ashton know you haven't eaten anything today?"

  "Well I've been a bit under the weather, Michael-"

  "Right, whatever Luke".

   "It's not even any of your business," Luke spat, grabbing his phone to call Ashton.

  "How isn't it? You're gonna end up in the hospital!"

  "Shut up! You don't know shit, Michael! You haven't been through shit!"

  "Oh really? F you, man! I've been through more than you could ever imagine! I've been in and out of places. I lived my life thinking nobody loved me up until two years ago. I almost died, so f you, Luke!"

  "I don't need you, I don't need anyone." Luke was going to shove his phone back in his pocket when Michael snatched it from him.

"Hey!" Luke snapped lamely.

  Michael scrolled through the contacts until he found "Ashton".

  Luke tried to grab the phone, but his friend was taller and faster. He shit himself in the bathroom and dialed out to Ashton.

  Despite all of the banging on the bathroom door, Michael still was determined to speak to Ashton. Even if Luke hated him for it. He had to save him. He couldn't lose anymore friends.

  The blonde couldn't hear a word Michael was saying to Ashton on the phone. He slumped against the door and tried to stay quiet as he cried. He thought Michael was his friend, but apparently not.

  The door finally opened after ten minutes, Michael tossed the phone back to Luke. "Ashton's coming to get you in ten minutes".

  "What did you tell him?"

  "You'll find out soon".

   * * *

  The silence was killing him. Ashton refused to speak the entire ride home. The blonde stared out the window to pass the time.

  Once inside, the tension was cut. "I didn't want to punish you, Luke, but I feel like I have no choice".

  "What did I do?!" Luke shrieked.

  "You've been lying to me and to Michael! He was so worried when he called me, Luke! What you're doing isn't okay. And I'm sick of the blatant lies coming from you!" Ashton glared as he crossed his arms.

  "I haven't been lying! I felt sick all day! I don't know why nobody believes me!"

  "You probably feel sick because you haven't eaten in days. It's not good for you," Ashton stated as if he was saying something Luke didn't already know.

  "I don't care," muttered Luke. He wiped his eyes with the sleeves of his black sweater. It covered over half of his body. He loved it. He loved his baggy clothing.

  "You don't care? You don't care if you make yourself incredibly sick and end up in the hospital? Do you know what would happen if it got that bad? They'd force you to eat, one way or another. And it wouldn't be very pleasant, honey". Ashton sat down next to Luke, placing a hand on his knee. "Believe it or not, but you have people in your life now who care about you. It's about time you figured out how to treat yourself. Starving isn't the answer. I do have some ideas though, if you're willing to help yourself".

  Again to his irritation, his stomach rumbled.

  "I'm guessing you didn't have dinner at Michael's then? Or should I just assume, since you'd just lie to me anyway?"

  Luke didn't answer. He just let Ashton talk while he tried to think I'm an excuse to prevent himself from having to eat soon. From the corner of his eye he could see the chef cooking something in the kitchen.

  "I was thinking we could try a therapist. It might help you."

  "Ashton," Luke started, an idea forming in his head. He stood up, faking confidence as he spoke. "Im not sick or anything. I've just forgotten to eat. I've been busy. I didn't mean to concern you guys".

  "Nice try. You've been offered food all day. I really don't think you just 'forgot'. Since you want to keep feeding me lies, we might as well get your punishment out of the way."

  "I'm not lying!" Luke tried, "I did forget! The test was stressing me out all day!"

  "Michael said you guys didn't have a test. He didn't even know you were coming over earlier when you so rudely barged in".

   Luke's eyes darted to the floor. He wished the floor would sink under him and that he could fall through and not deal with Ashton.

  "I know that we discussed lying before, you know I hate it".

  "Ashton, they were just little lies though! They didn't hurt anybody!"

  "Get up, go wait for me in the bathroom".

  "What? Why?!" The nineteen year old looked at Ashton, trying to plead with his eyes.

  "Because the punishment for lying isn't pretty." Luke forced himself to his feet. He tried to walk slowly, but Ashton smacked his bum as reinforcement. "Go, now".

  The blonde trudged to the bathroom, already regretting the lies he told.