Thick and Thin [l. hemmings]

five

He was right, I had always wanted something like this. I assume Ashton had told him. But when I had told Ashton, I said that Luke was supposed to give me this as a gift. But obviously, it didn't happen.

"Okay, but please let me do something to make it up to you. This is a lot." I tell him.

"Will you stop?" He exclaims, a laugh falling past his lips, "I'm going to lose my mind, give me this." Michael grabs the box from my hands before taking out the necklace and putting in on me.

"Michael-"

"Look, it's beautiful, now-" He stops, holding out the earrings for me to take and put in myself.

I try to bite back a smile as I take the earrings from him, before putting them in.

"Come here." He says, standing up and grabbing my hand, pulling me up from the couch and dragging me with him.

"Michael!"

He stops me in front of the mirror by the entrance of the house, turning me so I can see myself. Standing behind me he tucks my hair behind my ear and out of my face.

"It's beautiful." I tell him.

"See. I told you."

"You really shouldn't have." I tell him, looking at him in the mirror.

He shakes his head, "I'm going to lose it if you say that one more time."

I turn around to face him, smiling up at him, "Thank you, Michael. Thank you."

Michael just smiles, pausing for a moment. His smile slowly starts to fade as he looks down to my lips and back to my eyes. Clearing his throat, he looks away, nervously scratching at the back of his neck.

"Let's go watch that movie now, yeah?" He asks, walking off.

Just nodding, I follow him, unsure what I'm supposed to say. I know Michael likes me that way, but I still need a bit of time before anything can happen with him.

He pulls me onto the couch with him again, this time I'm cuddled into his side, getting ready to watch Christmas movies all night.

//

Ashton and Kyle came back earlier than Nina did. I spent New Year's with the three guys. It was so sweet that they all stayed sober for me. We played a bunch of games, watched the ball drop, it was really nice. I never thought I'd have people in college that would stay sober and not go out on a night like this. I told them I didn't need them to stay with me and that I'd be fine alone, but they insisted. They were all okay starting off 2017 like that.

Nina came back a few days later, and classes were about to start up again. Us four roommates had a dinner Ashton had made for us the night before classes started. We all just had sat around, and all told stories. Just the four of us together and talking was something we hadn't done in a while.

But later that night, Ashton was in my room. The other two had gone to bed, and it was about two in the morning. He told me he wanted to talk about something, but he didn't want to trigger me back to the drugs. So, I figured what he'd ask me. I knew it'd be about Luke.

//

"Kels, will you be okay if I bring up Luke?" Ashton asks, sitting across from me on my bed.

I pause for a few moments, before nodding. I've been doing well, what he says about him will be fine.

"So... I just wanted to check in, about the divorce? Has he contacted you? I just want to make sure you're okay."