Tangled Strings (sequel to Red Strings)

Chapter 24

Skyler's POV

"Natalie please don't leave." I try, she shakes her head.  "I'm sorry." she chokes out.  "It's just too hard." I try to swallow the lump in my throat and nod slightly.  "Where will you stay?" I ask her.  She almost cracks a smile knowing that I've accepted it.  "Sylvana's got an spare room, in her apartment.  She told me how her roommate dropped out of uni." 

I drop my gaze and take a deep breath, before hugging her with such force she almost falls over.  "Call me if you need anything." I tell her a tear running down my cheek.  I pull away holding onto her shoulders "I love you." "I'm not going very far." she assures me her voice still shaky. 

"Still love you, you idiot." I laugh wiping the tear away. "I know." she tells me checking her iPhone for the time.  "There's a bus coming in twelve minutes... I better go." she smiles, but I know her to well to know it's not genuine. 

She fixes her gaze on Mike, Ash, and Luke who are still standing behind me stunned.  Nat offers them a final wave before descending down the driveway.  I watch her leave as another tear threatens to fall, so I blink a couple of times. This was it... this is how our story ended the six of us living together. 

Luke wraps his arm around my waist and I sob into his shoulder. "It's ok, she'll be back." he whispers as kisses the top of my head.  I look up at him and send him a weak smile.  "I shouldn't have made her come." I mumble.  "Bullshit!" Michael says resting a hand on my back. "This isn't your fault." "It's none of our faults" Luke adds.

"Am I the only one who heard Calum say they hooked up?" Ashton questions walking up to us, I hid my face in Luke's shoulder again.  "He was drunk, Sky and Cal switched rooms for a night." Luke explains stroking my hair.  "So what? Do you think he like... forced her?" Ashton asks confused "No!" we all reply in unison. "We all know Nat." Michael says "If he had done that she would have done way more then slap him." Michael points out, I crack a smile stepping away from Luke.  "She's scared, Nat runs when she's scared." I agree "She's going to have to stop running eventually." "Especially c-" "Can we not talk about this anymore." I plead interrupting Ash mid sentence.  "I'm sorry I just... I can't believe it's over" I admit walking into the house. 

There's some pillows on the floor but other then that the room looks intact.  I run up the stairs into my room and jump into the bed pulling the overs over my head. A sudden drowsiness taking over me, God it had been such a long day. 

I hear a soft knock on the door.  "Come in" I call from under the covers.  I hear the door crack open and suddenly the blankets are lifted off of me revealing a blinding light, then someone plops beside me. I look over and recognize the curly hair. We lie in silence for a few minutes.

"Hi" he grins facing me.  "Hello Ashton." I reply a smile tugging on the corner of my lips.  He grabs my hand and we lie in silence shoulders brushing together. This was always something I admired about Ashton, he always new how to make you feel better. 

"Do you want to know something funny?" he asks me, I nod eagerly adjusting my position. He chuckles "You have to promise not to tell anyone this... especially Calum." he warns me.  Calum... I wonder how he's feeling after all she did slap him and he seemed pretty upset, I wonder if he's locked himself in his room or if he's having a heart to heart with Luke and Michael. 

"I promise" I agree holding up my pinky he locks our pinkies together. "Alright wh-" he breaks out laughing again "Ashton!" I squeal "Alright, alright... when I first met you guys I may of had a small crush on Natalie."  My mouth drops open "What" I whisper in disbelief and he chuckles "I had no idea about the whole Calum and Nat thing though so..." "That is so funny" I laugh biting my lip. "Why didn't you have a crush on me!" I joke, Ash rolls his eyes.  "Didn't Michael ask you out like the second time you met?" I laugh harder nodding.