Affection // irwin

Chapter 35

It is quite nice, just having a normal conversation with these guys. Well normal if you include throwing fries, making faces and noises, Ashton holding my hand under the table, the rush through my body every time he laughs…Then it’s one of those normal lunches. It was like he didn’t care if we were in a room filled with people we both know and don’t know. Sure, he didn’t act like we were the only ones there, but sometimes it felt like it. Sometimes the others would just become blurry and he’d be the only one I saw. Is that normal? 

There’s still one thing I’m waiting for him to ask. And even though my answer will be yes, I don’t know what will happen because I’ve never done it before. I’ve never…

“So what was the family emergency, Joselyn?” Michael suddenly asks and Ashton stiffens next to me. Everyone else by the table turns their eyes to me. Calum looks at Ashton and he mouths something, making Ashton nod. What’s that all about?

“Family emergency?” Emma frowns.

“Her grandma felt sick,” Ashton says before I’ve even opened my mouth.

“I asked Joselyn, not you.”

“Well, I answered. Deal with it,” Ashton snaps back and he squeezes my hand a little.

Gavin goes back to talking with anyone who’s listening, Emma and Liza in this case, and Michael’s staring down on his plate. Calum is looking at Ashton, like he’s debating whether or not to say anything. I look up at Ashton as he takes yet another fry. Did Ashton tell Calum? I don’t know how great friends they are but since he hasn’t told Michael, obviously, why would he tell Calum? Are they even greater friends?

“Sorry about your grandma, is she feeling better?” Michael asks, ignoring the glare from Ashton.

“Yeah, she is,” I say and Ashton turns his eyes to me. “Much better.”

We both know I’m not talking about my grandma.

“She doesn’t live here in Sydney, does she?”

“No, she lives back home. I mean,” I say without finishing the sentence and Michael nods like he understands.

I’m still calling Toronto for home even though Sydney is my home now. But I know it won’t be my home forever. Either dad’s going to move offices again real soon or I’m going to move out before it happens. I don’t have anything against Sydney. It’s quite a nice place, but I don’t know if this will be my future home.

ASHTON POV 

Everyone around the table, except for Gavin, keeps sneaking looks at me and Joselyn. I know what they’re all thinking of because they know how I feel about her. Some more than others, *cough* Calum. If it weren’t for Luke this weekend he wouldn’t have known that much, even though he told me he already knew.

After the argument the other day, Luke, Calum and I chatted away for hours about Joselyn. Luke was still being a douche and made comments every now and then, but somehow I got the feeling like he understood. He told me he didn’t have anyone he liked at the moment and Calum couldn’t resist asking about Tania, which made Luke furious. He’s not one of those who forgets things like that. He hasn’t forgiven Michael and from the talk, I kind of figured it will take a while before he does. Luke knows, just like the rest of us, that Michael is no threat but he told us it was just the idea of it.

‘What would you do if someone else kissed your girlfriend?’

‘I’d kick his ass,’ Calum replied.