after you left |ai|

18

*timejump from mid june to beginning of august*

elle: it's my birthday on saturday, I'm going away with some friends and Jackie is coming too. Do you want to come too?
redhead ashton: at what time?
elle: 10am on saturday until like 11pm or later on sunday? We're going away for the weekend but all you need is a tent and a sleeping bag. Not that we'll be sleeping much.
redhead ashton: ooh where are we going?
elle: my happy place
elle: aka a lake about an hour out of LA
elle: so are you in or not?
redhead ashton: I'll be at your place at 10, do you need me to drive?
elle: that was going to be my second question so yes
redhead ashton: alright, I'll be there

—

I was sitting on the front porch with Jackie and another friend while we patiently waited for Ashton to arrive. He had texted me when he left so I knew he could arrive at any minute but we were already last to leave. My summer break had started three weeks ago and I was enjoying every second of it. I no longer had the pressure to go to work and I spend most of July in San Diego with Chris and his family to escape. It has been good for me and I could finally feel myself letting go of what had happened. It's not over yet but atleast now I believe that I will be better again one day.

I saw Ashton atleast once a week for Thursday dinner but we texted almost daily, just to check up on each other. Even when I was in San Diego, Ashton and I had Thursday dinner through face time. It became our day in the week that we don't have to act happy, that we can just tell the truth and be sad together. But lately my days became better while his became worse because of Olivia's birthday next weekend and the love of his life being gone for almost a year now. He was struggling with the anniversary but he knew it was okay. He knew it was okay to be sad.

He thanked me many times for deleting his social media of his phone and I know that had helped him. He had given himself a time off from the toxic fans and decided to recover for himself instead of them.

"He's going to make us all late" Josie said with a soft grunt. She woke me up from my thoughts and I looked at her with a soft smile. We've known each other since we were 7 years old and never really lost touch.

"Just be happy that we have a ride there this time." I replied with a chuckle before looking at Jackie, "Last year Josie and I decided to hitch hike there. It wasn't that smart but neither of us had a car to use at the time."

"You could have been murdered." Jackie said seriously and Josie and I just laughed.

"We had Thomas with us to protect us. And we were there in time, today we'll be late." Josie said and at the mention of Thomas, my smile faded shortly but it reappeared just as quick. It was my 25th birthday and I was not going to let him take my happiness away now.

"That's his car" Jackie said as she got up and took her bags, I got up too and Josie grabbed my arm to stop me.

"You didn't tell me this friend was rich." She said as we both looked at his car. "Is that why we haven't met him before?"

"He's kinda famous too so just shut up." I said to her with a chuckle. Ashton got out of the car and greeted Jackie before putting her stuff in the trunk. When we approached him, he looked at me with a smile.

"Happy 25th birthday Elle." He said before hugging me, I smiled and hugged him back tightly.

"Thank you very much Ash" I said with a smile, Jackie let me sit in the front so we all go in the car and I could see Josie on her phone and my phone buzzed just seconds later