Streaker.

17

"I didn't try to make you upset at all, I just didn't tell you because - "

"Because you didn't want to tell me that you'd received a better offer." Ashley finished for him, making Luke's heart feel like it was sinking down into his stomach. She was exactly right and he didn't want to admit it. "It's okay, like I said, I get it. Of course you'd rather go out with Charlie than stay in and watch movies with me all day."

"I really am sorry." Luke said quietly, looking down at his lap.

"I know you're sorry. I could tell from the hundreds of texts you sent that you are definitely sorry. I forgive you." Ashley said, giving him a small smile. Luke only glanced up at her for a second before his eyes returned to his lap, too ashamed to make eye contact with Ashley. "Hey, look at me."

Luke slowly looked up and Ashley took his hands in hers, lacing their fingers together.

"You made a mistake, it's okay, everyone does sometimes." Ashley assured him. "We're okay, our friendship isn't over just because of one little bump in the road. I was mad at you and I needed some space for a few days, but everything's okay now. We're fine, don't beat yourself up about this."

"I'm not trying to beat myself up about it." Luke sniffed, barely able to contain his emotions.

"But I know you, Luke, and I know that you think this is all your fault." Ashley said softly, looking straight into Luke's eyes.

"It is all my fault." Luke said, crinkling his nose up.

"Okay, I guess it is." Ashley bit down on her bottom lip, thinking for a second. "But that's not the point. The point is that I was mad but now I'm not, and you don't need to be upset about this anymore, alright? Everything's okay."

"You don't need to be this nice to me." Luke said, feeling a couple tears slip out of the corner of his eyes. He let go of one of Ashley's hands and wiped his tears away quickly, hoping that she hadn't noticed. "I don't deserve this."

"Luke, listen to me." Ashley crawled even closer to him and cupped his face in her hands, forcing Luke to look at her. "You do deserve to have someone be this nice to you. Your friends have treated you like shit for your entire life and you deserve to have someone actually care about you like this."

"I keep doing stupid shit, though. I keep messing up." Luke sniffed, trying to do anything he could to not make eye contact with Ashley.

"Did you miss my whole little speech on mistakes?" Ashley scoffed, making Luke look up at her again. "You mess up sometimes, but that's okay. Everyone does. I'm not going to hate you for just one little mistake."

"I make a lot of mistakes." Luke said, his lips twitching up at the side into a small smile.

"I know you do." Ashley smiled, removing her hands from the sides of Luke's face and running them down his chest.

Luke felt his cheeks heat up as her fingers ran across his skin, giving him goosebumps once again. He hated being shirtless around other people, he hardly ever even took his shirt off when he was with his friends, but with Ashley it was different. He felt safe, and he knew that she wouldn't laugh at him for any of his insecurities.

Luke turned and laid down on the bed so Ashley was no longer touching him. She laid next to him but kept her distance, finally taking her coat off and letting it fall to the floor. They stayed quiet as they laid next to each other, both of them staring up at the ceiling above them.

"Did you really mean it when you said that you can't sleep without me here?" Ashley asked after a moment of silence, sitting slightly and using her elbows to prop herself up.