Hopelessly Devoted

Chapter 50

"You know I'm always in the mood for ice cream."

As we pulled into the parking lot, I turned to look at him.

"I really don't want to talk about any of it, let's just enjoy the ice cream and your shitty jokes," I sent him a small smile. Immediately going along with it, he faked offended.

"My jokes are fantastic," he defended, turning the car off.

"Mmm okay," I replied, grinning.

"If not then why do you always laugh at them?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Pity- duh," I answered, making him chuckle.

"Funny, that's the same reason I asked you out," he said and I rolled my eyes.

"The look on your face when I told you 'no' said differently," I rebutted.

"Yeah- that was just cruel," he told me, as if he had been meaning to say that but kept forgetting. I chuckled and took his hand in mine as we walked towards the door.

"Well, you love me now, so," he sent me a proud smile, "I win," we stopped in front of the counter.

"I'd say we both won," I responded. He 'booped' my nose, earning a completely shocked expression from me, as that is the last thing I ever expected him to do. He clearly had done it as a joke, but still. He let out a laugh at my expression.

We ordered the usual, Ashton letting me pay for both of ours.. only because I threatened to scratch his car if he didn't let me.

I wouldn't have, but only because I hate the sound it makes. Not because of his randomly intense sentiment to his car.

"Is it weird," I started as we sat down in our usual booth across from each other, "that I feel like we know each other more than anyone else, but we still have so much to learn about each other?"

When I asked this, casual realization slid onto his face. Almost as if he had forgotten we weren't literally one in the same person.

"Well, that's how I roll I guess," he said and I sent him a confused, lighthearted glance. "Gotta keep 'em guessing.. I have that whole mysterious thing going on for me," he said, shoveling the ice cream into his mouth.

I always got mine in a cone, but he was avidly against cones apparently. He claimed that ice cream cones were an 'institution that makes people use their useless cones through relentless propaganda, while not adding anything to the actual experience of eating the ice cream besides making it more messy'.

I, after telling him how fucking weird he was, respectfully disagreed, saying that ice cream cones were fun and that if he had such a problem with them then he could shove one up his- well... you get it.

"You're ridiculous," I told him with an eye roll and a loving smile. He smiled back at me before his eyes landed behind me, immediately turning cold.

My heart skipped a beat, immediately dreading who was behind me. George? My brother? No, Ashton doesn't know what he looks like- or does he? But when I turned around I just saw Layla.. with a boy.

I turned back to look at him, holding back a chuckle at his overly brother-like reaction.

"Who the fuck is that?" He asked.

"He seems nice," I teased him, biting back a smile as the boy brought Layla into his side- his hand lingering on her waist.

"I'm gonna beat his ass," Ashton all but growled, and I realized he was serious. I quickly got up and planted myself next to Ashton on the outside of the booth, smiling up at him stubbornly.