Sex Education • Ashton Irwin

twenty four - night life

"Lacey, this doesn't change anything," Dad says softly. LIAR. I want to throw up. His voice, the voice that would read me a bedtime story every night when I were younger, now makes me want to be physically sick from the thought of his lies coming out of the same lips.

My heart pounds and I bring myself to look at his face. He's almost crying too, although what right does he have. He's the cheater and the liar. How dare he expect sympathy from me? I explode. "It changes everything!" 

By now tears are running down my cheek and dripping onto the ground and Mom cries harder too. God, this is all too much. How can I get through the day knowing everything from now is about to change? All because of him. All because my father had to fuck everything up. I almost hate him right now.

"You should go," Mom speaks quietly, trying to refrain her tears.

I stand silently, lost for any form of words. I have nothing to say to him. Parts of me want to know every little disgusting detail, although I know I'm not ready for that. I need time to digest all of this. My Dad picks up his bag and smiles at me as he walks out of the door. How dare he even smile at me after all he's putting us through.

Mom and I stay up until midnight, sobbing away as we sit on the bottom step. Eventually, I tell her to go to bed - knowing that there's no point wasting anymore time crying. I stay on the step and wait for Mom to cry herself to sleep. The noise is heartbreaking. I could melt.

I think for a moment about heading to bed too, although my mind is too fucked up for that right now. I don't need sleep. I need Ashton. 

I drive round to Ashton's house at one in the morning, not really thinking about waking him up - but feeling selfish that all I want is his arms wrapped around me. I don't really think anything could make me feel better right now, but the scent of Ashton's sweet cologne and his strong arms strongly around me might help.

This is dumb, my subconscious hisses at me as I stand on Ashton's doorstep to his mansion, go back home and sleep, you idiot! I tell my mind to shut up, not wanting to think about anyone else but myself right now. I knock on the door. SHIT. What if one of his parents open the door?! I begin to panic and find myself rushing away from the front door. Before I have time to get back into my car I hear the door unlock and open.

"Lacey?" Ashton's groggy voice startles me as I quickly turn back and face him. "What are you doing here?"

I don't speak - simply because I have no idea what to say. I just drag myself  over to where he's stood sleepily in the doorway, wearing only his Calvin Klein underwear and his hair messily scattered all over the place. He looks simply perfect and the pretty sight of him is almost soothing enough.

"Are you okay?" Ashton asks and I ignore him once again. Instead, I just burst out crying and fall into his arms. "Lacey, what's happened?"

I manage to whimper out, holding tightly onto him and never wanting to let go. Ashton begins to rub my back and goes along with it. "Can I come inside?"

Ashton pulls away for a moment and looks at me intently with his hazel eyes. God, he's gorgeous. I could stare into his days all day. He looks at me softly and warm. "Sure," he smiles gently, taking my hand in his, "just stay quiet or we'll wake my parents up."

I nod as I allow him to lead me up the spiral stairs and into his dark bedroom. We instantly make our way onto the bed and Ashton helps me climb under the covers, before he gets in beside me. He scoops me into his arms like a baby and soothingly rubs my hair and presses light kisses to my forehead. Please don't ever stop or I think I might break into a million pieces right now.