Hopelessly Falling [book 2]

Chapter Twenty-Five

"This was seriously so unexpected and a-fucking-mazing and I can't even begin to express how much this means to-"

"Crystal," Eli cut me off with a smile, "we know. You're welcome."

For the first time, I looked next to me at Ashton, who wore a similar expression to my own shocked one. I flashed him an excited smile.

"I'm going to be such an awesome fucking tour guide around Boston. You have no idea," I told him, and he smiled.

"I believe it," he replied, still looking like he didn't fully understand that we were actually going to Boston.

We were actually going to Boston!!

I jumped up from the couch and ran over to hug them all. It was a very long time before I let them all go, but when I finally did I noticed that Ashton had surprisingly come over to join in on the gratitude.

"Oh, and Lay wanted to chip in, too, but she said that you guys shared a bank account and that you would know, so she contributed by helping to plan it all," Eli told us, and I held my breath a little.. but Ashton didn't react to the nickname, which was a relief.

"I'm seriously gonna cry," I told them all, finally feeling full tears coming on. They all started saying 'no' and 'don't' in protest, but I just nodded and continued to feel them come on. "It's happening. I'm gonna cry."

"Please don't." They clearly weren't very comfortable with the idea of my crying right about now.

"I can't help it." I replied and Eli let out a sigh as I felt the first tear slip out of my eyes.

• • •

** Ashton's POV **

Crystal had fallen asleep on Kevin, who was snoring so loudly that I didn't understand how he wasn't waking her up. I smiled to myself as my eyes scanned over her face for a few seconds, the familiarity I found in it giving me a ping of warmth in my chest.

Scarlett and Savanah had also fallen asleep, both on the floor and sharing a blanket despite there being open couches around them. Realizing I wasn't going to get any sleep any time soon, I got up out of the love seat I was laying down on and made my way to the kitchen. When Eli saw me, he nodded a greeting.

"Kev take your girl again?" He joked, and I chuckled, rolling my eyes.

"It's expected at this point," I replied, grabbing a glass from the cabinet. "Why are you still up?"

"I'm just, I got a lot on my mind I guess," Eli shrugged it off. I could tell he was concealing something, but I knew him well enough to know that he didn't want to have me pressuring him to tell me what it was.

A part of me did wonder what it was, though, and why it would be something he would hesitate to tell me of all people. We never kept anything from each other, really.

"Hey, uh, how are you doing?" Eli asked me, and I looked up from the water I was getting.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, you know, with financially and everything," he hesitantly continued. I didn't roll my eyes, since I knew he wasn't trying to do anything but look out for me, but I internally rolled my eyes at myself for being the sad sack of broke that I was.

I would've lied, but he would've known. We did live together for years.

"We're getting by," I sighed, "barely," I put my glass down on the counter and leaned against it, looking down.

"How am I supposed to explain to Jake that we can't buy the things his friends have because I need all my pocket money to buy groceries, or that Santa is broke and can barely pay mortgage?" I vented to him, and he listened.