Ashton wasn't alone.
He knew before he was even fully awake that someone else was in his bed with him. He felt his arm snaked around their waist, their breathe against his ear, their arm wrapped around his neck, and their chest pressed against his. It was a girl and she was basically lying on top of him.
Ashton's head was pounding and for some reason his left hand felt like it could be bruised. He didn't know where he was or who he was with. He pried open his eyes and saw that the sun was already shining outside and that whoever he was with had very dark hair.
He tried to remember what happen but he isn't entirely sure. He felt around the girl's waist for a minute trying to see if that in anyway would give him a clue because he couldn't see her face. He saw that she was wearing one of his flannels so all Ashton could think was he had slept with this girl last night.
Then Ashton saw he was in his bedroom, in his house. He hadn't a fucking clue how he got back here or how his parents didn't catch him and this girl but he was thankful that they didn't. If his dad knew he had a girl in his room right now that he probably slept with he would kill him.
Ashton wriggles slightly under the girl and she moved as well on top of him. the movements combined was enough to make Ashton want to be sick. He wanted to throw up. He was going to throw up and he refused to throw up on a girl he didn't even know.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled to her before quickly flipping them over, not getting a chance to look at her, before running into his bathroom and throwing up in the toilet. He felt so bad. He felt like he drank everything and anything last night. He probably did as well. As he threw up he tried to rack his brain as to what happened. How did he end up in his house, with a random girl, wearing one of his shirts. He threw up some more and felt someone rubbing his back as he did so. He knew it must have been the girl but he didn't have time to look over his shoulder to see her.
"It's okay, I'm here." She said and even though Ashton was still throwing up as the realization hit him like a bus he felt his body go stiff. He could tell that was Jade. He knew it was Jade. He knew her voice. That was her hair he saw. Her head buried in her chest. Her arms wrapped around his neck. It was Jade. Ashton had to think on emptying his stomach before he could think of anything else, but really the thought of what must have happened, what he probably did, is just making him fell sicker and helping empty his stomach quicker.
He finally feels his body starting to slow down and become more relaxed. His stomach does feel empty now but he feels dizzy. He tastes the bile in his mouth and rests his head on the toilet seat to give him time to recover.
"Do you need a drink?" Jade asks.
Ashton shakes his head, closing his eyes slightly at the sound of her voice. "Mouthwash." He manages to get out and jade must see the bottle by his sink because the next thing Ashton knows the cap, filled with mouthwash, has been handed to him. Ashton doesn't bother spiting it into the sink and just spits it into the toilet with the contents of what was just in his stomach.
"Are you okay?" Jade kneels down beside him and he looks at her. She looks worried, like really worried. Ashton can't help but feel guilty. He can't believe he was so stupid.
"Jade," He sighs. "I'm sorry." He says to her. "About last night."
"You've already apologized for last night." Jade tells him and he gives her a confused look. He must have apologized after they had sex, maybe.
"Oh, well," Ashton coughs awkwardly. "I guess I just wanted I say it again, but sober."
"I believed you, when you said it." Jade says and Ashton sands helping Jade up as well. He tries not to show his dizziness. "I was just confused why you did it, I guess."
"Oh," Ashton can't really explain why he did it since he doesn't remember it happening. "I guess it's because..." Ashton doesn't know if he admitted his feelings to Jade. He didn't know if she knew how he felt. If he was stupid enough to admit his feelings to her before he had sex with her.
"I know." Jade nods.
Ashton nods back. "I'm sorry. This isn't how it was supposed to happen." Ashton admits going through to his room and sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. Jade follows and sits next to him.
"It's not your fault." Jade tells him.
"But it is."
"I could have stopped you. I could've left." Jade tells him, rubbing his back. "But I didn't."
"You should've." Ashton moves his head to look at her. "I was a dick and I was selfish."
"You already made up for being a dick." Jade says to Ashton.
Ashton looks at her and smirks. Did she mean she didn't mind the fact that he can't even remember them actually having sex is made up for the fact that they did have sex.
"Ashton, I just want to tell you that I do have feelings for you as well." Jade says and Ashton smiles. He really, really smiles. For a small second he forgets that he can't remember having sex with a girl he is pretty much in love with. He can make up for that later. They will do it properly. He won't be drunk and he will be able to make sure she is okay. They can get over this. But then at the same time Ashton's virginity wasn't just lost to a girl who didn't even remember. That okay though. Jade doesn't have to know that. He will make up for it. He will plan it all out and they will have actually been dating.
"You do?" Ashton wanted to make sure he heard her correctly before he got his hopes up.
"I like you, Ashton." Jade says, she was smiling too. Ashton wanted to pinch himself to make sure this was all actually happening.
"I promise I'll make it up to you." Ashton says quickly.
"What?" Jade asks.
"Last night." Ashton explains. "It wasn't right. I'm going to make it up to you and I won't be drunk next time." Ashton laces their hands together. He feels Jade tense slightly but soon relax and scoot closer to him so that their knees were touching.
"Well..." Jade smiles shyly. "You aren't drunk now."
Ashton's eyes widen at Jade's suggestion. Was she really suggesting that they have sex right now? Did she not know that his parents and younger brother and sister were in the house? Sure, Ashton probably never mentioned it to her last night but still.
"Oh." Ashton says and looks around his room and up at Jade who looks at him with a shy, cute smile. He really shouldn't say no. "As long as we are quiet."
"Quiet?" Jade laughs slightly.
"Yeah," Ashton nods. "My parents are right next door." Ashton nods his head towards the opposite wall.
"Okay...?" Jade says hesitantly. "I mean we don't have to be noisy?" She seems to be confused but Ashton doesn't quite notice yet. All Ashton can think about is how strange Jade's behaviour is right now.
"Oh, uhm," Ashton looks awkwardly around his room. "Are you sure you want to do this now? Like right now?"
Jade raises her eyebrow. "Yeah, do you not want to?" She leans back a little but, looking and feeling rejected. Making Ashton panic.
"No, no, no." he quickly says pulling Jade closer to him again. "I just don't know if we should rush into this, you know?" Jade pulled a confused face. "I think the next time we have sex we should do it properly and make sure that we both enjoy it fully. Yeah?" Ashton saw Jade's eyes widen when Ashton mentions sex but he didn't really pay much attention to it. He was too busy rambling on, hoping that Jade wouldn't feel embarrassed because he rejected her. Well technically he didn't reject her, he just thought he was being sensible.
"Sex?" Jade repeats. Ashton feels her hand tense once again and she begins to pull away from him. "What?" She breathes out slightly. She looks horrified. Then it hits Ashton.
He would have remembered it. No, he wouldn't have done it. He wouldn't have been Luke. oh what is he thinking?! He is the same as Luke! Having sex when they are drunk is what Luke and Ashton do. Not together of course, that would be weird. But if it was Jade he wouldn't have done it. He couldn't have. He doesn't make great decisions when he is drunk but he is still him, he is still Ashton who does love Jade. He wouldn't have done that to her. She isn't like some random girl he met when he was drunk. He had fucked this up so bad by not having sex with her, somehow.
"What?" Ashton repeats her. He is trying to buy himself more time. More time to work out what happened last night.
"You don't remember. Do you?" Jade says and looks down at their intertwined hands.
"No, no." Ashton says quickly sensing this is going downhill fast. "It's just all a bit... fuzzy."
"You thought we had sex last night." Jade seems to be saying to herself. Confirming it already.
"I just didn't know what to think..." Ashton begins to feel Jade loosen her grip on his hand.
"Do you remember anything?" She looks at Ashton with big, pleading eyes.
"I... I c-can't..."
"Remember." Jade finishes for him and then pulls her hand out of his and Ashton feels a wave of defeat crash over him. For maybe five minutes he had her. He obviously had her last night too, but just can't remember.
"Please, Jade, I was really drunk even though that I probably meant every word." Ashton says. "I promise."
"That's what you said last night." Jade says coldly. Ashton thought promising it would make it better but it really didn't.
"Jade I was drunk-"
"Sex, Ashton." Jade eyebrows furrow together and her pitch raises slightly. "Really? You really think I would sleep with you in the state you were in?" Jade then scoffs. "You say I'm one thing and obviously assume I'm another." She mumbles.
"What?" Ashton didn't understand what she meant by that.
"Nothing." Jade stands. "You don't remember it." She shake her head and closes her eyes whilst taking in a deep breath.
Ashton runs his hands through his hair in frustration. How could he have fucked up so amazingly within the last five minutes? He has to remember what he promised her. What did they do last night if they didn't have sex? He should just ask her. He's going to ask her. He missed his chance though because they both hear a vibrating noise coming from Jade's jeans that were lying in the floor. They both stared at them for a minute before Jade went over. She dug the phone out from the pockets, sighed and answered the call.
"Calum," she sighed and Ashton pursed his lips in annoyance. "Where are you?" She said. Of course Calum was going to ruin this. Of course he was going to be the reason Jade left.
Ashton goes over to the door. He leans against it to see if he can hear anything. A little indicator to see if his parents are up. And they are.
Jade is still talking to Calum when Ashton hears a door open and close. If it was Lauren he might be okay. But her door is across the hall from him, and the door he heard sounded far too close.
For a small moment Ashton was too consumed in what was happening with Jade to remember that she couldn't be here. His dad would go crazy if he knew she was here. And Ashton didn't want to find out who he would take his anger out on. He didn't want Jade to find out.
He turned around to look at Jade and held a finger to his lips, trying to get her to keep quiet. She nodded slightly and whispered a good bye to Calum.
She bent down and picked up her jeans and then her top and made her way to the bathroom.
"I need to go to Calum's now." Jade said quietly as she went in. Ashton just nodded a little and when she was gone he went and lay down on his bed. His head up at the ceiling and his body feeling like it was being dragged into the mattress by tiny little hands. He just wanted to sink into the mattress and be swallowed up by whatever it I that is trying to pull him under but he can't. For some reason he isn't able to go. He hears the bathroom door open again and Jade walk out. She is looking down at her top and Ashton sees why when he sits up.
"There's blood on your top." He points out.
"It's yours." Jade says back. She looks up at him and her eyes a red around the edges like she has been crying.
"Oh." Ashton looks down at his hand which has been stinging all morning but he hasn't had much time to think about it. "Right." He gets up and goes over to his dresser and pulls out a jumper.
"What're you doing?" Jade asks him, walking slowly over to him.
"You can't go to Calum's looking like that." Ashton tells her. "He will probably freak out. Also I feel bad."
"Okay." Jade says back blankly and remakes the jumper off him. She pulls it over her head and covers the blood. Of course it's too big for her, she has to roll up the sleeves.
They stand staring at each other for a few seconds when both of them speak at the same time.
"I'm really sorry." Ashton says.
"I really have to go." Jade speaks over him.
"Yeah." They both say in unison in reply to what the other one has said.
"We have to be quiet." Ashton whispers to her. "If my dad knew..."
"He'd kill you." Jade finished off for him.
"Yeah." Ashton must have said something last night. Now he is worrying just how much.
Ashton goes over to the door and slowly opens it. He puts his fingers to his lips again and begins the stealth mission that is getting Jade out of the house.
~~~
It took time but she eventually got out. Ashton helped her to the backdoor and helped her climb over the fence and they both kept completely quiet in case Ashton's dad overheard them. He was the only one up and was sitting in the living room watching a football highlights show he always watches on a Saturday morning.
Then he was able to sneak back upstairs and fall asleep again. This time he was woken up by his phone ringing and answered it. It was Michael and he was demanding that Ashton was at his house in ten minutes. So that's where Ashton was heading now.
He had managed to be able to tell his mom how he got home last night without her freaking out that he got a ride from Luke who she knew would be drunk. He told her the truth. Well part of the truth. He said Jade gave him a ride home and she went back to the party because it was her friends car. His mom sort of knew Jade. She already knew that she was really sensible though.
On his way to Michael he had been getting tons of calls and texts from him. All asking him where he is and when he would be arriving. Eventually he was at Michael's and he could tell Michael was pissed and Ashton already knew it had something to do with Charlie.
"Finally!" Michael yelled as he opened the door to Ashton. "You took your time." Michael said moving so Ashton could come in.
"Sorry." Ashton mumbled.
"Mom, we're going upstairs!" Michael called to his mom, Karen, who was in the kitchen.
"Okay!" She called back. "Hi Ash!"
"Hi!" Ashton replied and then him and Michael went upstairs and Michael slammed his door shut making Ashton groan loudly. he went over and flopped down on Michael's bed.
"What?" He said when Michael just stood there, staring at him.
Michael then began to smirk. "Jade Jones?" He says and crosses his arms over his chest. Ashton stares at him open mouthed. That is just the response Michael needs to keep talking. "Isn't she the biggest prude ever? I mean, that's what Luke told me you told me."
"What are talking about?" Ashton asked. He was just going to deny it all.
"I saw her and you get in a car together, don't play dumb." Michael laughed. "So what's she like?"
"What?" Ashton had to think fast. He wasn't good at thinking on his feet. That has already been made clear.
"Like is she any good? I know Luke was wondering." Michael then quickly added. "Maybe don't tell Luke about you fucking Jade, he wanted to be the first person to do that." Michael jokes.
"We didn't do anything." Ashton shakes his head.
"Sure." Michael rolls his eyes.
Ashton couldn't let Michael think that him and Jade had sex. Michael wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut about it.
"She just took me home and then I think she went back to Charlie's for Calum." Ashton shrugged trying to play it cool.
"So Calum went home with Jade?" Michael say down on his desk, which isn't really a desk. It just sits there collecting dust.
Ashton shrugged. "I dunno. He must have. I can't remember what Jade said to me." Ashton then thinks he has to add some more. "I actually thought it was weird she drove me home." He didn't need to say that, and he knew it but he still said it. He was afraid Michael would suspect something happened between them. It would be horrible if Michael was able to work out what happened last night between the two of them when Ashton doesn't even know.
"I guess." Michael chuckles.
"Why do you care?" Ashton asks him. "About Calum?"
Michael's eyes widen. "Did you not see him and Charlie?"
Ashton could sense a rant coming on so so made sure to keep quiet.
"She was all over him. He was all over her. Then she was gone and he was gone and then when I woke up this morning at her house and went to fine her... I knew." Michael squeezes his eyes together and lets out a big sigh.
"Knew what?" Ashton stands up feeling the need to comfort his friend.
Michael opens his eyes. "She had sex with someone last night."
"Oh." Ashton thought it would be something like she killed a guy. The way Michael was being so dramatic about it. He didn't get what Michael saw in her. Michael deserved so much better than Charlie. Someone who would give a shit.
"Yeah," Michael sighs out. "She pretty much told me then kicked me out. The guy was gone but I she said it would hurt me and that's why she did it. She wanted to hurt me." Michael's eyes fills with water a bit but he sniffs and it soon leaves. "I immediately thought it was Calum but if he left with Jade it couldn't have been him." Michael says.
It wasn't true that Calum left with Jade but he wouldn't have done that. He knew that if he lay a finger on Charlie Michael would kill him. Also he wouldn't just have sex with a girl because he could. Calum doesn't seem like that type. He seems like the type that would have to be in a relationship with a girl before he would have sex with her.
"It wouldn't has been Calum." Ashton says.
"I wasn't sure either, to be honest." Michael sighs.
"Someone that would hurt you?" Ashton repeats to himself, trying to work it out. Michael already has.
"HOLY FUCKING SHIT!" He screams and Ashton jumps back with a fright. They then both hear Karen yelling up to then telling Michael to watch his mouth but he doesn't pay attention.
"What?" Ashton asks.
"I'm going to kill." Michael says quietly. "I'm going to fucking kill him!" He says loudly and kick the wheely chair by his desk making it topple over and his mom yell again.
"Who?" Ashton asks.
"Are you really that hungover you cat see the obvious?" Michael looks at Ashton with anger making him take a step back.
"Wha-" Ashton begins to say but then stops himself. Who could Charlie sleep with that would hurt Michael? Then he got it. "Luke?"
"Yup." Michael said and slammed his hand on the desk. "Luke." he laughed darkly.
"But-" Ashton wanted to defend Luke and say he wouldn't do that. But he would. He would and wouldn't care. He wanted to have sex with Charlie and if she was offering he wouldn't say no. He wouldn't reject her. He would go for it. "Luke." Ashton sighs out, running his hand through his hair in frustration.
"I'm going to kill him." Michael promised and Ashton couldn't help but think he meant it.
"Yeah," Ashton was going to kill Luke as well. "I don't blame you."
Ashton felt bad for Luke but he shouldn't have done that. He shouldn't have had sex with Charlie. Hopefully if Michael does kill him he will let Ashton help. It would make things with Jade a lot easier.