"Come on in," I said to Will as I opened the door and walked back to the kitchen where the kettle was whistling. I turned off the stove and poured the water into two mugs that already had the tea bags inside of them. As I looked up, I noticed Will standing against the wall studying me.
"What?" I said pushing his mug towards the other side of the table as I raised my knees onto my chest so I could rest my mug on them.
"Are you seriously going to let him go again? I love you and all Mia, but I don't think I can handle you mopping around for months again," he said as he sat down.
"I never moped around, " I murmured under my breath, bringing the cup up to my lips. My lips pursed so I could blow into the warm liquid, watching the ripples that formed over the surface. I could not stand looking at him right now. I knew he would be judging me.
"Okay miss thing, so what are you going to do? Keep ignoring him as if none of this ever happened?" Will asked her softly. He watched as I shrugged my shoulders and lowered my head. I could feel tears forming in my eyes as I thought about it. Ashton was leaving again, and as much as I hated to admit it, I felt as if my heart was being ripped into a million pieces once again.
I never even forgiven him...
"I didn't mean to upset you," Will whispered. I hadn't noticed that he had moved his chair right beside my own. His hand softly taking mine.
"Of course I don't want to let him go. This really hurts and I wish he had never come back into my life because I obviously don't belong in his life. I don't think I ever did," I said, Will's fingers gliding along my cheek to wipe a stray tear that escaped my eyes.
"I think you'll regret it if you don't talk to him before he goes," Will said.
"He actually invited me to dinner tonight," I said.
"Did you agree to it?" Will asked.
"I called you instead. I really don't know what to do!" I sighed softly, resting my head on Will's shoulder. My eyes closed tight together.
"What does your heart tell you to do?" Will asked, I could sense the pain in his voice. This wasn't easy for him. Trying to be my best friend when obviously he had feelings for me. Shouldn't he be advising me against being with Ashton?
"I want to say yes, I love him... I at least want to say goodbye..." I whispered as I pulled away from Will and looked into his eyes. The pain was in his eyes as well, but he tried his best to smile as he handed me my phone.
"Make this one count," Will told me as he took the away from my hands and walked away from me. I hesitated a moment as I opened a new text and typed Ashton's name onto it. Will was probably right. I would never get a chance like this again. If I pushed him away this time, it might be it for us. I at least wanted to say goodbye like I didn't get a chance to do last time.
Will had agreed to stay with me until Ashton showed up, but slipped out the second he showed up at the door. I had heard him say that he was just leaving as Ashton came inside the room.
I studied his reflection from the mirror as I fixed my braid. That green hoodie made his eyes pop much more than usual, and I swear that my heart forgot how to beat for a moment. It took her a moment to realize that the quizzical look in those green orbs of his was directed towards her.
"Weren't we going out?" He asked. I watched him a little longer as he looked around my small dorm room before I decided to answer him.
"Not at all, Mr. Irwin," I said failing at not sounding nervous. Get a grip Mia... Not like you haven't been alone with him before. I scolded myself mentally.
I moved away from him and thought I could make myself busy as I started picking out the ingredients for pizza out of my fridge. As always, I grabbed much more than I could handle, but Ashton was quick to grab it before it hit the ground.
"Watch it, butter fingers," he teased. I couldn't help but to smile as I met his eyes. I could feel the awkwardness melt away between us, but before I could speak, he was already talking again, a nervous habit of his. "So what are we going to do? I came here because you said yes to dinner," he pointed out, looking confused.
"We are going to have dinner. I am going to show you the wonders of toaster over pizza," I said feeling quite proud about the idea from when I had come up with it with Will. This would give us the privacy to talk without the pressures and distractions of the outside world.
"Should I have Domino's on speed dial?" Ashton teased once again as I felt his arms wrap around my waist. I held my breath as he rested his chin onto my shoulder. The sound coming out of my mouth sounding much more like a scoff than a gasp. "I'm joking, browneyes. It sounds like a challenge," he added with a chuckle. His lips pressed to my exposed skin in that place where my neck met my shoulder. It was then that I noticed that I wasn't holding my breath, but that for the first time in months I could actually breathe again.
"You haven't called me that in so long..." I murmured the words before I could stop myself, but quickly said, "Do you have to make everything into a competition?" Just as quickly, he moved his body away and leaned against the table, watching me. Had I said the wrong thing?
"Of course I do. I am the topping master after all," he said, his words making me chuckle in relief at the fact that we were still bantering.
"You wish!" I said. I watched as he grabbed one of the pre-made pizza crusts and placed it over one of the plates I had pulled out for them to work in.
"Ready to put your money where your mouth is babe?" he challenged, his smirk growing as I lifted my eyebrow and smiled.
"Bring it on, Irwin. You're really eager to get your butt kicked," I added as I picked up the other pizza crust and placed it on my plate.
"Don't act like you forgot, Mia. I'm amazing when it comes to toppings. You'll think you died and went to heaven when you taste my masterpiece." Ashton flashed his heart-stopping smirk, reaching for a mushroom slice.
"If you keep eating our toppings we're going to end up with nothing!" I exclaimed as he grabbed one of the pre-sliced peppers and popped it into his mouth. She laughed as he rolled his eyes but reluctantly stopped eating the toppings.
For the next few minutes the two of them focused in creating the most amazing pizza they could muster to surpass the other. It was becoming surprisingly easy to be around him and feel comfortable the more time that passed. It hadn't been like this since they had been in LA.
Twenty minutes later I was pulling out the mini pizza's from the toaster oven and cutting them up before plating them.
"I don't know about you, but my pizza wins the better looking contest," he told me. I instinctively elbowed his side and rolled my eyes as I murmured, "Shut up and eat your pizza."
I wasn't sure how but we ended up sitting on the floor against my bed. The empty plates between us a reminder of the amount of food the two of them had actually eaten.
"You can say it," he teased.
"You are so sure of yourself all the time," I said with a roll of my eyes before I ate the last bite of my pizza.
"Fine. You don't need to say it, but you're welcome."
His words actually making me blush even though I tried to mask it with yet another eye roll.
"Way too full of yourself," I said with a chuckle, flashing him a small close lip smile. I reached for another slice of his pizza and popped a mushroom into my mouth.
"At this rate, you're going to be done with both of our pizza's and I am going to have to order Domino's after all!" he said with a chuckle as he grabbed another slice for himself.
"You're a jerk," I said with a chuckle.
"A sexy, amazing pizza topping-chef, jerk," Ashton amended, nudging my shoulder before he laid his head down on my lap. The simple action sending shivers down my spine.
"Yeah, that kind of jerk," I teased.
"See? You even like the jerk part of me. You think it's sexy," Ashton said, the words making the two of us laugh.
"Just eat your pizza," I said as I laid my head back against the mattress, shaking it slowly from side to side.
"You know, I am never eating again," I murmured after the silence prolonged between us.
"I didn't think you were one of those hunger strike types. Could have fooled me," Ashton said as he turned his head to look at me.
"New York has changed me," I teased easily with a wink. I couldn't resist myself any longer as ran my fingers through his hair. Once. Twice. And then the movement just came naturally. I liked to see the way his eyes fluttered closed for a moment before I spoke again. "Mmm but you're right. I like to eat too much for me to go on a hunger strike."
I watched as Ashton lifted up from my lap and leaned in close to me, his own fingers brushing softly against my skin. He was so close I could feel his breath against my skin. I couldn't look away from his eyes for a moment.
"Good, because you wouldn't be able to resist my pizza topping skills anyways," he murmured.
"Are you never going to give up?" I murmured back, his easy joke breaking the spell his eyes had on me for a moment.
"Never."
"To be honest. They weren't that good." I said teasingly, my smile growing as he inched even closer. "Good thing your music career is really paying off and you don't need to work at a pizza shop."
"That's not what you said a while ago. In fact, you were moaning like it was giving you an orgasm." Ashton smirked, his pressing against my cheek and brushing closer to my lips.
"Fat chance, Irwin," I said softly with a chuckle before I pressed my lips to his before he drove me crazy with the teasing.
The kiss was tender and soft. Neither of them rushed things and she could feel him give away all type of control and simply let her lead. She could feel herself growing nervous with each passing second because if this was it. If this was their last moment she wouldn't want to screw it up. It wasn't until he squeezed her hip that she felt reassured and encouraged. It was then that she could let herself relax as she lifted her hands onto the nape of his neck and pulled him closer ever so slightly.
The moment they pulled away, their eyes felt like magnets drawn to each other. She could see a swirling storm of emotions inside of his green eyes.
"Want to hear something funny?" he murmured the question softly.
"Tell me," I whispered, my voice sounding small and breathless as I spoke.
"You have fans," he teased. I lifted my eyebrows in amusement, waiting for him to explain. "When I showed up at the dorms I bumped into some girls who knew who I was, but they were more concerned about the fact that you were in fact my LA girl."
"You're lying," I said shaking her head. Nobody knew me here. Nobody other than Will really cared to have gotten to know me. That was the main reason she stopped going to the dorm activities and meetings.
"Wish I was. Looks like we have fans. They probably already have a ship name for us," he teased further.
"It's probably something silly like Mash or Ashia," I said, amusement and laughter lacing every word.
"I think I like Mash better," he whispered.
"Yeah, me too," I said before I pressed my lips against his once again. This time he wasn't shy about taking control.
His arms snaked around my waist and pulled me closer onto him. My body flush against his as I relinquished any ounce of control he had given me. I didn't even let myself think as he picked me up and guided me onto my bed. His body on top of mine as I removed his sweater before his lips crashed onto mine once again.
In every kiss and every touch I could taste and feel desperation. It let both of us as we tried to say we were sorry and forgive each other without having to say it. The feelings were much more different than the night before, because now we had everything to lose. We had opened the feelings we had closed up months ago. This time we had a timer that was going to go off soon and this would all become a dream once again.
It was bitter sweet as he spooned me after it was all done. My fingers laced with his as he pressed a kiss on my shoulder.
"I'm really going to miss all of this..." I whispered softly as I closed my eyes.
"The sex?" Ashton said, and I could hear the amusement in his voice as he pressed a kiss to my jawline.
"Well definitely, but I meant-"
"I know what you meant," he said softly, shifting so I was laying on my back once again and looking up at him. "It doesn't have to be like that, you know."
"I really don't want to talk about this now, Ash," I murmured as I reached around him to pick up my shirt and underwear so I could get dressed once again.
"Then when, Mia? I leave in the morning," he said, frustration filling the room as I sat down at the edge of the bed, defeated.
"I don't know... Just not now," I murmured.
"Then what are we doing, Mia? Where are we going with this?" He asked, grabbing his clothes and getting out of the bed.
"I just don't know, Ashton!" I exclaimed.
"What are we? Friends with benefits every time we are in the same city?" Ash said.
"That's not fair. You know that is not what I meant," I said.
"Then what did you mean, Mia? Huh? Enlighten me!" He said.
"Don't be a jerk about this!" I found myself screaming.
"You forget... You fell in love with the jerk too," he said standing in front of me as I got on my feet.
"I never even asked you to come back into my life. I never asked you to find me again!" I said, tears filling into my eyes.
"Then why not kick me out when you had the chance?" he screamed.
I stood there as if an ice bucket had been dropped over my head. My eyes wide as I stared at him. That same question we had both been asking the entire day echoing in my head. What were we doing?
"I never kicked you out because I love you..." I whispered, my entire body feeling weak as I sat back down on the bed. Ashton seemed to have crashed in front of my on his knees because not a second later his hands were cupping my cheeks.
"And I love you, Mia. That's why I can't let his go. I want to try this for real with you," he said, his lips pressing against mine.
"We can't," I murmured against them, feeling my own heartbreak as I did.
"What are you saying?" Ashton asked, his hands dropping from my cheeks as he pulled away.
"You have to go Ashton. I want you to go and never come back..." I said. The words dying into a heavy silence until I heard the door close behind him.
(Well that took forever! I am sorry it did, and I promise it won't happen again. Two more parts before the end of A Simple Mistake. If you haven't yet, go check out my Luke fanfic: Love Made Me Do It. Once ASM is done, I will continue with it and I am really excited about it. Remember to share, vote and comment. I love all of you and if you're still here, thank you! <3 )