Ashley POV
Four years later, and I was back in the old apartment. Despite the serious change that had occured during those four years, I felt like everything here was the same. Finally, something familiar in that old life of mine. However, with everything that had happened to me in university, I felt like I needed to make a fresh start. Instead of unpacking everything, I only unpacked my necessities and the only little pieces of furniture I wanted to keep. Then I went shopping. I would make everything feel new again.
I bought some new picture frames and vases, then I bought myself some flowers. At least things looked marginally different. Al told me that she had found an art studio back in Arizona and that she found a girl who would room with her. I was okay financially without a roommate, but I thought I would be lonely.
So in those first few weeks back, I was putting up ads at every local coffee shop for a roommate. I didn't find anyone that I could really bond with.
My mom had come to Berkeley to pick me up and bring me back home to LA, surprising me, but it was a good surprise. And, believe it or not, both of my parents watched me graduate.
Riley and I didn't work out very well. He was sweet, but we eventually fell apart and mutually decided that it was time to move on. I went out with a few other guys as well, but none worth going long-distance for. So I was back here. Al had told me that the boys had moved out last year. They needed a better resting point, so they relocated to London. It didn't really bother me. If anything, I was somewhat relieved because this meant I didn't have to be awkward around Ashton.
Speaking of Ashton, word was he had gotten another squeeze. After me, Ashton went back to one-night stands as far as the press showed. It bothered me at first. It didn't exactly make me jealous - I never would want that type of relationship - but it made me feel guilty. I felt like I drove him to that. Riley comforted me. Now, Ashton was with some leggy brunette. She looked familiar to me until I realized that it was the same brunette that Calum had broken Al's heart with. I was in shock when I realized. This girl was two out of four.
One day, I was bored out of my mind. All I had to do was stare at my beautiful carnations. I loved carnations. They represented the purest of life for me.
And there was a loud and quick knock on the door. It sounded frantic and it nearly made me fall off of my chair. I walked quickly to the door, but I checked the peephole first.
Christ, it was Ashton. He couldn't leave me alone, could he? He was holding flowers, but they looked massacred - as a matter of fact, he looked massacred too. I opened it cautiously, opening my mouth to tell him to get lost, but all he did was yell out, "Thank God!" and run into my apartment, closing the door behind him.
He fell onto the couch and ran his hand through his hair. I was practically speechless. He thought he could just waltz into my apartment four years later and act as if nothing had changed?
"Come in, by all means, Ashton!"
He opened his mouth to defend himself, but I was sick and tired of him. "No, Ashton. I'm done with you. Why can't you understand that? I'm - done! D-O-N-E, done! You can't run into my apartment and expect me to take you back!"
He shook his head frantically. "No, no, no! That's not what it was at all!"
"Really, Ashton? Then what was it? You were going to bring me flowers and sweep me off of my feet? Life doesn't work that way, Ashton!" I retorted.
"Just let me explain, I promise it's nothing bad!" He begged me, and I grudgingly allowed. "Okay, so I was in LA-"
"So you decided to come see me when it was convienient for you?" I knew I was being unfair but right now my head was spinning and I just needed Ashton away from me.
He ignored my interrupting him, just shook his head, and continued. "I've been missing you for four years, Ashley. It's killed me-"
"It's killed you? That's why you hooked up with all those other girls?" I was infuriated. Ashton hadn't changed at all. He still expected me to be madly in love with him. He was so arrogant, it made me want to choke him.
"Let me finish, dammit!" He opened his mouth again, but I wasn't having it.
I pointed to the door. "Get out of my apartment. Right now. I will call the police if I have to."
He laughed. "You wouldn't call the police. You'd probably be too scared and think you sinned because they could be saving someone much more important." It shocked me how well he knew me after four years, but I paid no attention to it. He was still the arrogant jerk I had first met. I couldn't believe how stupid I must have been. He continued, knowing he had gotten me. "I bought you flowers because I wanted us to get back together. I was going to bring them here, but I was spotted by some fans. I guess I had dressed too obviously."
I looked at him now and saw his expensive clothes. He was really obvious. The clothes looked very disheveled. He must have been trying to impress me, but expensive clothes didn't affect me. In this case, the fact that he thought I would be attracted to him like this repulsed me and thoroughly offended me.
He went on. "So they were chasing me - I didn't want bodyguards because I wanted us to be alone - and they were clawing at me and stuff, so the flowers kind of got...ruined...yeah." I looked at the flowers and they looked horrible. So did Ashton. But even if everything looked picturesque, I wouldn't have accepted the flowers. Accepting the flowers would be like accepting Ashton back into my life. And I couldn't do that.
"It's the thought that counts, right? So, what do you say? Will you go out with me again?" He looked way too confident. He knew I was going to say yes. He thought it was a given.
"Absolutely not. Now get out of my apartment."
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gonna have a q&a after the epilogue which will be coming up soon. so imma start asking you for any questions you have now
pic of riley to the side ♡ ilysm matthew espinosa like its not even funny ok
ashley x
[Q&A CLOSED]