-Noah-
“Drop me off here and go get coffee.” I said and Andy stopped the car.
“I won’t be gone any longer than ten minutes. So please don’t do anything stupid.”
I just grinned and jumped out of the car. Andy sped off in a new direction and I made my way to the park’s path. I walked a few feet before finding an empty bench looking towards the playground. The air was thick and humid and the echo of little kid screams and giggles only made my chest tighten a bit. I did realize how creepy this looked right now.
I hunched over, pulling my phone out of my pocket so I looked distracted and not like I’m being a complete creep. I had a million messages from Scott I had no intentions on answering. I seriously felt like I was a child. He’s only a few months younger but he treats me like I’m about ten years old. These thoughts are what keep my motivated to get away from him.
A shadow over casted above me suddenly hiding the sun. I lifted my eyes to meet a pair of bare legs that I knew all too well. I looked up, a smirk arising on my lips. “Are you stalking me or something?” Her eyebrow quirked up and her arms were laid across her chest.
“Don’t be a fun sucker, Babe.”
Willow rolled her eyes and looked back down at me. “Seriously. What are you doing here?”
“I didn’t know you would be here, I swear.” I was about 60% sure she would be here. So today is my lucky day.
She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and pointed her thumb over her shoulder, “Alex is just over there, you should go.”
My heart instantly ached. “Willow—”
“Don’t. He doesn’t need to see you right now. I’m not so sure I even want to see you right now. So please, just leave before he sees you.”
It was too late. I heard his voice before I saw him. “Noah?”
Willow looked like she was close to tears.
I looked away from her to the familiar figure standing next to her. “Hey, buddy.”
Alex was staring at me, deciding if it was actually me or not. But he jumped in my arms, wrapping his arms tight around my shoulders. “Please don’t leave again.” He whispered loud enough for me to hear him. I squeezed my eyes shut and tightened my arms around him. I couldn’t make that promise. Not right now.
He pulled back, giving me a smile. “You look more like me every day.” I teased, standing up. I playfully pushed his shoulder making him laugh.
“That’s what she keeps telling me.” He muttered, jerking his thumb in Willow’s direction.
I resisted looking in her direction even though I can feel her stare burning holes in the side of my face. “We’re about to go for ice cream, you wanna go?” Alex asked.
I opened my mouth to speak but Willow interrupted. “Go play with Ryan, I gotta talk to Noah.”
He nodded and ran off in the direction he came. Willow jerked me in the direction of the bathrooms, pushing me inside of the family one and locking the door. “What part of leave don’t you understand?” Her voice was raising. “Do you have any idea what you just did?”
I’ve only seen her get angry a few times, but right now I’m pretty sure she could break my nose and not lose any sleep over it. “It was too late—”
“What’s stopping you now?”
“Alex…you…I didn’t think I would ever see either of you again. What is your problem?”
“You, Noah! It will always be you!” Her voice was breaking and tears welled up in her eyes.
I couldn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to say. Everything I say will somehow make her angrier than before. “Look me in the eyes and tell me to leave. I won’t bother you ever again.”
She huffed and straightened her back. She walked towards me, grasping my face in her small hands. She lowered my face down to hers, leaving an attentive kiss on my lips. My arms wrapped around her back to pull her closer out of habit. Our bodies molded together like they used to, but my yearning was much stronger now than it was five minutes ago.
Willow pulled her lips away, brushing ever so lightly across my own. She leaned her forehead against mine and let out a shaky breath. “I’m trying to help you, Noah. You need to leave.” She jerked away from me and I heard the bathroom door open and slam shut. I squeezed my eyes shut as too many memories of her lips started flooding my mind. I shouldn’t have come here, what was I thinking? Not only am I putting myself at risk, I’m putting Willow and Alex at risk too.
This was so stupid.
I opened the bathroom door and hesitated before stepping out. As I rounded the corner, Andy was just now parking his car and stepping out. “Sorry it took so long. Even though there’s a Starbucks on every corner, they’re all crowded.
I just forced a smile, “I’m ready to go anyway. Rehearsals are in a couple of hours and so is my scheduled nap.”
He muttered something and got back into his car. I walked to the other side and got in as well.
The trip wasn’t completely pointless.
I guess.
There wasn’t really a point either. Except me being selfish.
Andy dropped me off at the back of the venue and I walked inside while he parked the car. I could already hear instruments muffled by the walls. I walked onto the stage, some of the guys said hi and the others just nodded in my direction. “Before you sit down, there’s some dude in the dressing room waiting for you. He said he wasn’t going to leave until you talked to him.” Jeremy piped up.
I let out a loud, annoyed sigh. “Did he give you a name?”
Jeremy just shrugged, “Wouldn’t tell us a thing. Just asked to talk to you.”
“You know Isaac would kick our asses if he knew you let someone in here.”
He muttered a sorry and I walked off.
Scott would throw a fit if he knew someone came here and asked to talk to me. But not caring is my go to. But I guess not caring is what got me in this situation. Or caring too much.
I didn’t even hesitate to open up the door to the dressing room. Who decided to pay me a visit was quite surprising. “What are you doing here?” I asked a very flustered Ash standing in front of me.
“Remember the conversation we had outside of your house the night I found out about you and my sister?”
This was not going to end well. “If I hurt her, you’ll hurt me.”
“I brought my girlfriend here to have lunch and can you explain to me why Willow called me thirty minutes ago, crying?”
“W-what did she say?” I stuttered.
“It doesn’t matter what she said. It was over you. You’re lucky I didn’t beat the shit out of you when you broke her heart the first time. And I’ll be damned if I stand around and watch you do it again.” He pushed me with so much force that I stumbled back, hitting my back hard against the dressing room door.
She never told him why I left. “She came here, remember?”
“That means you have to hurt her?”
“She walked back into my life when I was over it.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, but it wasn’t really a lie either. I was on my way, but I could never really get over something so intense.
Ash’s right fist connected with my jaw, knocking me back against the door. “Feel better?” I muttered, wiping the back of my hand against my mouth.
Ash stretched out his fingers with a smirk on his face, “You have no idea how bad I’ve wanted to do that.”
I tried opening my mouth wider to stretch my jaw but I winced in pain, “I can tell.”
“We have an understanding then.”
“What do I need to understand?”
He was walking closer and I was afraid he was going to hit me again. “You either act like an adult and treat my sister like she’s the only person on this earth, or leave her the hell alone and don’t even try to contact her or even look in her direction if you see her.”
The first wasn’t an option for me. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t get to apologize. You have no idea what I’ve had to do to help her. Just when she’s back to being herself, she sees you and it’s starting all over again.”
I moved away from the door and he walked out without saying another word. I’ve screwed up.
Scott was waiting for me outside of the venue after the show. Which was a rare thing to see. I would see him five minutes in the morning, and another five when I get home just so he can bitch at me like my mom. “What are you doing here?” I asked as I climbed into the passenger seat. “Andy usually brings me home.”
“I gave Andy the night off. He deserves it for putting up with you.”
I put my hand to my chest, “You are just so nice to me.”
He just rolled his eyes and pulled out of the parking lot behind the venue. “We’re gonna take a small drive.” Scott said.
“Where to exactly?”
“You’ll see.”
Now I was getting nervous.
I began to become even more nervous when I noticed the way he was going. We were headed to LA, which wasn’t completely out of the ordinary. “I got a call from my adoptive mom today.” Scott finally spoke. “My adoptive dad passed away earlier this morning.”
I felt a small pang of sympathy. Way more than he deserves. “Sorry to hear that.” I mumbled.
“Following after that call, I got another one from his lawyer.”
“And?”
He let out a sigh and clenched the steering wheel. “He left Mist to me.”
“That’s good, right?” I’m still in shock that we’re having a proper conversation.
He was quiet for a moment. “I guess so. It’s a good club that brings in a lot of money.”
“Is that where we’re going?”
He nodded. “But we have to make a detour.”
Now I was nervous again. I just didn’t say anything and let him drive.
I tried to slow my breathing when he pulled into the driveway of my old house. “What are we doing here?” I breathed.
He already knew I was nervous, that’s what brought on his smile. “Oh, don’t play dumb with me. I know you were here a couple of weeks ago.”
“To get clothes. No one was home.” I lied.
“Are you sure about that?”
He reached towards me, wrapping a hand around the back of my neck. “Yeah, I’m sure about it.”
I let out a jagged breath as he squeezed a little tighter. “I thought we were actually getting somewhere these past few months. Maybe on the road to brother hood.” He let out a sarcastic laugh. “But then you pull shit like this and lie to me.”
“I’m not lying.” I grounded.
He pointed out the windshield, up towards my old bedroom window. “I think we should ask her.”
Willow was standing in the window, talking on the phone with a smile on her face. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, something she did when she was nervous. “Let’s go ask her then.”
His hand only tightened around my neck. She wouldn’t tell him. I know Willow and she wouldn’t tell him I was here. Or even that I saw her today.
I put my hand on the handle but he stopped me. “Did you actually think I was going to let you go in?”
“What?”
All I saw was the dashboard before Scott slammed my head into it, knocking me unconscious.
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Sorry for the long wait! I've been pretty busy D:
And another thing I would like to talk about is that Ash is not supposed to be Ashton Irwin from 5SOS, hahaha. I know a lot of people have said that but it's not even where I got the inspiration. I didn't start listening to them until like late december and I started this book in September of last year. So just to clear that up. :)))
Thanks so much for all the comments and support! You guys are awesome. :)
Next chapter will be in Willow's point of view!