talk too much COIN
"honey come put your lips on mine and shut me up."
i woke up the next morning and she was still asleep on my chest.
i could still hear her peaceful breaths as she navigate through whatever was happening in that pretty little head of hers.
i wanted to move, but i couldnt disturb her.
i reached over, picking my phone up off her bedside table. i didnt have many notifications. i had a few texts from our group, apparently the rest of the guys gave murphy a piece of all our minds.
i knew they would. i was just hoping i was gonna get to be part of it. i was just thankful someone did something.
im also kinda thankful that they did something and not me, cause im not convinced i would have had enough self control.
i only had a couple other texts but most were from my mom.
shit. i never told her i wasnt coming home last night.
i wanted to call her to explain to her but i couldnt wake her up.
ashton
sorry mum. i stayed at a friends house last
night and forgot to text you, but im okay.
as i pressed send, i felt clairo stir on my chest.
i waited to speak until i saw her eyelids flutter open so i knew she was actually awake.
"good morning, yellow," i whispered, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear.
"good morning," she whispered back, rolling onto her stomach. she rested her chin on top of her hand on my stomach, looking up at me.
"did you sleep well?" i asked, playing with her hair.
"mhm," she nodded, her eyes falling back closed. "i think i slept better knowing you were here."
it was a simple statement she said, but it made me smile more than it should, cause i know i slept better knowing she was here too.
"what are we gonna do today, yellow?" she asked me, her head still on my chest.
"do you want me to stay?" i asked.
i still cant believe she even wants me around after i let that happen to her. it was like she was trying to forget it ever even happened.
"of course i do," she told me. "plus we wont be able to hang out like this once my mom gets back."
"cant you just tell her?" i asked.
"i wish," she huffed. "shes had a rule of no boys since i was a kid. i finally got her to accept the idea of me having a guy friend in general just last week. she wouldnt even let me around you if she thought we were anymore than friends."
i sat listening to her, running my hands through her hair. it was frustrating knowing, at least i, would adore to be more than just her bestfriend, but i knew she wouldnt cross her mom like that.
but that wouldnt stop me from protecting her like she was mine.
"i wish she wasnt like that, ya know?" she said looking up to me. "shes locked me in her bubble ever since i was a kid and i dont think she will ever let me out."
"you just have to learn to live inside of it," i told her. "thats what weve been doing this whole time. we didnt break any of your rules, at least not on purpose."
"i know," she said sighing. "but things like falling in love, my first kiss, none of that can happen inside her bubble."
"what she doesnt know cant hurt her," i smiled.
she just shook her head at me as she looked back down, still laying on top of me.
"so can you stay today?" she said resting still.
"yeah, i can if you want me to," i nodded. "but i have practice with the boys later. luke wanted me to bring you but its at his house, so id understand if you dont want to."
"but i want to hear you guys plays," she said looking back up to me.
"yeah, but i dont want to push you," i whispered pushing her hair out of her face.
"hes not gonna be there, right?" she whispered genuinely concerned.
i wanted to tell her that he would never be near her ever again, that the boys beat the shit out of him and he wouldnt be back in that house either.
"hes not gonna come near you again, yellow," i whispered back.
"we can just avoid that hallway," she said looking back down.
"if you do come with, youll tell me if its pushing you too much, right?" i asked her.
"of course," she said. "i tell you everything anyways."
i loved that she was comfortable enough with me to tell me how she truly felt, even after what happened to her.
"thank you," i started to her. "for still trusting me."
"ash," she looked back up to me. "it wasnt your fault, i keep saying that. you saved me."
"im glad you think that way," i sighed.
i heard my phone buzz on the table beside us. i reached over to pick it up.
mum
im glad your safe. im not sure when you
will be home but just stop in at some
point so i know youre safe.
"who was it?" clairo asked.
"my mum," i told her, turning my phone towards her. "i forgot to tell her where i was last night and she wants me to stop in at some point today."
"oh okay," she said back. "when do you want to go? i can stay here."
"you can come with too?" i said instinctively.
"you want me to meet your mom?" she asked.
"i mean, yeah," i started. "im sure she wants to know who im always with."
"you sure?" she asked again.
"yeah," i said. "shed love you anyways."
i watched the smile grow on her face at my comment.
"when do you want to stop in?" she asked.
"we could go this morning?" i offered. "and we could just hang out the rest of the day until we go meet up with the boys."
"okay," she nodded. "but were gonna have to eat soon. im hungry."
"okay," i laughed at her. "we can go see her first and then go get food."
"okay," she said rolling to sit up. "lets get moving then."
she held out her hands, pulling me up with her. i sat up beside her, resting my forehead against hers.
she had the biggest smile on her face and it made me happy knowing she still was.
i pressed a kiss against her forehead right before she stood up off her bed.
"come on," she said pulling me off the bed by my
hands. "foods involved now."
"oh so you dont want to meet my mom, just food?" i joked as i stood up with her.
"of course i want to meet your mom, but foods cool too," she said dropping my hands, heading towards her closet to find clothes.
i grabbed my pants on the floor, pulling them up my legs as she pulled out clothes. she picked up a crewneck sweatshirt and held it up.
"is this okay?" she turned around to me.
"you look good in everything you wear, so yes, its okay," i told her.
i watched her smile as she began to dig for shorts. i sat down on the edge of her bed, picking up my phone.
ashton
im gonna stop by soon. im bringing
clairo with too.
i looked back up thinking she was still digging for clothes when i saw her turned sideways, pulling her bra straps up over her shoulders.
i looked back down at my phone right away.
unless she wanted me to see her like that, i wasnt going to.
thankfully mum texted back pulling my attention completely away from her.
mum
clairo?
ashton
yeah. youll meet her soon.
youre gonna love her.
mum
as long as youre happy.
i started to type back to her when clairo jumped in front of me. she put her hands on my legs, leaning down to look at what i was doing.
"is your mom okay with me coming?" she asked. "i can just stay in the car if not."
"no, shes fine with you coming," i said smiling up to you. "i think shes excited to meet you."
"yay!" she said pushing back off of me. "im excited to meet her."
"you ready?" i asked, standing up.
"yeah!" she was so excited and it warmed my heart to know she was.
it scared me deep down that she was completely ignoring what happened the night before to her, but i just prayed it was because she was strong. i had a deep feeling through that she was just blocking it out all together. i knew if she ignored it now it would only get worse and eat away at her inside, but i was too scared to push her right now.
we grabbed our phones and keys, and started towards the door. i opened it in front of her, shutting it behind us.
she couldnt contain her smile as she walked through the house. i opened and closed all the doors as we walked out to my car, holding open her door as she used my hand to climb in.
i closed her door behind her and walked around to my side, climbing in.
"what if she doesnt like me?" i heard clairo say from my other side.
"yellow," i said looking over to her seeing she had her buckle on, starting my car. "shes gonna love you. all my mom cares about is me being happy and if she knows you do that, she will love you. simple as that."
"i make you happy?" she asked quietly.
"i mean, aside from making me pissed off at myself and annoying the living shit out of me depending on the day, yes," i told her. "im supposed to be teaching you how to live but youre teaching me too."
i watched her smile as she looked away. she reached for the radio dial to turn it up, still smiling bigger than life.
i shifted into first as we began to move, rolling down our windows.
"im not the forward thinker," i heard her sing beside me as she reached to turn the dial up more.
the familiar prechorus of talk too much grew louder in my car.
"you read my mind," i sung back to her as she looked over to me, singing with me.
"better to leave it unsaid," we sung together. i watched her out of the side of my eye, doing her little dance. "why cant i leave it unsaid."
i couldnt stop the smile on my face.
this girl just did something to me.
"you know i talk too much!" we both yelled out, smiling uncontrollably at the serotonin eachother caused.
"honey, come put your lips on mine and shut me up," she sang to me.
"we can blame it all on human nature," i sang back.
"stay cool its just a kiss, so why you gotta be so talkative," we continued to yell at the top of our lungs. the wind grew increasingly more powerful as we drove down the streets of my hometown.
"i talk to much. we talk to much!"