august 2015
houston tx
Awsten had an awful flight.
Despite the supposed three and a half hour journey, he ended up spending five and a half hours on the plane; due to two hours worth of delays, which meant they couldn't even leave the runway until almost eleven o' clock, rather than the original take-off time of nine thirty.
He was frustrated, tired, and ended up with the aisle seat, just to top it all off.
It's almost four in the morning by the time Awsten has landed in Houston and gotten through security.
He hasn't slept at all, and after staring at Ashley's contact on his phone for half an hour while waiting for his Uber, he decides it's probably a better idea to go and see her tomorrow, rather than right now.
So, he heads home, creeping through the house as quietly as he can, before crawling into bed.
Due to the late night he'd had, Awsten ends up sleeping in, which wasn't what he had planned at all; he kicks himself whenever he wakes up and sees that it's already almost two o' clock.
Sluggishly, he pulls himself out of bed and heads downstairs.
"We didn't think you were coming back 'til tonight," his mother comments, as she spots him entering the kitchen.
Awsten hums in response, rubbing his eyes, before greeting her with a hug. "Decided I just wanted to come home," he mumbles, before pulling away.
"Are you okay, honey?" Ginny asks, searching for her son's eye contact, as he opens the refrigerator.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he answers, more focused on looking through the contents of the fridge. "Where's the orange juice?" Awsten frowns.
"We ran out, right before you left," Mrs Knight reminds him. "You still look tired. Maybe you should go back to bed for a little while," she suggests, with a sympathetic tone.
"No, I can't," he dismisses. "I have things I've gotta do," Awsten adds.
"What time did you get in last night?" His dad questions, having entered from the living room.
"Uh, four o' clock, I think," Awsten answers, his face contorted as he tries to think back. "I need a shower. I still smell like plane," he mutters, his eyebrows firmly furrowed, as he plants a kiss on his mother's cheek before disappearing upstairs.
Once he's out of the shower, Awsten checks his phone, scrolling through a couple missed messages from his groupchat with Geoff, Otto and Jawn, all three of them asking if he'd gotten back home okay.
He lets them know he's fine, before setting his phone down again and beginning to get dressed.
It's nearing three thirty once he's ready, and Awsten grabs his keys to head to the store, buying himself some more time to think about what he should say when he goes to see Ashley.
He needs to speak to her anyway, regardless of what Geoff had let slip out yesterday.
She seemed shocked when he'd told her that he and Grace had broken up, but strangely enough, not in a bad way; which would make sense, if what Geoff at told him is true.
Awsten has been trying to retain that information with a pinch of salt.
It's not that Geoff has ever given him any reason to doubt him; in fact, Awsten thinks that Geoff is probably his most trustworthy friend.
But, he's keeping in mind the possibility that what Ashley had told Geoff, may not be as extreme as how he'd relayed it to Awsten.
Although, he can't help the part of his heart that wants it all to be entirely true.
Awsten drives to HEB, picking up a few bottles of orange juice to stock up the fridge at home, before finding himself lingering, pacing the aisles, just for a little more time to think.
After that, he drives to Ashley's apartment.
He notices that her entire complex is fairly quiet, since most other students are probably still at home for the summer, as he trudges up the stairs to her floor.
When Awsten reaches her door, he takes a deep breath and knocks.
He frowns when he can't hear any noise coming from inside, and knocks again, a little louder.
Following three loud knocks, Awsten sighs, pulling out his phone.
It's Thursday— she always works on Thursdays, idiot, Awsten thinks to himself, letting out a quiet groan.
He turns around to lean his back against the wall, eventually sliding down it to sit on the floor outside of Ashley's door.
He doesn't want to leave, just in case she finishes early, because by now, he's practically itching to see her.
To pass the time, Awsten lets his mind wander to what he thinks Ashley could be doing now.
He knows she hated her job at first, but she's since settled into it. Waitressing wouldn't have even Ashley's first choice of job if it was up to her, but it was the only job she could find after months of searching.
It doesn't pay amazingly, but it pays enough, and she likes most of her co-workers; plus, it fits well around her college classes.
Awsten wonders if any of the customers flirt with her, trying to get her number; he's seen it happen plenty of times to other waitresses when he's been out at certain restaurants— he hopes it doesn't happen to Ashley.
The thought causes the familiar feeling of jealousy to begin bubbling in his stomach again, and Awsten frowns to himself.
He's never let himself think too deeply about his feelings for Ashley; he was with Grace for over four years— it would've been unfair to think about it then.
But, now that he has the chance to reminisce, his previous moods and behaviours begin to make sense.
It makes sense why he was grumpy all day when he'd found out Ashley had a boyfriend, then his instant dislike for him when he met Jake at Ashley's birthday party.
It makes sense why he's always been a little extra protective over her, or felt drawn to her in a way that's almost magnetising.
Now, all he has to do is figure out a way to tell her all of this, and hope that she does actually feel the same way.
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