the silver lining playbook// a. irwin

chapter seventeen

I got into the slick, white car, with red interiors and spotless surfaces. As soon as I did, I fastened my seatbelt and looked straight ahead. Coach looked at me the whole time, even when I was closing the door, "Layla, are you okay?"

"Not really," I sniffled. Although, I wasn't sure of whether it was because the tears running down my face or the cold weather that Baltimore had to offer.

He stayed quiet for a moment, then his breath came out of his lips, almost disappointed, "Would you like to talk about it?"

"No."

I had no other words. Honestly, in my mind I wanted to thank him, but it wasn't my biggest concern. Coach sighed, his gaze leaving my face.

As he pulled out, I stared out the window and saw Ashton, not strolling out as if his car was here- he sprinted out, looking left and right. But his eyes darted to the familiar car that just happened to be pulling out. And we looked at each other.

Instead of keeping my gaze, he quickly opened his phone, pressing a few buttons quickly. Then, my phone rang. So I lifted it up so that the light could illuminate Ashton's name, and a teardrop fall right upon the letters.

Then I looked up, and pressed the 'off' button and stared straight ahead, not dealing with Ashton any further.

-:-

I invited Coach up to my apartment. Some may say that this was a horrid decision, but I just saw the fact that a nice man had taken me home. A beer was the least I could do.

Sitting in my couch, feet under my butt and beer in hand. I chuckled, looking up at Coach," You know, I don't know much about you, Logan."

"There is not much to know," he said, piercing blue eyes staring me down," what I do want to know is what your were doing at one of the most exclusive restaurants in the state with Ashton Irwin?"

"That's descriptive," I chuckled, scrunching up my nose as I cringed at the thought. Logan laughed along with me, "he just wanted to tell me how his new company is about to thrive."

"So, it wasn't a date?" Logan asked, sitting up and placing the beer in my wooden coffee table, and in this, sitting closer to me so that our knees touched.

"Absolutely not," I spoke, taking a sip of my beverage, "why would you think that?"

"Ab, there's a rumor about you two," he shrugged it off, not really minding it.

Little did he know that it wasn't a rumor.

"I wouldn't worry about those," I told him truthfully. Though, I wasn't sure of it myself.

"Then, he won't mind if I do this," As of then, his lips were on mine.

The kiss, well, it was just a kiss. I won't say there were butterflies because there weren't any. I won't say that his kiss feel different than Ashton's. And I won't say that Ashton was the one to set fire in my heart, because he was not. It was just a kiss, but I felt as if Logan thought of it as much more than that. And this worried me.

"Layla," Logan asked, our proximity was almost alarming. His hand was on my cheek as his blue eyes burned through mine, "will you go on a date with me?"

I had no idea what to say. Maybe it was the fact that I had had too many glasses of wine, ot the fact that we were both dimly ltted and his lips tasted like mint and whiskey. But I said something I would regret later.

"Yes."

-/-

I walked into Ashton's office clipboard in hand. Clearly, things had been a little rough this morning, especially when I had Ashton's coffee and he didn't even ask for it. So, insetad, I decided to be the bigger person.

Clearing my throat, I gained Ashton's attention almost immediately. His eyes were tired, and the bags under his eyes seemed to prove so as well. His hand was twitching, which told me that he had way too much coffee in the last few hours, so I might as well toss the one I got.

"Mr. Irwin, you have a meeting with the board first and foremost and t-" I began to speak, talking quickly and trying to get it over with.

Ashton chuckled nervously, almost as if he was trying not to lose me to the routine of work once again, "Layla, please."

"Anyway," I rolled my eyes, looking at the paper in my hand, "it seems you have not told me what you will be doing between 1:30 and 3, so I would like to know. For scheduling purposes of course."

"Well, the plan was to go to lunch with you so that we could talk about what a great date we had last night," he gave me a pained smile, his eyes showing the same. It made a pain in my stomach shoot - guilt.

I cleared my throat, as if this sick feeling would go away, it didn't. All it did was drag me down, "Oh, we both know that was far from a date. All you did was brag about fucking Triple-"

"Language," Ashton warned, as if I had committed a sin by letting a word slip by.

"Whatever, I just need something for you to do during this time, Mr. Irwin," I told him, using his nickname out of old habit.

"Ashton! For the love of God, call me Ashton!" he stood up, going all out with me. Then, he covered his mouth as if he regretted it, so he swished around and looked at the skyline instead of me.

Quickly, startled by Ashton's outburst, I dropped the clipboard at my desk and came back inside, closing the door behind me. Ashton still hadn't moved from his spot where I had last seen him only a few seconds ago.

I moved toward him slowly, my heels clicking on the ground. Stannding next to him, his breathing unevened, as if he was flustered, but refused to cry. This hurt me, even more so than the guilt I had previously felt.

I turned my body and shmmied my way so that I was between Ashton and the glass window. It didn't matter anymore. Not Triple A. Not the team. And definitely not Logan. "Ashton, listen to me."

He just looked away, not dealing with my gaze. But I turned his head with my hand so that his pained eyes cold look at mine, "I don't care about Triple A, all I want from you is to know that eveyrone in the business will still have their job."

"I wanted to tell you last night," Ashton spoke softly, his eyes drifting to the floor.

"Tell me what?" I wdened my eyes, his sentece alarming my senses.

He finally looked up at me, eyes locking, "We have a buyer that would like to buy the Baltimore Ravens."

"That's amazing!" I chuckled, attacking Ashton with a hug that he did not return.

"No. If I want this to go on, we would have to go to Playoffs," Ashton softly spoke.

"We can do th-"

"And win."

"The Playoffs?" I asked, knowing what his answer would be, but really not wanting to hear it.

"The SuperBowl."

--:--

alright guys i might update again it depends on my mood lol

ily a

vote and comment

xoxo gossip girl