Project Daddy || a.i

Chapter 61 || "Blue balls."

^ New album hit me like ^

GUYS WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT QUEENSLAND IN THIS CHAPTER HE IS REFERRING TO THE UNIVERSITY. I MAY BE BAD AT GEOGRAPHY BUT I DO MY RESEARCH CAUSE I WANNA
IMPRESS YOU.

- Pandora -

"You're going to Sydney."

"Ashton," I frowned, my lips pursed with annoyance "you haven't even heard about Queensland yet."

"I don't need to." He replied simply, shrugging his broad shoulders "Queensland is in Brisbane, which is a 10 hour drive from here. That's too far, Pandi."

"Ashton-"

"I mean, what if I want to cuddle?" He continued, slightly pouting "Am I meant to just hop in my car and drive for 10 hours? How am I meant to see you?"

"You could get a plane?"

"Do you know how expensive plane tickets are?"

"We could Skype?"

"Nope, nope, nu-uh." He quickly rushed, adamantly shaking his head "I'm not being that boyfriend."

"What boyfriend?"

"The one that has to wánk to his girlfriend over Skype. I can't do it. I won't do it."

"No one said anything about wánking." I frowned, my eyebrows drawn together in confusion

How did we go from Universities to masturbâtion in the space of a minute?

"I have needs, Pandora." He stated dramatically, lightly rolling his eyes "If you're not here, how will I fulfil them?"

"Wait until we can visit one another?"

"God, it will be too late by then. I'll have died of blue balls."

"Then masturbâte?"

"But Pandora-"

"I am not giving you permission to hook up with girls, Ashton - no matter how sexually frustrated you are."

He let out a low chuckle as I scowled, hugging my knees tightly to my chest. I was paranoid enough, never mind him planting ideas in my head.

After a moment of silence, Ashton finally seemed to notice my discomfort, his laughter slowly fading until the only sound was the occasional chirp of birds, observing us from their advantage points in the trees around us.

"I was joking, Pandora." He assured, his voice softer than before "You know that I love you."

"I know." I grunted, subconsciously picking at a patch of grass beside me.

Ashton didn't seem contempt with my reply, yet didn't push me further, remained quiet beside me. His back was pressed tightly to the trunk of a tree as he observed the scenery around us, his fingers digging at the dirt beneath him. He looked so at home here, with his ripped top, messy hair and hazel eyes, yet he also looked like an outcast, with his black boots, ripped black jeans and large muscles. He resembled good and bad, pure and evil, light and darkness - he was basically a living yin-yang

"So, what's your major?"

"Sociology." I replied, receiving a questioning look in return, his hazel eyes clouded with confusion.

"What's that?"

"It's one of the Social Sciences." I explained, a small smile tugging at my lips - happy that he was finally getting involved  "It studies social behaviour and helps us understand social order, social disorders and social exchange."

"I thought you were more of an English type of person." He murmured, causing me to laugh.

"Yeah, so did my mum."

"Maybe you picked the wrong course? I mean, Liz does know all."

"Shut up."

Ashton let out bemused snort as he softly placed his arm around my neck, tugging me closer. We both stank of sweat and were covered in mud, yet we didn't care, enjoying each other's company in the lonesome woods.

"What's so good about Queensland?" He questioned, his eyebrows furrowed with curiosity.

I shrugged, slightly lost for words. Sydney and Queensland were both amazing universities, both offering amazing courses. One was just in New South Wales and the other was in Brisbane.

"I guess it just seems more exciting," I finally answered, toying nervously with the bottom of Evie's uncomfortable dress "like an adventure, I guess."

"I think we've both established that we suck at adventures." Ashton chuckled, gesturing towards the empty expanse of land in front of us. I laughed tiredly, resting my head down against his shoulder.

He wasn't wrong.

"I don't know, it just feels like more of a fresh start - like I'm actually moving on from my teenage years."

"Why would you want to move on?" He frowned, confusion evident in his tone "Teenage years are the best years of your life."

"For you it might be." I replied sourly, picking nervously at the skin around my fingernails "It was Hell for me."

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologise, Ash. It's not your fault."

You could tell that he desperately wanted to reply yet managed to stop himself, actively chewing on his bottom lip as he studied the large rip in his skinny jeans, guilt evident in his features. I felt bad for bringing it up, yet we couldn't hide from our past. He bullied me, he apologised, I forgave him - it was as simple as that. We had to move on at one point.

"Ashton, please don't think I'm considering Brisbane just to get away from you," I begged, placing my hand over his own in an act of reassurance "because I'm not. It's a beautiful city with a beautiful university and the chance for me to experience independent living, without having my  mum as a constant safety blanket. I want to start over there, where I don't know anybody and nobody knows me. Can you understand why I want to do that?"

Ashton gave a begrudged nod of his head while studying our hands, comparing the vast scale of his own next to mine. Although I had unusually long fingers, my hands were nowhere near the same size as his own, making me look like miniature dwarf next to him.

It was pretty adorable.

"And although I say I want a fresh start, I don't mean for us. I still want to date you."

"I want to date you too."

I beamed, the heavy feeling in my chest beginning to evaporate. Those were the words I had been looking for. Those were the words I had needed to reassure me that everything would be okay. Brisbane wasn't too far away. Sydney was still an option. Ashton still wanted to be with me.

Everything would be okay. Everything was going to work out...

"But, I don't know if I can."

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