Runaway - Ashton Irwin *completed*

eleven

"You know, Taylor, you're gonna have to face him sometime," Luke said as he walked in the kitchen, just getting home Friday evening as I was finishing up dinner.

"Why do you say that?" I asked. "I could not go to Starbucks for the rest of my life and my problem is solved."

"Oh please." Luke rolled his eyes. "You are a common white girl. There is no way you'd be able to just not go to Starbucks for the rest of your life."

I rolled my eyes at Luke, dishing our pasta onto a couple plates for dinner.

All week, I'd been ignoring phone calls from Ashton and coming straight home from work rather than stopping at Starbucks, not wanting to run into him. I didn't even bother going on days that weren't the days Ashton went just to be safe.

"I made dinner early so we can leave to make it to Michael's party by 7:15," I said, placing our plates on the table. "I won't need very long to get ready and I know you won't either."

Luke sat down and started digging in to his plate right away, finishing a good 5 minutes before I was done. He left the kitchen as I finished my own food and a minute later I heard the bathroom door shut.

I got up and went to my bedroom and got out a red dress to wear to Michael's party. I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and touch up my hair and makeup before Luke came back in wearing a nice button up shirt with a tie and slacks.

"Are you ready to go?" Luke asked me as I pulled my shoes on and wrapped my jacket around my shoulders.

"Yes," I said, making sure I had my purse and apartment key before leaving with Luke outside.

We caught a cab to make it to a block away from Michael's house and walked the rest of the way, arriving right at 7:15 like I'd planned.

We walked up the front porch steps, knocking on the door. A girl with soft features and dark hair and eyes opened the door, smiling warmly at us as she stepped aside for us to come in.

Michael was right at the door a moment later, welcoming us. "Luke, Taylor, I'm so glad you guys could make it. This is my girlfriend, Julie. Julie, this is Taylor, my coworker and her roommate Luke."

"It's so nice to meet you guys." Julie hugged us both and escorted us into the kitchen, where there was wine, champagne and snack trays on the counter.

"Would you guys like a drink?" she asked as we walked in, joining a few other people in the room.

"No thank you," I shook my head. "Maybe later though."

"I'm not gonna be modest, I'll have some wine please," Luke smiled, looking down at me. I rolled my eyes at him.

As Julie poured Luke a glass of wine, I stopped to talk with a couple of my other coworkers.

"Taylor! I hardly see you around anymore," Niall, a blonde with blue eyes who worked in the editing branch smiled at me, pulling me in for a quick hug. "You're always glued into those stories that come in and you hardly join anyone for lunch."

"She's a bit of a recluse," Michael winked, joining the conversation and making me smile at them.

"I just like to get my job done," I shrugged, going along with their teasing.

Niall continued talking, telling me about his new girlfriend and how she always had something to gossip about and seemed to always know everything about everyone else in the building, and how she'd told him that there was a rumor going around that I was dating a college guy.

I laughed when Niall said that. "Oh no, he's just my roommate. I'm not dating anyone."

"Well I figured as much," Niall laughed as well. "Do you ever date anyone? You've been single for almost 6 months now haven't you? At least."