Beneath Your Beautiful // Michael Clifford

25

Ali

I woke up laying on top of Ashton. I was glad that he put everything behind him for me.

"Finally, you're awake." Ashton chuckles.

"Sorry." I yawn sitting up. "Aren't you like super mad at me?"

"Yes. But I still care about you." He looks at me in the eyes. "Do you really love Michael?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do." I nod with a huge smile on my face. "But we aren't together right now."

"You know when you guys were together, I haven't ever seen him that happy. I knew he met a girl, but I didn't know it was you." Ashton sighs, I could tell he felt bad.

"He's a pretty amazing guy." I choke out knowing that I'm no longer his. "Why didn't you want me dating your friends?"

"Well, it's just I've dealt with it before." Ashton shrugs.

"Your sister has dated your best friend before?" I laugh but he shakes his head smiling ever so slightly.

"My old friend, Danny, dated my best friend, Sam." Ashton started. "Sam had been my best friend for ages and had been through everything together."

"Danny and I began to fight constantly for no reason, Sam always siding with him. They broke up after a few months, things just were weird between me and them. I ended up losing to really good friends. I don't want it to happen again." He explains to me a few tears leaving his eyes. "It's lame, I know."

"How much did this Sam girl mean to you?" I question, hugging him trying to comfort him.

"I was fucking in love with that girl." He chokes out.

"How long ago was this?"

"Probably a little over a year." He guesses.

"Go find this Sam girl. Try to patch things up." I smile up at him.

"And you do the same with Michael." Ashton hugs me.

"Really?!"

"Yeah. You make each other happy. You guys are in love."

"Thank you." I sit up about to go see Michael but stop myself. "I have a date tonight."

"With who?" Ashton questions.

"Matt Dansbee." I answer.

"Call him, now." He demands.

"Bu-"

"Now."

I roll my eyes and grab my phone, pressing on Matt's contact.

"Hello." I hear his tired voice.

"Sorry, I probably woke you up."

"It's all good. What's up?"

"I can't do dinner tonight. Sor-"

"You still like Michael don't you?"

"How do y-"

"Half the school saw your argument." He laughs. "Go for him."

"Thank you for understanding."

"I was expecting it sooner or later."

"Oh. Bye, Matt."

"See ya." He says before I hung up.

"Drive me to Michael's?"

"Of course." He grabs his keys and we head to his car.

We drive to Michael's and we sit there for a few minutes.

"You got this." Ashton reassures me.

"You're right." I get out of the car still only wearing Michael's shirt before I turn around to face Ashton again. "Hey, Ash?"

"Yeah?" He answers a little confused.

"I love you."

He smiles. "I love you too. Now go." He shoos me away as I rush to Michael's front door.

The door was locked so I grab the key he had given me and I've never returned. I open it, the house was empty. It scared me thinking of the things Michael could be doing. I head to the stairs passing the mirror and sigh as I see the huge bruise on the right side of my face. I run upstairs and open Michael's door to see something I never wanted to see.

There was a shirtless girl on top of a, no longer injured, Michael who was only in boxers, the two making out. Tears pricked in my eyes as I slammed the door retracing my tracks back downstairs.

"Ali!" I breathless Michael runs after me.

"Stay away from me." I yell.

"I needed to clear my mind." He defends himself.

"Do it a different way." I snap.

"I tried. But I kinda wanted to stay alive." He cries making me feel bad. "Looks like I wasn't the only one." He points to my hickeys.

"I didn't approve of this." I gesture my hands over the marks.

"What do you mean?"

"Alex is back."

"Ali-"

"No, don't worry about me. I'm all good." I sniffle. "Leave me alone."

"I love you, shortie."

"I don't even know what I feel towards you anymore." I turn around heading to the door.

"You don't mean that!" He cries.

"Have a nice life." I cry walking out of his house and getting into the car without a word.

"What did he do?" Ashton asks clearly worried.

"He was about to put his dick into some girl." I try to be tough but lose it.

"I'm going to hurt that kid." He growls as we drive home.

"Please don't." I beg.

"Fine." He sighs. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't be. It just means he wasn't the one, and there's someone else out there." I state confidently even though I didn't want anyone else.