The Year

Chapter 15.

"Ashton can you please pass me the-"

"Wood? Seriously Grace there's nothing next to me to pass to you." Ashton cut her off.

"This is-" Darren started only to get cut off by me.

"Awkward." I gave a sarcastic smile.

"Alright it's getting late baby you wanna sleep?"

"It's 8:30." I said.

"We're tired." Darren said as they both went into their tent.

They don't actually expect me to share a tent with him do they?! Oh hell no!

"So." Ashton was the first to break the silence.

"Don't, just don't Ashton." I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair.

"How many times do I have to say I'm sorry? I acted like a jerk I apologized. But after everything we've been through? I don't want things to end like this between us. Please just talk to me Maisie."

"I'm cold, I'm gonna go get my jacket." I said ignoring his speech and walking over to the tent.

Unfortunately Grace had placed my bag in their tent, and used it as a pillow.
I shamelessly walked back to where we were sitting and sat down next to Ashton because I was freezing and it was closer to the fire we had made earlier that evening.

"Grace is asleep on my bag. So don't think I wanted to sit next to you, it's just closer to the fire." I cleared out and started rubbing my arms up and down for warmth.

Ashton didn't say anything, but moved his chair closer to mine, slipped his jacket off and placed it over my shoulders and started rubbing my arms.
When I turned his way to look at him, his face was inches away from mine, and his warm breath was hitting my face.

"Thanks."

"Maisie I love you."

I did not see that coming.

"What?" I backed away.

"That- I didn't mean to say that, it just came out, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out." He placed his elbows on his knees and burried his face in his hands.

A lot of things were going on in my mind, hundreds of emotions were swirling inside of me.
Ashton Holmes just said he loves me. Is this real? Did he really mean it?

"Mais, you're freaking me out, say something." He looked right into my eyes.

And at that moment, I knew what he said was true. He had a glint in his eyes that I hadn't seen before. It was sparkling with hope. Hope that I felt the same way. But it also had a little sadness in them. Pain.

"Why, are you, looking at me like that?"

"Oh screw it." I cupped his cheeks and brought his lips to mine.

"That was... A response."

"I love you too asshole." I smiled against his red, now swollen lips.

"YESS." We heard cheering from inside the tent and both walked towards it.

"I thought you guys were sleeping." I said, resting my hands on my hips.

"It's 8:30." Darren said.

"Now that you guys kissed and made up. Literally. We can get this party started." Grace jumped up from her spot and exited the tent wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

We made barbeque, burgers, we had drinks and everything ready. After we ate, the occasional marshmallow roast took place, then around 4 am in the morning we finally went to sleep.

***********

"Maisie wake up, come on Mais."

I wasn't moving, I heard my friends talking but I couldn't see them, i was surrounded by darkness. I wanted to tell them I was fine, but everything else seemed to prove them otherwise. Their voices were laced in panic.

"I called 911." Darren said.

"Wake up Maisie, come on!" Grace was crying.

"It'll be fine."

"She's gonna be okay Grace, she still has a pulse." Ashton said, but he wasn't sure himself whether I was gonna be okay or not.

Half an hour later, I couldn't hear them anymore, instead I was at home.
The sun was beaming in through the windows and the curtains were all open. I went upstairs to my room but something was different about it, I went to my parents room, they weren't there, I searched the whole house, no one was there.
I went outside, and the streets were empty, no cars around, no nothing. Then I suddenly heard a voice from far away, someone was calling my name.

"...Maisie..."

"Mom?"

"Maisie." The voice was more clear now, it was coming from near around the area. "Honey."

Suddenly I found myself in another room. My parents, my friends were all there. It took me a while to realize I was in a hospital.

"How are you feeling?" My dad asked.

"I'm in the hospital so I don't think I'm that good."

"You're joking that's a good sign." Grace said sitting on the bed next to me.

"We'll go get the doctor." And with that my parents left the room leaving me with my friends.

"And I'm gonna go get coffee, Darren?"

"Sure I'll join you." Darren said.

It was just me and Ashton, he was standing at one corner his head hung low, not looking at me.

"Okay I know I must look like shit but at least look at me." I laughed.

"This isn't a joke Maisie, this is the second time I thought I lost you."

"I never said it is."

He came and sat down next to me, and took my hand in his.

"I-"

"Don't tell me now you're gonna end this."

"Hell no, I fuckin love you too much." He said and crashed his lips down on mine.

That day Ashton spent the night with me and the night after that and the one after that, until I got out of the hospital.

The same monday we walked in school together hand in hand and caught everyone's attention. Not that it mattered anymore, what mattered was that Ashton was mine and i was his... Until the end of time.