Best Friend's Father

Cloud of happiness

"Charlotte, hi."

"Ashton. May I come in?" Charlie asked with Ethan in her arms.

"Sure. How long has he been asleep?" Ashton asked closing the door behind her.

"Since the car ride, he was up pretty late last night," she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Oh well let me put him down. I just finished his room yesterday," Ashton gleamed taking his youngest son who was fast asleep and walking down the hall of his apartment, to one of the bedrooms that Calum and Ethan would share.

He laid Ethan down on the bed and have him a soft kiss before outing the light and quietly shutting the door.

"So when did you finish the room?" Charlie asked as he walked back into the living room.

"Yesterday, I told you that already," Ashton said confused

"Oh suppose Luke helped you," she said but there was something underlying in her tone that Ashton didn't quite catch.

"Yeah, him and Calum helped me loads," Ashton responded going into the kitchen with his former wife following.

"Stop the lies."

"Excuse me?" Ashton asked

"Stop lying to my face. You've been doing it far too long now," Charlie said

"I have no idea what you're talking about. When did I lie to you?" Ashton asked confused as he stood on one side of the island, Charlotte on the other.

"With Luke. Don't act innocent. I know you've been messing around with him," she said venomously.

Ashton visibly flinched.

His heart fell in his chest.

"I meant to tell you," he whispered.

"When? When I was on my death bed?" She laughed ironically.

"It's not what you think," he tried

"No. What I think is that you and Luke have been doing this behind my back for some time now. The two of you lying to me," she said

"I am truly sorry but I wasn't happy in our relationship Charlie. You know that, you weren't happy either and we're both in better places now," Ashton reasoned.

"That doesn't change the fact that you cheated," she said

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you and I never intended to cheat. And with Luke of all people, it just happened," Ashton explained.

"So were you pretending the whole time you were with me? Were you always gay?" She asked with a disgusted look on her face.

Ashton sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I knew I was attracted to men too, since college but it didn't matter because I've never been with a guy before Luke," Ashton said

"So Luke turned my son and husband gay," she chuckled humorlessly.

"It wasn't like that. Stop saying that. Calum is gay because of his own choices and his boyfriend is a very nice boy-"

Charlie cut him off with a scoff.

"I can't believe you. Defending your boyfriend who might I add is only seventeen," she said

"I know that," Ashton sighed. He felt like this conversation was never ending.

"I don't want my son to be around a pedophile that's gay," Charlie announced.

"Excuse me?" Ashton asked offended that she'd think that. And accuse him indirectly of getting sexual with his own child.