Speak//Ashton Irwin

Chapter 8

Brooke:
Louis woke me up by knocking on my door and screaming my name.
"Brooke! Get up, we're going to Ashton's for lunch," he yelled, much louder than necessary. Going to Ashton's for lunch? No.
I ran to the door and pulled it open, frowning at Louis for an explanation.
"We're booking the holiday today, remember, so we're all going over there got a barbecue lunch." Barbecue again? "Get dressed. We're leaving in half an hour.
My heart sank a little. I half-smiled at my brother and slammed the door shut behind him. Lunch at Ashton's. That was going to be awkward.
Half an hour later, I was dressed and sitting on my bed, waiting for someone to call me down. After seven minutes, the inevitable happened, Mum shouted my name. I took a deep breath and walked downstairs slowly. Going over there was the last thing I wanted to do. I felt sick with nerves.
"You look nice, honey," Mum complimented with a smile. I could tell that she was thinking I had dressed nicely for Ashton. I only had a long white summer dress and yellow ballet shoes. It wasn't for Ashton. It was because of the heat. I didn't wear make-up and I hadn't done anything with my hair. I didn't think I looked particularly nice.
We all walked to the Irwin's house at Louis pace, the only time he did anything in a hurry was when there was food involved, or girls, so presumably the thought of the barbecue was behind his speediness. I wanted to walk slowly and put off seeing Ashton for as long as possible, but my brother clearly had other ideas.
Louis knocked eagerly at their front door, and within seconds, Anne greeted us with a hug and then ushered us through their perfectly kept house to the back garden. I felt down as we walked to Ashton's. Part of me hoped he was out, but I knew he wouldn't be. I did want to see him though. I hated arguing with him and just wanted everything to go back to how it was.
Ashton sat at the end of the wooden table, staring into his glass of Coke. He looked sad, really sad. As we approached the table, he looked up and said a quick hello. Where should I sit now? Would near him be inappropriate? Would he even want me there? Not wanting to make things any more awkward, I sat next to Lauren, forcing Louis to sit near Ashton.
Mum handed the brochure to me and Lauren so we could see the hotel we were staying in. Wow, was all I could think. It looked amazing. The hotel was a beautiful white building, half-way up a mountain. It didn't look too busy but seemed to have enough to keep everyone entertained. According to the brochure, the harbor was a two-minute walk away and the beach a little further, approximately twenty minutes.
The nightlife was good too, apparently. There were a few bars and clubs nearby. Lauren and Louis would want to go out, no doubt. Perhaps I would be allowed to go too? I wad almost sixteen and if I was with Ashton they'd let me go, wouldn't they?
I felt Ashton's eyes on me, so I glanced to the side and smiled a little awkwardly. My cheeks felt hot. I was probably blushing. He smiled back. Was he forgiving me? Just as I thought he was about to talk to me, his dad placed a plate of charred chicken kebabs down on the table. Ashton grabbed one and started eating. Please, talk to me.
Throughout lunch, Ashton and I exchanged glances.
Mum had noticed things were off between us. She would look at me, then Ashton, then back to me. I prayed that she wouldn't say anything. Should I just leave? Faking sickness and going home sounded like a very good idea right now.
"Brooke?" Ashton said as he stood up. He nodded, gesturing for me to follow him. I got up immediately and followed him inside. He had made the first move, so there was no way I was passing up the chance to make things right again. The walk up to his room was completely silent. Ashton said nothing. I hoped that he would talk when we were safely inside his room and out of the way of everyone else.
Sitting on the end of his bed, I hugged my legs and rested my chin on my knees. He sighed and sat down, facing me. The sun reflected off his face, lightening his deep hazel eyes. The smell of his aftershave wrapped around me, and I relaxed. In that moment, I knew I couldn't be without him. I had to make up for the fallout and get my best friend back. Not having Ashton in my life was not an option.
He took a deep breath and just stared into my eyes for a minute. I felt self-conscious under his intense gaze. It was as if he could see right through me, see the terrified, broken little girl inside. I never wanted him to see that.
"Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have shouted at you, but you should've text me to let me know you were okay." I nodded and looked down at the bed cover. I wish I could. "Brooke," he whispered, gently lifting my chin up, so I faced him. His fingers lingered on my chin, making my heart race. The feeling of his skin on mine gave me butterflies. It felt so right.
My eyes filled with tears and I smiled. I'd gotten him back. Grabbing his hand, I squeezed gently in way of apology. What happened yesterday wasn't his fault at all. Ashton had nothing to apologize for. His face lit up as he smiled. "It's okay," he told me, knowing exactly what that gesture meant. Suddenly, he pulled my hand, making me fall forward. I tried to move back, but he pulled me into a tight hug. It was a little awkward as I was sitting on his lap. It was too intimate, and I wasn't used to intimacy feeling natural and safe. I wanted to run, but at the same time, I never wanted to leave.
I wrapped my arms around him, ignoring the tense knot in my stomach. With every passing second, I felt more comfortable. Ashton would never hurt me. I knew that. We stayed in each other's arms for a few minutes and I was enjoying it. His fingertips were gently tickling up and down my back, giving me goose bumps.
Eventually, we both pulled away and he seemed as reluctant as I was to let go. My feelings for him grew everyday, becoming crazily confusing. Ashton looked happy. His eyes were bright and his features soft. Happiness bubbled inside me at seeing him smile properly again.
"We don't fight again. Ever again, okay?" he said seriously, holding both my hands and playing with my fingers. I nodded in agreement. That was the easiest thing I had ever agreed to.
He smiled again, flashing his white teeth and prominent dimples at me.
"Good. So two weeks in Italy, hey?" We have to do some water sports and hire a boat."
I raised my eyebrow, making him laugh and shake his head. Hire a boat? Neither of us could sail, and there was no way the first time we tried was going to be alone in a foreign country. "I guess you're gonna go all girly on me and want to sun bathe?" I nodded and smirked. I was pasty white and definitely wanted to get a tan. "Fine, I'll make you a deal. I'll suffer through that if you go diving with me?"
He had been trying to get me to go diving for years, but I hated the idea of it. I'm not a fan of fish and everything in the sea was all slimy, and the sea itself was full of sewage. I bit my lip, shaking my head and trying not to smile. The deal didn't matter. He would sunbathe with me anyway. He always did.
Ashton sighed heavily, pretending to be annoyed. "Fine, but two days sunbathing max, and you have to buy the ice creams." I pursed my lips and nodded. That part also didn't matter because as soon as we were there he would insist on paying.
He laid down and pulled me with him. I almost landed on top of him but managed to move to the side just in time. We laid side-by-side, hand-in-hand, both staring up to the ceiling. I felt happy again.
"We need to get your parents to let you go out at night this time," he said after a couple minutes of comfortable silence. That was another thing I loved about him, he thought similar things o me. However, that could just be because we spent so much time together.
I turned my head to face him, chewing my lips as I nodded. The last time we were away, I had to be back at the hotel at ten and hang out there for the rest of the evening. We needed to think of some way of convincing my parents that I was more responsible now that I was older.
Suddenly, the air felt like it had been sucked from the room. Ashton's head inched closer to mine. Was he going to kiss me? I froze. Did I want that? Yes, you know you do!
"We'll talk to them about it later." His voice was so quiet that he was almost whispering. The way he was looking at me gave me butterflies and for a second I stopped breathing.
"Ashton? Brooke?" Lauren shouted up the stairs.
Ashton whipped his head around. "What?" He growled towards the door. I sat up, putting a little distance between us. That was the second time she had interrupted... something in two days.
Lauren walked in seconds later and smiled widely.
"We go in two weeks! Brooke, I'm holiday shopping Monday if you wanted to come?" I nodded and smiled gratefully. I definitely needed to get some new clothes.
"I'm coming too," Ashton mumbled, still frowning at his sister. I wanted to laugh at how funny he was when he was annoyed. Did he really want to kiss me as much as I wanted to kiss him? It seemed like he did. It probably wasn't a good idea though. If we got together, I doubted it would work out. It couldn't, In time my silence would drive him away.
Lauren's mouth hung open in shock. "You want to come shopping?"
"I need to get some stuff too, but I'm not walking around every damn shop with you two. I'll go off on my own." I rolled my eyes and sat back against the wall. He was impossible when we were shopping.
"Alright, but we're gonna be out all day."
He shrugged, "Yeah, whatever."
Lauren clapped her hands together in excitement, "I need to go and make a list!" She squealed and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
"How the hell are we related?" He mumbled to himself, shaking his head at the door in disbelief. He really was in a mood. "So you gonna buy a tiny bikini?" Ashton asked, wiggling his eyebrows. I frowned. No, definitely not. "I was joking!" He laughed. I smiled at him, trying to make out that his comment hadn't affected me.
He sat up against the wall next to me. His side pressed against mine as he reached over and grabbed the television remote. I smiled when he put on yesterday's Grey's Anatomy. He had still recorded it for me, even after our argument. Ashton gazed at me, but quickly looked away. Was he blushing?
Ashton was, without a doubt, the sweetest guy in the world, and I was so lucky to have him in my life. I laid my head on his shoulder and held onto his hand as we watched T.V.
"Well, that sucked," Ashton mumbled under his breath as Grey's Anatomy finished. He quickly changed the channel to some bike racing rubbish. I smiled to myself. He always said something like that when it finished, although he had spent the whole time staring intently at the screen.
To stop the boredom kicking in from the bikes zooming around in a circle, I grabbed Ashton's iPhone and started playing with one of the games I had downloaded. My phone was old and crappy, so I used Ashton's. I had never sent a text message or made a call. The only reason I had a phone was because Mum bought it for me and insisted I used it for emergencies. Mum bought it when I was eleven. The phone had sat in my bag through two years of emergencies before it was over.
After a few minutes of Ashton stealing little glances at me, he turned his attention back to the TV. Did that mean he liked me or not? I wanted to know, but at the same time, I was scared to know - it would change everything.
"Do you want to go to Ben's party?" He asked after a while.
"We should leave soon if you do."
I did want to go, but I had to get my parents' permission first. Biting my lip, I nodded.
"I'll go speak to your parents."
I instantly knew they would say yes. If I was with Ashton, they were happy. They trusted him.
He leapt off the bed and ran out of his room. I smiled and laid back, mentally planning what I should wear. Nothing revealing, not that I had anything revealing anyway. Ashton would probably just wear jeans and a t-shirt, so I decided to do just that.