Adopted By Ashton Irwin

Chapter 8//Luke

***Riley's POV***

My eyes slowly fluttered open but I didn't recognize my surroundings. "Ah, you're awake." A friendly looking woman said to me. I looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"How do you feel?" she asked, a genuine smile on her face. "Tired" I replied. She nodded understandingly.

"What is..." I paused mid-sentence and spotted my blood soaked arm. My eyes widened.

"Did I..." I asked wincing slightly as I sat up straight on the bed. She didn't reply, instead she just pursed her lips and nodded.

"You were very lucky you had those four boys with you, if it wasn't for them you wouldn't have made it." She said, looking sadly at the ground.

"Are they here?" I asked hopefully looking up at her.

"Yes, they're in the hallway."

"Can I please see them?" I asked, looking at her tiredly.

"I would recommend you sleeping first, but if you really want to..." she trailed off.

"I'll be back in a minute." She said, walking to the door.

A couple of minutes later the boys burst through the door.  Ashton looked terrible, his hair was tossed and was greasy from running his fingers through it, his eyes were bloodshot from  crying and lack of sleep, so were Luke and Michael's. Calum looked exhausted but relieved all at once.


Ashton reached my bed first, wrapping his arms around me securely. "I was so scared." He whispered into my shoulder and he kissed me on the top of the head. He then moved so the other boys could speak to me but kept a firm hold of my hand as if it would protect me from the rest of the world.

Luke and Michael hugged me at the same time. "Riley that was terrifying." Luke sobbed. "Yeah, please never let that happen again." Michael choked out. I didn't say anything, I just hugged them back with one hand since Ashton was still keeping a firm hold on my other one.

I looked up at Calum who was leaning against the door, a pained expression on his face. I hated seeing him upset, it killed me inside to say the least. "Can I speak to Riley alone?" he asked quietly.

Luke and Michael nodded, giving me a quick kiss on the top of my head and a small hug before standing up. Ashton was more reluctant, he didn't say anything but gently stroked his hands over mine and examined the bandages on my arm, making me flinch slightly. He kissed the back of my hand and dropped it, pausing to look back at me before exiting the room after Luke and Michael.

Calum sat cautiously on the chair next to my bed and picked up my hand, thinking of what to say. He stroked his thumb over my fingers before speaking quietly. "I'm sorry." He said, fighting back tears.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Calum." I replied gently, meeting his gaze. "I should've been there to protect you, you're so small and fragile and beautiful... I should've helped." He said, a tear finally slipping down his cheek.

"According to the nurse, what you did saved my life, you have nothing to be sorry for Calum. I should be apologizing to you for putting you through all that." I said softly. Looking down at our hands, the way his were so much bigger than mine yet they moulded together perfectly. "I'm sorry Calum." I said sheepishly, looking at the floor in disappointment.

"No." he said, lifting my head up gently with his hand. "You are the most amazing, talented, beautiful girl I've ever met. I trust you. Do you trust me?" he asked hopefully.  I snorted as if it was obvious. "Of course I trust you." I replied.

"Well then," he continued. "Please trust me with this. You are gorgeous, brave, smart and the strongest girl I've ever met. Please never let this happen again, because when I saw you after it happened..." he shut his eyes tightly as he remembered the events. "A part of me felt dead Riley, I thought I lost you, and I couldn't bare it. Trust me enough to believe what I'm telling you now is true." He said with pleading eyes. Then he did something completely unexpected. He picked up my arm, looking at it sadly, before bringing it to his lips and leaving a gentle kiss over the bandage, making my heart burst and butterflies fill my stomach.

"There are old cuts, new cuts, shallow cuts, deep cuts and everything in between under there" he continued. "I just want you to know I love them as much as your eyes, your nose, everything. Your curves, everything about you.  You're beautiful Riley. Please trust me enough to believe that. I love you Riley." He spoke softly. I could tell he meant every word, every kiss, every touch of my hand, everything.

"I.. I don't know what to say." I spoke genuinely, I was at loss for words.

"Just say you believe me then." He said hopefully, squeezing my hand gently by means of encouragement.

***Calum's POV***

"Just say you believe me then."  I spoke hopefully, praying she would agree with me. I meant everything I had said, she was beautiful, strong, and brave. I meant every word, I just wanted her to see herself like I saw her.

"I can't..." she said before tears started running down her cheeks. I wiped them away softly.

"Why?" I asked, genuinely confused as to why she didn't love herself, she had everything. She was truly amazing and it shocked me that she didn't even know.

"I  um..." she choked out before taking a deep breath. "I can't see what you do, every time I look in the mirror or a picture of myself I hate it." She cried.  I felt my heart shatter.

"Please don't believe that, you're fooling yourself, you're perfect." I said sadly. I gazed into her eyes, there was no sparkle, no brightness, just sadness.

"I'm not perfect Calum, I'm not popular, I'm not pretty, and I'm not like any of the girls who get any and every boy they want. I'm not perfect." She repeated.

"Don't talk about yourself like that please." I begged, it genuinely hurt me to see her talk like that.

"But I can't..." she started but I quickly cut her sentence short by smashing my lips against hers, putting my hands on her back and pulling her gently towards me while she put her hands around my neck with one hand tangling through my hair.  Everything about her in that moment was intoxicating, the faint taste of mint from her tongue and the taste of cherry from her lips consumed all of my senses.

It felt like I was cut off from reality as I held the most important person in my whole life in my arms, I swore I'd never let her go again.

***Riley's POV***

He took me by surprise when he kissed me, but of course I didn't complain. He pulled me closer to him, eliminating any space left between us. I felt my breath hitch in my throat as his hands explored my body. He moved away slowly making me whine at loss of contact. He just laughed and connected our lips again, cupping my face in his hands.

I felt myself melt under his touch. When I was with him I felt every trouble I have just melt away, he was like a drug, and I was officially addicted to him. I never wanted the moment to end but it was, very abruptly when I heard someone at the door.

"Guys, what's going on?" a familiar voice said. I panicked when I realized who it was.

"Oh umm... Hey Luke." I said awkwardly scratching my neck, but it was too late,

he saw us.

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A/N Oh dayum what in the world could possibly happen next? will he tell Ashton? Will he keep it to himself? maybe he'll have someone else to tell..... I guess y'all witll just have to wait and see then.

P.S. Finally got the double update finished (last week&Yesterday)

hope y'all liked this chapter. i think it's cute af tbh <3

stay strong. ilysm <3