Chapter 30

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Chapter 30
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        I stared at Ashton in shock for a couple of moments, not quite sure what to do.

Kevin walked in a couple seconds later, instantly noticing the awkwardness in he room.

"What did I miss?" He asked like he just missed a scene in his favorite tv show.

"Nothing,"Eli said. I looked at him. "Absolutely nothing."

I knew what he meant when he said that. And my heart ached. He really wanted something special to happen between us, but nothing did.

The guilt I felt was unbearable. I couldn't take it. I quickly flashed my eyes over to Ashton, who was standing across the room. He was looking at the ground as if he was in a timeless gaze. My eyes returned to Eli.

"Eli, can I talk to you for a sec?" I asked and got up, walking into the room across the hall. When he followed me in, I shut the door.

"Listen Crystal I'm so so so sorry. I really shouldn't have ki- well I mean it wasn't right and I'm so-" I cut him off.

"Eli. You can't even begin to comprehend how much our relationship means to me. Your like the brother I never had. I don't think of this as a "friend zone" because we're so much more than friends. We're family. And that means more to me than any romantic relationship that we could ever share," I said. He stood there, absorbing my words.

"And I'm sorry if I led you on or anything, but there is nothing for you to feel bad about! This doesn't change anything. I just think it would be best if we just keep going with the amazing friendship we have," I finished. Most of the guilt had left his eyes, but a small amount still remained.

I gave him a tight, quick hug and looked him in the eyes after I released.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Let's just neither of us be sorry. It stings like a bitch now but, I'll get over it pretty quickly, and then we can just pretend like it never even happened," he said and fake smiled. I smiled back.

I knew that we wouldn't be able to pretend like it didn't happen . Not while Ashton saw it.

When we walked back in the room, Ashton and Kevin were sitting on the couch.

"Anyway, so while she was checking us out at the cash register, I slipped her my number. And she was all like 'no thank you,' and I was like 'what do you mean?' And she completely rejected me! I'm not taking this too well man. That chick wasn't right in the head," Kevin ranted.

Ashton was staring at the TV with such burning intensity that it seemed almost like he was going to fry the TV with his gaze.

Eli and I awkwardly sat down on two different chairs. Kevin had stopped ranting about the store clerk, and tuned his attention on his snacks.

"Did you get any of the good stuff?" I asked him.

"Oh yeah..." he said and smirked. Good. I wasn't sure which I wanted more at the moment- vodka or tequila.

Kevin reached in the bag, and threw me a packet of skittles. I looked at him strangely.

"I mean the actual good stuff," I asked again.

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