☆Featured in Teen Fiction's "Soul Deep" reading list☆
☆Featured in New Adult's "Mental Health" reading list☆
//COMPLETE & EDITED
I send him a string of paper airplanes: You're the sum of all tomorrows. And I'll say that tomorrow. And the day after...
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The weeks go by without any change, and life falls back into a regular, ceaseless rhythm. It's a different pattern this time: one that involves me going to support group once a week with Ashton driving me back home and staying with me for a couple of hours after. It is one that involves me trying my hardest to eat and fighting against the pull that I constantly feel. A tug that I succumb to over and over again.
I look over at Ashton now as he sits on the sofa, watching the TV. His lean figure slouched against the cushions is so familiar that it's almost like he's a part of the furniture now. My parents were more than happy to know that me and Ava have some company during their absence on Saturdays. And Ava is so happy about Ashton's regular appearance at our house that she doesn't even mind that I'm absent in the morning, not bothering to ask where I go: a huge relief. Ashton takes his eyes away from the screen as an ad comes on and I avert my attention, focusing on the awkward koala that's ambling about on the television instead. It falls over, tries to get up, gives up trying, and flops back down.
"That looks like me in bed," I laugh.
"Is that what you look like in bed?" Ashton muses. "I imagine that'd be why all the boys are after you."
I slap him on the back of his head, and heat flares across my body. "Shut up." I add sarcastically, "I'm sorry not all of us can be as good in bed as you are."
He gives me an impish grin and raises an eyebrow. "Ah, she knows all my dirty secrets."
I feel my cheeks burn yet further and am suddenly glad that Ava is in her room, even though I know he wouldn't have said that if she had been here. Ashton keeps chuckling to himself and I decide to simply glare at him.
"C'mon, it was a joke, Kitty," he says, still laughing.
"Save them for Em," I retort.
He raises his index finger, as if to say aha!. "Speaking of which, we've been together for two months and a half now. Are you proud?"
"Proud?"
"Come on. Your two friends are in a strong and loving relationship."
"I'm happy for you guys, but- proud is a bit of a weird word to use." I fiddle with the remote, hearing my nails against the plastic buttons. "Don't you think?"
He seems to give some thought to it but shrugs nonchalantly after a second. "I never said I was a good thesaurus. How's the charity stuff going?"
"Not bad," I admit. "Steve and Mat are fun."
"They talk to you?"
"Yeah, they do now."
"They didn't before?" He sounds incredulous.
Not everyone notices me, I think, but I don't voice it. "We know each other better now. And besides, I guess they know Zoe and Sasha better than me."
