Paint You Wings // Ashton Irwin [au]

Sixteen

Ashton's POV

I should not be this nervous to be going out with Emmie tonight. We hang out all the time, so why does it feel different now? I mean, yes, we're going to be dressing up more than usual, but our attire shouldn't make a difference, right? It's just another outing with Emmie and everything will be fine.

God, I am so nervous.

The boys and I are getting ready to pick up Emmie from her apartment. She has been texting me all day, telling me that she is a little nervous about tonight because she has never really been to a formal social gathering. I assured that everything would be okay and that I would stay by her side the entire time, and if I wasn't there, one of the other guys would. They want her to feel just as safe and comfortable with them as she is with me, which annoys me a bit. Technically she's not mine, so I don't really have a say in how close she gets to the guys, but that doesn't mean I can't feel a little jealous when she hangs around them.

I stuff my wallet into the inner pocket of my suit and grab my keys off the table in the entryway. Luke and Michael ride with Cal in his truck, while I take my car to pick up Emmie. My hands are sweaty, which makes gripping the steering wheel very uncomfortable and slightly disgusting. Thoughts continue to race through my mind, and I'm getting more and more nervous with every second until I finally reach her complex.

I take a deep breath before climbing the stairs and standing outside the door. All it takes is three short knocks before the door handle twists, which increased the pounding in my chest. The door slowly opens and I let out a long sigh of relief at the sight of Julia. I have no idea how I am going to hold myself together when I see Emmie.

"Hey, Ash," she says. "Em is just putting her heels on so it shouldn't be long. You look handsome by the way." She smiles. "If you're this nervous now, I can't wait until you see her." Julia smirks, knowing full well that I'm close to ripping my hair from the roots out of pure anxiety.

The sound of Emmie's bedroom door opening brings me back to reality. My breath hitches as I watch her walk out at an agonizingly slow pace. A small smile tugs at her lips as she stands no more than two feet away from me. She is breathtaking. Her hair cascades over her shoulders in large waves and she's wearing a small amount of makeup which is a significant difference from her usual natural look. But the dress. The dress just adds to all her beauty. The royal blue contrasts well with her pale skin and it hugs all her curves perfectly. It's a little weird having her at eye-level because of her heels, but it doesn't stop me from tracing every inch of her body, memorizing every detail of her beautiful self. Julia softly hits my shoulder, releasing me from my semi-lustful stare which only makes Emmie giggle.

"You look beautiful, Emilia," I choke, earning a dazzling smile from her.

"You don't look too bad yourself," she teases, eyeing my black suit.

"Are you ready to go?"

She nods and grabs a small silver bag from Julia. I hold out my hand and she willingly places hers in mine as I lead her out and to the car. Julia wishes us a good night before closing the door and letting us be on our way. Emmie's hand never leaves mine until I close the passenger door. This girl is driving me crazy and the night has only just begun.

During the drive to the convention center where the party is being held, Emmie was tells me the hardships of being a girl. Apparently, Julia made her go and get a manicure and pedicure this morning which she thought was a waste of money because she could probably do it herself. However, she did say she liked the little flower that they painted on her big toe. She also didn't like the idea of wearing makeup, but Julia insisted she wear it. With or without makeup, she looks stunning, but I'd rather see her without makeup any day.