Paint You Wings // Ashton Irwin [au]

Twenty-four

­Emilia's POV

Little kids with their parents skip along the sidewalk with a bucket full of candy in their hands, looking for the next house to loot for more sweets. The little boy and girl running past me don't look like siblings and they certainly don't act it as the dark-haired boy takes the blonde girl's hand in his and smiles lovingly at her; like she's the most precious thing to him.

They're like six-years-old or something and yet you can see how close in friendship they are. Maybe more than friendship given that the girl is standing on her tiptoes to peck the boy on his cheek. From under the street lights, the boy's eyes sparkle as he places a hand to his cheek, feeling the lingering sensation of her kiss. The parents trailing behind them just giggle and admire the young love of the two kids. Sadly enough, these children seem to know more about affection than me.

My feet drag behind me as I pass the lovey-dovey kids in costume and continue walking further down the street. I am completely exhausted and my legs feel like lead, but I can't stop my feet from moving one in front of the other. I don't know how far I had ran, but when my stomach churned and the unpleasant feeling before you have to throw up arose, I knew I had to at least slow down.

My mind had been filled with questions when I had sprinted out of the house and onto the unfamiliar streets, not even paying attention to where I was going. I didn't care where I was going. That's a lie. I did know where I wanted to go, but I couldn't force my legs to turn back in the direction of Ashton's house.

When I had stopped running, I found myself in a cul-de-sac filled with trick-or-treaters moving from house to house and ringing doorbells. It had taken what seemed like hours to slow down my heartrate and keep a steady rhythm to my breathing as I had gasped for precious oxygen. I don't bother turning around to avoid the dead-end, so I just follow the cement path. I finish my way around the cul-de-sac and turn onto another street that, with my sense of direction, may lead me to become completely lost in this residential maze.

I have absolutely no idea what I'm feeling right now. Shock? Confusion? Ashton, a person who I would consider one of my best friends, kissed me. Not only that, but he used the words: 'I,' 'love', and 'you'—not in that order, but still. I don't know what to make of it. It started off with him telling me that he's angry that Natalie invited him to her wedding, and then it turned into a slur-fest of confessions. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking and he didn't know what he was saying. That seems like a logical reason for my friend so spill out words of adoration, right?

I turn onto another street that leads to the main road and I quickly spot a bus stop. My feet are close to giving out, so I rush over and sit on the bench, taking the pressure off my aching legs that I can no longer move.

I replay the scene of Ash pressing his thin lips to mine over and over. I am dumbfounded by his actions, but for some reason, I am okay with it. I shouldn't be though. I shouldn't be okay with my friend kissing me, but when his lips touched mine, I was flooded with euphoria. I would always feel butterflies in my stomach when around him, but now, it's like there's a fucking zoo roaming around in there.

Cars zoom by on the streets, causing a swift, harsh breeze to fly in my direction. I shudder and wrap my arms around my torso, regretting that I didn't wear a heavier jacket. Although I didn't anticipate spending my evening in the chill outdoors, so I can't really blame myself.

A set of headlights making their way slowly down the street catch my eye, as if the driver is out looking for something. In a matter of seconds, the driver pulls the car over to the curb just a few feet away from me. My skin begins to crawl, not just from the cold air but from the stranger who is sitting less than ten feet away from me.