Do I Wanna Know? || Ashton Irwin

6

A week later

Ella and Eli didn't know what was really going on, they just believed their mom and dad were still on a trip to Hawaii. Within the week, we tried not to change their lives up much. We still sent them to school like usual, helped them with homework at home, made sure they were in bed at a reasonable time, but I felt awful distracting them from the truth. Eventually, my mom and Liz broke the news to them, but they still didn't quite understand what happened to Ana and Jack. It was hard for something like death to click for the younger ones.

As we sat in the cemetery, watching the caskets be lowered six feet under, I held Ella on my lap and Luke held Eli on his. Once the caskets were placed below, Luke and I sat with the twins in silence. Everyone else had taken off to talk or to cry away from the crowd. Eli hid his face in the crook of Luke's neck, Luke stroking the boy's back with the saddest look I had seen on his face in years.

I saw a familiar head of messy hair and I wanted to march over to him and shove him back into his expensive little car and send him away. His hair looked like it was previously gelled back, but the wind was ruining it. He walked proudly through the crowd of people, giving tight smiles every time he shook the hand of someone new. It bugged me that he was here, acting like this was his place to meet family members of mine that he had never met before and sending comfort their ways as if he was close to Ana and Jack.

"Luke, why is he here?" I asked as Ella played with the necklace I was wearing. I wrapped my arms tighter around the young girl, feeling very defensive with Ashton's presence gracing us all.

Luke looked around until he spotted whose presence I was questioning. "I didn't invite him! How would I know?" Luke said in a loud whisper.

"Ash is here," Xander walked up, bouncing his son in his arms. "Go talk to him."

"Why would I do that?" Ashton should approach me, not the other way around. After all, I was the one who lost a sister, not him.

"I invited him for that reason." I scowled at Xander for doing this to me. He would be excited if I told him what happened last week. But it was just like Xander to enforce any and all interactions between Ashton and I.

I tried to set Ella down, but she only clung to me tighter, so I guess I was taking her with me.

Ashton had just gotten done speaking to someone on Luke's side of the family, probably a distant cousin of Luke's or someone who claimed they were family just to get close to Luke or something.

"Hello." I said, putting Ella down on her feet, only to have her hug my leg. Her nose gently rubbing against the tights I wore.

"Sorry for your loss." Ashton uttered, opening his arms for a hug, but I stepped back. He awkwardly settled his arms back to his sides, rocking on the balls of his feet as he brought the sleeves of his jacket over his hands.

"Yeah, I am too..."

"Hi Ella." Ashton bent down to Ella's height and tried to get a hug from her, but she too did not budge. I wouldn't be surprised if she could sense the betrayal emitting from Ashton, not wanting to trust him anymore.

Ashton was acquainted with the kids, he had seen them a few times, but they were still really shy towards him as any child would be around someone they didn't see often.

"Hi." She responded in a monotone voice, not pulling away from my leg.

"You make that dress look beautiful." Ashton gave a smile to Ella, his dimples very much prominent.

"Thank you." She murmured, hiding her face behind her hand as she rubbed her eye.

Ashton stood back to his regular height, pulling down his pant legs that rode up, "How are you holding up?"