Affection // irwin

Chapter 24

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR READING AFFECTION!! It just hit 10 000 reads! ahhhh :D Honestly can't believe people actually like this book. And if you do like it, don't forget to vote and comment ;) I love hearing from you guys. Oh and I changed the cover...do you like it? :)

Before you start reading this chapter, just know that this is Joselyn's POV of the last chapter. I want you to know what went through her mind..

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Ashton catches me the minute I fall and he carries me through my room. At one point I think he’s going to put me on my bed, but instead he goes down on his knees, with me still in his arms, and sits down next to it. Any human being would go straight to bed and put the unconscious person in there and put a blanket over the person. But not Ashton. Of course not. I wonder if he noticed my books or the color of the walls. I bet he noticed the pieces of bread that are no longer fresh. 

He tugs a strand of my hair behind my hair and I frown. Not because it hurts, it does not, but because of the feeling. I feel something. I finally feel something. Perhaps it was because it was the first human contact, any contact at all actually, I’ve had for days. Perhaps it was the unfamiliar feeling of someone touching my hair. Normally, I hate it. But the most probable reason I frowned was because of him. Because of Ashton. Because of his touch. I’ve missed it. I thought about it several times even though I hate to admit it. When the tears were falling and my thoughts were taking over me, my heart always reminded me of Ashton.

I hear a silent sob over me and when I open my eyes, Ashton’s got his shut. From the look on his face, it seems like he’s in pain. Is he about to start crying because of me? I can’t let that happen.

“How…” I breathe out and he looks at me with his blank eyes.

It’s so hard to speak. My throat is dry. I’ve hardly drunk anything these past days. Mom puts a water bottle at the tray with the food, every day, but for some reason, I can’t get the liquid down my throat along with the rest of the dry food.

“…did you…”

“How I found out about you?” Ashton quickly says, finishing my sentence.

I’m surprised he even heard me at all but I’m glad he did. He just saved my voice. I know I will need it for later. I nod, or so I try. I can barely feel my head move.

“You didn’t respond to any of my messages. I texted you on Monday and sent you messages through Facebook when you didn’t reply by Tuesday. I called you but you wouldn’t answer. Today I talked with Michael and he told me he had been to your father’s office this morning. Apparently he was invited in, but your father wasn’t there because of some family emergency. And you were the first one on my mind. I jumped in the car and drove right over. Your mom let me in. she was looking so tired, Joselyn. She told me she had picked you up crying after a class and when you got home, you ran upstairs and they haven’t seen you since. She’s worried about you. You should know that.”

Ashton talks slow. I think he thinks I’m still tired, and I am. I take every word in, try to understand what actually happened. I know he texted me, or at least I know somebody did. The phone kept buzzing that day, but soon the battery died and I didn’t feel like charging it. Nobody would even care. Except that person who kept making it buzz. But he would have to wait.

“Did she…say…what…”

“She doesn’t know what’s happened with you. I don’t want to push you to anything but please, please, tell me Joselyn. Why were you crying?” He goes quiet for a second. “Your mom said something about a blonde guy…”

A blonde guy, also known as…

“Luke. It was Luke, wasn’t it?”

Yes. Yes it was Luke. It was your best friend Luke who I talked to. Luke who is also your ex-girlfriend’s brother. But it wasn’t just Luke who made this to me, I want to tell him. I look up at him. He’s looking all pale now. Does he have any clue of what’s going on? His grip hardens around me and I feel his fist clench as he pulls it away from me. I’m still solid in his grip.