Noelle
"You're final exams are Monday, do not be late." My professor reminded as we all got up to leave. I sighed and pulled a stack of papers from my bag, taking them up to him.
"This your extra credit essay?" He questioned, flipping through the pages.
"Yes, hopefully it pulls me up to that A." I smiled nervously, tightening the grip on my bag.
"I'll grade it this weekend. You're just a few points off from an A so I'm sure you'll be fine." He gave me a reassuring grin before patting me on the bag. "I know you'll do great on the exams. I'll see ya Monday." I nodded and sighed as I exited the classroom.
"Ash!" I called, picking up my pace to catch up with him before he got into his house. He stopped walking and turned to me slowly.
"Hey, you haven't been responding to my texts. I haven't talked to you in weeks." I gave him a concerned look as I leaned against the porch.
"Yea, been busy." He replied in a monotoned voice, not even making eye contact with me.
"You okay?" I asked him, stepping closer.
"Yea." He shrugged.
"Ashton look at me." I snapped, grabbing him by his face. "What is the matter with you?" My voice was softer and he still tried averting his eyes from meeting mine.
"I cant be friends with you anymore Noelle." He murmured. It felt like all the air fled from my lungs.
"What?" I asked, stepping away. My legs felt like jello and my body went numb.
"Not while you stick around with Luke. I cant do it anymore." He said louder, finally looking me in the eyes.
"Seriously?" I asked with my voice cracking.
"Noelle, you don't get it. I am in love with you! I've been in love with you for so fucking long and it's like you're fucking oblivious to that. You're with the biggest piece of shit I have ever met in my entire fucking life and it makes me sick to my stomach. You go around and act like you feel the same for me but then the minute he calls you, you run back to him. Can you not see that I would treat you right? Can you not see how in love I am with you? How much I love and appreciate you? What do I have to do to start getting your attention? Hit you, verbally abuse you, control every aspect of your life?" He yelled, making me feel like I was the size of an ant. I didn't say anything to him, I didn't know what to say. I turned abruptly and walked hastily to my house, not looking back. I slammed my door closed, running to my room as tears cascaded down my face.
I felt like an idiot and I had lost someone who meant so much to me.
"Noey?" Luke called my name quietly as he opened the door. "What's wrong?" I didn't look at him, I just kept sobbing into the pillow.
"Just go away." I yelled through tears. He was quiet before I heard his footsteps leaving the room. I didn't want to move from that spot, not to get up and eat, or use the bathroom, or go to work. This was worse than when Luke cheated on me and I didn't know how much more I could take.
I stared at the time on my phone and sniffled, contemplating calling off work tonight. I decided against it and climbed out of bed, getting dressed, figuring I needed something to get my mind off of Ashton. I cleaned up my face and brushed my hair into a ponytail.
"Noey." Luke opened up the bathroom door and I gave him a weak smile.
"Wanna talk about earlier?" He asked, sitting on the edge of the tub.
"I'm okay. I'm just stressed out with final exams." I lied, grabbing my lip gloss, mascara and phone, shoving them into my purse.
"I gotta get to work." I kissed him quickly and he grabbed my hand.
"I don't think you should go tonight." He muttered.
"Luke I'm going to work." I pulled my hand away and furrowed my eyebrow.
"I don't think it's a good idea." He said again, more demanding.
"I'm not doing this with you. I'm going to work." I stood my ground and turned on my heels, walking to the living room to grab my jacket.
"I'll be home tonight." I walked out to my car and averted my eyes down to Ashtons, noticing him on the porch, staring down at me as well. I breathed in deeply and climbed into my car, refraining from going down there to get him to change his mind.
Work went by slowly and it didn't help as much as I thought it would.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Ruby chimed as she wiped down the bar.
"I'm torn." I mumbled, staring off at the wall while I tapped my bottom lip with my finger. She leaned against the counter, looking at me with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Talk to me mamas." I shifted my eyes and smiled shyly.
"Ashton told me he was in love with me." I admitted to her.
"Don't you love him?" She questioned.
"Yea, very much but I got back with Luke and I only did that because I thought Ash was in love with someone else. He said he cant be friends with me anymore because I'm with Luke and he cant keep watching me in that situation." She pulled out a napkin, handing it to me as tears started welding in my eyes.
"Luke is a shitty person." She chuckled lightly.
"But I cant just leave him because Ashton finally told me." I informed her.
"You can do anything you wish baby. It's your life, you don't owe anyone any type of explanation whatsoever. You gotta do what your heart wants, not what everyone else wants you to do." I smiled as she pulled me into a hug. "Now get outta here, it's late." I nodded and wiped my face, grabbing my things from the back. I didn't wanna go home, I just wanted to drive away. Leave all of my problems behind me and start a new life. I kept reminding myself that graduation was in a week and I can just disappear afterwards.
