Live in the Moment - Lashton

Chapter Thirty-four

Chapter Thirty-four

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Ashton hadn't seen Luke in three days, besides the glimpses of him in the playground when he was collecting Theo after school. Every time he caught sight of the blonde man he felt the butterflies in his stomach like when they first met.

Every time he saw the younger man he wondered how he was doing, if he was eating or if he had fallen back down. If he was feeding Theo and if he missed him. But, Ashton didn't want to turn up at the blonde's door begging him to let him help out, knowing how fragile Luke was. He wanted Luke to come to him, ask him back into his life.

Ashton had spent an hour laying on Luke's bed after he had stormed off reflecting on their relationship. He did think that the blonde liked him, he had told him that many times and had often been the first to hint at intimacy. But, there was a small part of the teacher that wondered if Luke had only clung onto Ashton as he provided stability for him and his son. He fed Theo, he basically fed Luke and kept him going.

And Ashton didn't mind helping out the father and son. He loved Luke and Theo dearly, and at one point in the relationship, he would be happy to call Theo his own if Luke wanted him to be. But, the issue for Ashton was that he didn't know if he was going to receive that commitment from Luke.

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Ashton placed down the red pen, marking the children's spelling tests at the last minute before they returned from their lunch break for an English lesson in which they were going to discuss the spellings and learn some new ones.

Standing up he then went to place each book in the children designated seat which he knew at ease from memory.

The teacher heard a small noise from the doorway and turned around to see Theo stood there looking down at the floor, the tip of his nose flushed red from the cold, and a pair of navy gloves covering his hands but no coat.

"Theo, lunch isn't over yet, you should be in the playground," Ashton stated. He would be more than happy to talk to the six-year-old, yet in case a teacher walked in they may get suspicious, especially Mrs Prior.

"I know," he mumbled. "But I have not seen you in forever and I miss you and I want to talk to you."

Ashton sighed and sat on one of the tables, looking over at the small boy and decided that he would risk the chance of getting caught in order for the boy to get his troubles off his chest. "What's wrong Theo?"

"Why haven't you been to my house? I really miss you and so does daddy and I don't like it," he said, with a small sniffle.

Ashton smiled sadly. "I've missed you both too Theo," he said quietly, "But I just need a little break at the moment. How is your dad?" he asked curiously, hoping he was treating himself and his son right.

"He misses you so so much," Theo stated, pouting at his teacher it an attempt to get him to come over tonight much like he used to. Theo liked that routine.

Ashton smiled, hoping it was true. "I meant has daddy been eating, Theo?" Ashton asked.

"We eat together, we eat the same food. Yesterday we even got to sit on the sofa and watch tv, and then he said that it would be even better if you were here Mr Irwin" he admitted excitedly.

Ashton sighed in relief and then opened his mouth to respond before his ears picked up the footsteps that were coming down the corridor. The teacher held his index fingers up to his lips telling the small boy to be quiet. Once he saw the door begin to swing open he quickly rushed out. "Theo I know it is cold outside, but you need to go and join your classmates back in the playground please."

Ashton's eyes met his colleagues, Mrs Prior who looked over at him and then down at the young boy. Theo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion why Ashton was being so harsh and changing the subject, but once he turned around and saw another teacher who he did not speak to, but had seen he quickly understood that no one was supposed to know that he knew his teacher very well

"Is everything okay?" Mrs Prior asked with a sceptical look upon her face to the young teacher.

"Theo's just cold and wanted to stay in here," Ashton lied, standing up again and holding the books in his hands. "Theo there is only about ten more minutes left, and then you can come back into the warm. Maybe if you run around the playground you will be warmer."

Mrs Prior continued to watch Ashton as he kept steady eye contact with one of his pupils, an unreadable expression upon his face.

Theo simply nodded, knowing he was not supposed to be here. "Sorry," he muttered, dropping his head and leaving not wanting to look at the woman.

Ashton then continued to place the books in the correct places.

"He seems to be causing you a lot of issues lately," Mrs Prior remarked, watching the young teacher placing the remaining books down.

"He's no problem," Ashton dismissed, not wanting Theo to get into trouble for his sake.

She looked at Ashton with uncertainty. "That's not the first time Theo has been in here alone Ashton, and how could I forget the time I saw you with him and his father in public, I could report this to the head and get him to look into it."

His back still facing the older woman he let fear slip across his face before he spun around and looked at her with a tiny bit of offence. "That's quite a sweeping acquisition your making. I've trained hard to be a teacher and I would not do anything to compromise that," he lied.

She took offence to his tone and warned him one final time. "Well it doesn't look like that and I might have to report this because I think you're lying."

Ashton ignored her and returned to his desk and sat down on his chair, picking up a black pen and began to fill in the spreadsheet for the marks he had given the students. "You should always take something as true until proven false Mrs Prior," he stated, reflecting upon his degree.

She looked at him as if he was joking. "I think you are behaving very childish way Ashton, which makes me further question your professionalism."

Ashton didn't want to listen to her any more, and placed his pen back down and slipped the sheet back into his file. "It's ten to one, lunch has ended."

She huffed and left him be, but the annoyance the young teacher she had created made her all the more desire to tell the head of her suspicions.

Ashton sighed and ran his hair through his hands, and opened up his middle drawer, pulling out an envelope with his name typed upon it along with his address. He slid out the already read letter and let his eyes settle upon it once again and let his thoughts roam. He was going to turn the offer down but given the circumstances, he thought that maybe he shouldn't.

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