Thick and Thin [l. hemmings]

nineteen

"I'm home, bitch!" Ashton calls, dropping his bags at his feet the second the front door swings open.

"Hey!" I exclaim, a skip in my step as I walk from the kitchen to the door to give him a hug.

"I was only gone for a few days, Kels." He laughs as my arms cling tightly around his waist.

"I told Michael about Kiana's wedding." I tell him, not wanting to wait to talk about this.

"Kels! Good! But, like, I just got home a minute ago. Let me close the door before we talk." He giggles, removing me from his waist and closing the door.

"Okay, door is closed. I told Michael about Kiana's wedding." I repeat as he picks up his bag.

"How did he react?"

"Well... I was vague at first. But then I told him I was actually in the wedding. He's super skeptical but didn't push me."

Heading up to his room, I follow as Ashton scoffs, "You really take advantage of the fact he's too nice and will never push you, huh?"

I stop in my spot on the staircase, looking up to him at the top. When he realizes I'm not longer right behind him, he turns to face me, "What?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"C'mon, Kels. You know I'm right." He chuckles, continuing to his room.

I quickly run up the rest of the staircase to catch up with him, "What's wrong with you?"

Ashton drops his bag onto his bed before turning to face me, "Me? Really? I'm sorry, Kels, but if I were in his place, I would not be putting up with this. You're always so shady. He tells you he knows something's up and you still hide it. I understand wanting to hide Luke, I get it. But every other thing you've hid from him? Makes no sense. If you love him, fucking let him in. Stop pushing him away. He's going to leave if you keep doing it."

"Did you talk to him?" I ask, trying to ignore Ashton's little rant because frankly it hurt, and I didn't want to act hurt in front of him at this moment.

Ashton sighs, beginning to unpack as I stand in the doorway to his room, "No, I didn't. I'm going off what you tell me and how you two act. Even if he were to ever say anything to me, I'd never tell you. Just like how I don't tell him anything we talk about. It's hard being in the middle of this relationship because I love both of you. I've told you that."

"Then why do you keep snapping at me?" I question, trying to hide my frown.

"Because somebody needs to be straight up with you! You need to understand that it hurts to not be trusted by somebody who says they're in love with you!" He exclaims, dropping his clothes down onto his bed in frustration as he turns to face me.

"But I did tell him! Why are you being like this?"

"You told him about being in a wedding! You didn't tell him who Kiana is and you didn't even bring up Calum, you haven't given him anything! I don't want to tell you what you have to tell your boyfriend, but the longer you wait the worse you look."

"I'm not telling him how close I am with them. He'll want to meet them or go Seattle or-"

"Why is that such a bad thing!" He yells, rubbing at his temples as if I'm giving him a headache.

"Because what if I'm in Seattle and we run into Luke somehow! What if Kiana or Calum mention Luke! Calum almost told Nina and Kyle about Luke being my husband!" I shout, still staying in my spot in the doorway.

"Because you aren't being completely honest with Kiana and Calum! Fuck, Kels! You went out with them, fuck, they were in our house! And you still never told him anything!" He screams back, starting his unpacking again.