Affection // irwin

Chapter 34

ASHTON POV

I don’t even know what I’m doing here.

After spending some time with Joselyn, I walked her home and then back again for my shift. She told me she could walk home herself, but if she did, I wouldn’t have the chance to kiss her the way I wanted to kiss her, wanting to feel her even more than before. If I had done it at Sunday’s, people would have given me a hard time at my shift, and I wasn’t really in the mood for that. I still had a lot going on in my head.

Like the reason why I’m here, at some random house at some random street I’ve never heard of before. I succeeded in making Joselyn tell me what exactly Michael had written to her and then I had him text me the adress for the party. The guy having it is a year older and I’m pretty sure there are some illegal stuff being passed on around here.

The only reason I’m going is because I want to clear up some things with Luke and knowing him, he would be here. He never misses a party.

Joselyn’s story hasn’t left my mind since she told me and I just need to tell Luke how hurt she got. I’m not going to start a fight, but he probably will. That’s why I asked Calum for help. Calum’s always been the one to calm Luke down when he’s too drunk or is about to do something really stupid. It’s Calum’s specialty. Calum might drink a lot, but the minute you tell him to sober up – he does. And it’s scary how fast he does it. One second he’s laughing at his own thumb nail, the next he will tell you the meaning of life. He’s even clearer in his head than he is on a normal day. 

I see him before he sees me. He’s standing by one of the tables filled with beer cans. He’s got his back turned to me but I’m 100 % sure that it’s him. His broad shoulder, the quiff you can even see from the back. He’s talking with some red haired girl, probably making a joke, because she swats his arm playfully and laughs. It’s Luke alright. 

I take a few steps closer and nod at Calum who’s with them too. I didn’t tell him the full story why I needed him but he seemed cool with it. Any chance to knock some sense into Luke, and he’s on.

“Well, well, well. Look who finally decides to show up. Hello there, Ash,” Luke smirks at me after turning around, clearly noticing Calum’s nod. He doesn’t yell, but his voice is still loud over the music.

“Luke,” I reply shortly.

“Why don’t you go somewhere else?”

It takes a moment before I realize he’s talking to the red haired girl who’s now quick on her feet. She finds one of her heavily made-up friends and is back to laughing pretty fast.

“Maybe we should step out for a minute?”

He ushers me out of the room and out to the porch. He tells the two people who are there to get lost and they run away. Nobody obeys Luke. It’s always been like that.

“See you brought a bodyguard,” he eyes Calum who just stares back at him, completely blank in his face.

“I won’t need a bodyguard. I just want to talk.”

“So talk. Talk to me, Ash.”

Luke opens his arms and I take a deep breathe, but is interrupted by him laughing.

“It always takes you so long to talk. Keeping shut about everything. Just spit it out, man,” he folds his arms over his chest and tilts his head a little, a smirk still playing on his lips.

“Where are we?”

“We’re on the porch of Kenny’s house, stupid,” he rolls his eyes at me.