Close As Strangers » (Ashton Irwin a.u.)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Close Encounters

I remember the day we told Grace's parents we were dating. It was almost two years ago when we told them. Her mother seemed okay with it, but her father...

Grace invited me over to spend the afternoon there. She wanted to tell her parents about us since she thought they had the right to know considering they were her parents and all. I was nervous because I didn't know what to expect.

I remember Grace holding my hand nervously as she approached her parents sitting in the family room. "Um... I have something to tell you," she said. They looked at us, and they were probably expecting her to say something horrible, but they waited for Grace to stumble into her announcement.

"What is it?" her mother asked.

"Ashton and I- We are- We're dating, and I just wanted to tell you," Grace stammered.

"You are?" her mum asked. Grace nodded. "I always thought you two looked cute together." She smiled. Grace turned to her father.

"Dad?" she asked in almost a whisper. He looked angry, and I was scared.

"I won't allow it," he said.

"W- What?" Grace looked heartbroken. She held onto my arm and glanced up at me.

"I won't allow you to date him."

"With all due respect-"

"I don't care what you have to say," he cut me off. I frowned and pulled at the flannel I was wearing, grabbing a fistful of the material and trying not to make a scene.

"Why not?" her mum asked.

"Look at him! He's messy and rude and intolerable! He has a bad reputation, and he's a troublemaker! I'm not letting Grace date some thug," he yelled.

Grace was crying beside me. I knew I had to step in somehow.

"Don't be crazy!" her mum yelled. "Let Ashton say what he wanted to. Don't be an ass and cut him off."

"I just wanted to say that I don't care what you think, and I don't care that you disapprove of me or hate me. I love Grace, and nothing will change that. She's my everything. You can hate me all you want, but Grace stays out of it."

He jumped up to his feet. "Who do you think you are coming into my house and telling me what to do? You can't tell me how to treat my daughter!"

"C'mon, Ash, let's just go," Grace mumbled beside me. I started to leave while she was still holding onto my arm.

"You're not going anywhere with him!" her dad yelled, pulling Grace away from me.

"Stop it!" her mum said frantically.

He got up in my face. "Get the hell out of my house and never come back!"

I stared at him for a while, glaring at him. As much as I wanted to hit him, I couldn't. I finally let go when I noticed Grace practically trembling. I walked out the door and immediately heard Grace screaming inside.

"What the hell?!" she said. "Why can't I see him?!"

"He's a low-life! Can't you see that?!" her dad yelled back. "He'll hurt you, Grace! He'll do something bad to you! I'm just trying to protect you!"

"The only one hurting me is you! Ashton has protected me more in the year we've known each other more than you ever have my entire life!"

"I can't always be here!"

"YEAH BECAUSE YOU'RE OUT FUCKING AROUND WITH SOME GIRLS AT A BAR EVERY NIGHT!"

The yelling stopped, and everything was silent. I was scared for Grace. Had he hit her? Would he? I had to be in there.