5SOS Preference and Imagines!

113. Ashton Imagine. ' Of Course It's You. '

113. Ashton Imagine. ' Of Course It's You. '

Ashton is my best friend. There's no question; no 'one of my best friends', no 'best friend who's a guy' - he's my best friend in the whole world and he knows it.

I call him whenever I need him and he calls me whenever he needs me, it's how it should be and it's how it is. I don't think I've ever fallen out with Ashton; we've understood each other from day one.

So when I broke up with Alex, Ashton was the first one I turned to. I'd been in town - just running a few errands for my mom before the shops closed, when I saw him sitting in a window booth at his favourite diner. He was sitting opposite another girl. He was holding her hand. I hadn't even been watching for ten seconds when he leant over and kissed her. I rang him. I saw him jump back, look at his phone, roll his eyes so exaggeratedly I could see it from over the street, then pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, honey, it's me."

"Hey, what's up?"

"Where are you?"

"Just at home, why?"

"Oh, so it's not you I can see in the diner then?" I asked, sitting into my hip and tapping my toe on the sidewalk, like I always do when I'm angry.

I watched him jump again, looking out the window and then setting his eyes on me. He hung up and ran out the diner across to me - I didn't move towards him.

"It's not what it looks like!"

"Is it not? Do enlighten me then? What is it?" I asked, bringing out the sass I could only have learnt from Ashton.

"It's, uh, well what it is depends how long you've been watching?"

"Alex! How could you cheat on me?"

"I'm sorry, it's just I met her at a party and I was very drunk and she took me to her room and-"

"Oh, I'm sorry you've already had sex with her? Why are we even having this conversation?" I shouted, trying so hard not to cry.

"How is this any worse than you making out with Jack at the Christmas party?"

"Because I was drunk out of my mind and didn't remember it the next morning! As far as I'm aware, it's 8pm and you've not been anywhere near the stuff. Well, not today at least."

"Don't be angry with me."

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"Because I was going to break up with you anyway."

My jaw dropped. "How was that statement meant to make me less angry with you?"

"Just forget it, it's over - I'm breaking up with you. It's not me, it's you, you're a bitch and I hate you? Are we done? Because I have a much more willing date waiting for me." He snarled, banging his shoulder into me as he sauntered back to the diner.

I didn't know what to do or how to respond. I started walking, shopping bags weighing down my shoulders. I didn't even realise where I was walking until I looked down Ashton's drive. I didn't even notice it was raining - I was soaked. I started walking down the path and knocked on the door.

Ashton lazily opened it, his checked pyjama pants swinging low on his hips and his dad's shirt falling off his shoulder. His eyes widened as he realised it was me and my eyeliner was running tracks down my cheeks.

He reached out to take the shopping bags from my freezing hands. "What the hell happened?" He asked, putting both of the plastic bags in one hand and putting his other arm around my shoulders. I couldn't even begin to explain I just started to sob.

He rushed me inside the house, dumping the shopping in the kitchen, putting on the kettle and sitting me down in his living room while he went upstairs to find a blanket from his room to wrap around my shoulders. Within three minutes I was sitting curled up on his couch with a cup of tea in my hands and Ashton's warm arm around me.

I finished the tea in silence and he took the cup from my freezing, shaking hands.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked gently.

"I saw him in the diner with someone else. He's already had sex with her. He hates me."

"I'm sure he doesn't."

"He told me he did."

"Oh." Ashton mumbled, holding me that little bit tighter. I started to snivel again, burying my face in my knees and trying not to think about it.

"What if he was the best I was going to get? What if he's been lying to me the whole time? That's eight months of my life I spent with someone who couldn't stand me!"

"Hey, don't say that - you can do so much better than him, you're worth the world." Ashton argued, hugging me even closer. I let go of my knees and wrapped my arms around his waist, he started stroking my hair in the way he knows I love and has done every time I turn up at his house hysterical.

"Thanks, Ash."

"I'd do anything for you and you know it. I love you."

"I love you too."

"No, I mean, I love you."

"What?" I asked, detaching from him so I could see the sorrow in his hazel eyes.

"I'm sorry; I've been in love with you for a long time." He looked like he was about to cry - it had taken him a lot of courage just to say it.

"Why didn't you say something?" I asked.

"I thought you'd be better off with someone else; anyone else. But then you started dating Alex."

"But... me? Really?"

"Of course it's you." His smile had a devastating sadness to it, I wanted to do something about it.

"Oh Ash, I wish you'd said something."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm seeing you in a way I've never seen you before." I mumbled, relaxing my legs over his lap and brushing his curly fringe out of his face.

"You are?"

"Why would you think I'd be better off with someone else?"

"Because I'm just me, I'm just Ash but you're you - you're incredible."

"Don't say that."

"I meant it."

"So did I."

He paused and sighed. "What's this then? What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, I need some time to process everything that happened with Alex. But I also don't want to go home and be alone right now."

"Do you want to stay the night?" He offered. I nodded. He mimicked my action. "I can make sure you're not alone. I'm here."