Here to Stay || Ashton Irwin (completed)

Chapter 26

After leaving Michael's house, Ashton just kept walking until we came to a 4-way intersection. Obviously invisible to all the cars busily rushing through it, he walked into the middle of it and sat down. Three cars had gone through him by the time I decided to walk out to him. I sat on the cold asphalt across from him and waited for him to look up, which never happened.

"It's the hardest part," I finally said. 

He stopped sniffling for a moment as if to tell me to continue. 

"Watching everyone you love suffer because of you. When I died," I paused, still feeling weird speaking those words, "When I died and I had to watch people break down all the time because I wasn't strong enough to stay," my voice cracked, but I pressed on, "I felt awful. I blamed myself for their misery because in a way, it is my fault that I died. I was the one driving." I shook my head and held back hot tears, "Enough about me. I'm sorry Ash. Okay, back to you," I collected my thoughts and continued, "What I'm saying is that you have a chance."

That got his attention. His eyes snapped up at me, hope dancing behind them. Cars zoomed around us, wind whipping at our hair, but the actual vehicles going right through us. 

"You're not dead yet, you have a chance to bounce back from this and back into their lives. You can beat cancer. I know you can. You have the strength and the support. You can do this, I believe in you."

Ashton smiled and reached up to wipe the one tear away that had escaped my eye. I smiled too and rested my hand over his. 

"Thank you," he whispered. 

"You're welcome," I mouthed back, my voice dying on me. 

Suddenly he stood up, wiped his face on his sleeve and held out his hand. 

"What are you doing," I asked, suddenly shocked by his mood change. 

"Let me help you up."

"Okay...." The second I was on my feet, he was pulling me along out of the intersection. "Ashton," I laughed, my tears slowly drying from my face, "Ashton where are we going?"

"I can't tell you!" 

"But Ashton!"

"Emma, please stop asking me I will not tell you."

I rolled my eyes and continued to run with him. Before long we ended up at a small road that turned off a much bigger main one. It was on the outer area of our town and one I had never gone down before. 

"Ashton where are we?"

He shook his head and led me down the road. Before long we came to a red mailbox with a dirt driveway. I raised my eyebrow and let go of his hand when he began to walk down it. 

"Oh, will you just trust me Emma?" He begged, "I promise, you'll love it."

I looked to either side of me. In both directions was a long stretch of winter bare trees and broken up road. I huffed and began to follow him down the drive. When we reached the end, a wooden cabin sat peacefully before a lake. 

"Welcome to my family's summer cabin, Emma," Ashton smiled, grabbing both of my hands and pulling me towards it.

"Ashton," I gasped, "This is beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it," he smiled, leading me onto the porch. "I used to come here every summer and spring as a kid. Even sometimes during the winter with my dad," he cringed a bit at his own mention of his father, but continued talking anyway, "It's one of my favorite places."

I stepped through the threshold and I could tell why. I was instantly greeted by a big stone fireplace and big red couches covered in pillows. Ashton walked over to the wall and turned the heat on, before he shrugged and realized we didn't really need the heat. Weird ghost thing perk, I guess.