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I sighed as I leaned forward with my elbows on my desk, rubbing my temples.

I kept getting my hopes up that it was finally Friday when every break that I got was spent just to realize it was only Thursday. It had been a long week, and I was ready to just curl up with Luke on our couch at home and watch Netflix in my sweats all weekend.

My mind kept drifting back to my encounter with Ashton on Tuesday night. I couldn't quite figure out what his intentions were, and usually it's pretty clear with guys. He came across at first like he was just trying to get with me, and then with him bringing me my purse before I left it it seemed like he was genuinely trying to be a gentleman. I wondered also why I'd never seen him before, because that certainly wasn't the first Tuesday I'd been to Starbucks.

I of course pushed him aside though, because Luke was right. I would probably never even see him in my life again.

My headache didn't subside, even when I walked into Starbucks to wait for Luke again. I didn't even have the energy to greet him or get a drink for myself; I just went straight to the couch and sat down, checking the time on my phone before closing my eyes and leaning my head back against the couch.

I'll admit that I live a pretty simple life. I just go to work and then Luke and I come home and we have dinner and watch TV and wind down before going to bed. I get up in the morning and take a shower or just get dressed, make Luke breakfast before heading off to catch the bus. I go to work all day, then come to meet Luke at Starbucks, or if I'm really tired I just go straight home, and the cycle repeats itself. Weekends we might go to the park or something or walk around downtown Seattle, but a lot of times we end up being too tired from the week to do anything but watch movies and sleep and order Chinese takeout.

I think it's great having Luke around as a best friend all the time. We act like a married couple--we fight all the time, we tease each other, sometimes he even puts his arm around my shoulder when we walk. It gives people the idea to keep away from me because although Luke is like a big teddy bear, being 6'4 he looks a bit intimidating.

Here I was, Thursday night sitting at Starbucks waiting for Luke just like our usual weekday.

"Long day at work?" I heard Luke's voice in front of me and I opened my eyes and glanced at him to see him wiping off a nearby table with a rag.

"Yeah," I sighed. "I'm so tired I feel like I could sleep for days."

"Why didn't you just go home?" he asked.

"I don't know, honestly." I had full intentions on coming straight home today but something in the back of my mind was nagging at me to come to Starbucks today, and now that there was no reason for it I was feeling a bit stupid.

"Well I'm off in 20 minutes," he said. "Then we can go home and I'll make dinner tonight."

I nodded as Luke turned and walked away, leaving me alone on the couch again.

Well, I thought I was alone.

"You and Luke are really cute together," a voice next to me startled me a little and I turned to look at none other than the same curly haired boy that sat by me Tuesday night.

"Oh m'sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said.

"Do I know you?" I asked as he took a deep sigh and leaned back against the couch, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I'm afraid not, darling."

"Who are you and why are you talking to me?" I asked, not intending to sound rude but it certainly sounded that way when it came out.

He opened his eyes and looked over at me, uncrossing his arms and sitting forward to stare at me in the eyes.

"I'm Ashton Irwin," he said. "And I'm just trying to make friendly conversation."

"And why have I never seen you in my life before?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Right place and time."

"Do you come here very often?" I asked.

"Every Tuesday and Thursday."

"I feel like I would have seen you before Tuesday then," I said.

"Well you kinda just come in here every evening and you sit at this same couch every night and you do the same thing. you sip at your little drink and you scroll through your phone and get bored with it and then stare at the fire or read a book until you and your boyfriend leave together," he said. "I can see why you wouldn't notice me."

"First of all, I find it a bit uncomfortable that you notice all that about me and yet this is the first time you've talked to me," I said. "And second of all, Luke isn't my boyfriend."

"Then what is he?" he asked. "And it's just hard to not notice such a stunningly gorgeous girl."

My heart skipped a beat at his compliment but I pushed it aside. The last thing I need right now is a relationship and I certainly didn't want one with a boy that watches me every time I come into Starbucks yet never talks to me.

"Luke is my best friend," I said. "We're roommates I guess."

"You guess?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah," I said. "We live together but we're just strictly friends."

"Mm." he nodded, turning and pulling his phone out of his pocket. "You know, I still haven't caught your name."

"I'm Taylor," I said.

"What's your full name?" he asked me.

"Taylor Parks," I said.

"Your middle name?" he asked.

"I don't have one."

"Can I give you one?" he asked.

"Maybe someday. But not today."

"Well then could I at least give you my number for now?" he asked, a grin taking over his face.

I let out a laugh, which made him smile as well. I guess he wasn't as bad as I thought he was the first time I met him, but there's was still something a bit off about him.

I almost declined and told him that I didn't want to but then I remembered my reason for moving here to Seattle. I remembered that I was getting a fresh start away from everyone else and I decided to go ahead and exchange phone numbers with Ashton Irwin.

"Hey, are you ready to go?" Luke asked me once Ashton and I had exchanged numbers and received a bunch of random texts from Ashton saying things like "guacamole" and "cranberries."

"Yeah," I said, standing and grabbing my purse.

"I'll see you around, Taylor Parks," Ashton smiled.

I gave him a small wave in return before walking out with Luke.

-

"What was with you and that guy?" Luke asked as I was sitting at the table flipping through a magazine absentmindedly.

"Hm? oh Ashton," I closed the magazine. "We were just talking."

"Was he the same one from Tuesday?" he asked.

"Mhm." I ran a hand through my hair. "He seems nice enough. He's just extremely hard to read."

"'I'll see you around, Taylor Parks,'" Luke giggled. "All proper and shit, using full names?"

"Yeah I guess," I laughed with him. I had to admit that using my full name was a bit strange.

"Well this soup is going to be done soon and tomorrow is Friday so we can come home and start another show on Netflix," he said. "I heard American Horror Story is pretty good. do you think we could watch an entire season this weekend?"

"We both know we could," I laughed as he set a bowl of soup in front of me and I took the spoon and sipped at it.

"Then I've got our entire weekend already planned out," he grinned, sitting at the table with his soup as well.

"Sounds good to me."

Runaway - Ashton Irwin *completed*Where stories live. Discover now