CALUM

The next morning, I get dressed for work a lot more enthusiastically than I had been before. Now that Ashton is talking to me again, it's easier to get through the day. Ashton is also back to telling Michael off whenever he makes fun of me, which is a plus.

I hum to myself as I dress in the usual black button up, cuffing the sleeves. I prop the collar in the mirror, making sure to angle it right to cover the bruise Luke left from the other day. I smile at Ashton's bracelet that is secured around my wrist. It's not until a moment later that I remember Luke, and I quickly pull the sleeves down to cover it up.

I slide my phone into my pocket and brush my teeth, and then I look down at the necklace Luke gave me. He'll be mad if I don't wear it.

I put it on reluctantly, wincing at the feeling of the velvet against my skin. It feels heavy, like a weight hanging on my neck.

Once I'm ready, I head downstairs to Luke. Outside, the rain pounds against the windows, creating a calming ambiance inside the house, and I let out a breath.

Luke is standing by the door, a black umbrella in his hand. He gives me a smile.

"You look lovely," he says, and pulls me in for a kiss. His fingers wrap around the necklace as his lips touch mine. My skin itches with his touch, and I resist pulling away.

Luke pulls the umbrella over our heads as we go out to the car. We have a garage, but I think Luke likes that people can see his car in the driveway.

We manage to get in the car without being rained on, thankfully. I curl into myself in the passenger seat as Luke drives to the restaurant, the chill from the rain outside creeping into my bones like ice.

The rain throws itself against the car, pounding on the glass like fists. I lean my head against the window, my hair brushing against my eyelashes. The sound is calming.

Luke pulls up the the curb and stops the car. I give him a smile before turning and opening the car door. Just as I am about to make a break for it through the rain, Luke catches my wrist in his hand.

"What's this?" He turns my wrist, revealing the bracelet Ashton made. The words fall off my tongue, and I sit there with my lips parted. Luke's grip tightens on my skin, his fingernails digging into my hand.

"Ashton made it for me. For my birthday," I tell him, and his eyes flash. He crosses his arms at me, and I curl away from him. I look down at my wrist, seeing the beginnings of a bruise form.

"You went against what I told you to do. You spoke to him," Luke says, stating it like a fact. I don't dare say anything. Luke clenches his jaw.

"He insisted to get me this, I didn't ask him to!" I say, as though it would make any difference.

Luke turns the car on again, not looking me in the eye. "You're walking home," he says.

I drop my wrist. "What?"

"You heard me. You're walking home."

I blink at him. "But-- it's raining."

"Don't argue with me!" Luke slams his fist on the wheel. "You're walking home. You get off work in two hours, right?"

I nod unhappily. Luke turns back ahead. "Then I'll see you then."

I stare at him for a moment longer, waiting for him to take back what he said and promise to pick me up, but he doesn't. So I slide out of the car and close the door, watching him speed away into the traffic.

I blink against the rain, feeling my hair grow wet. I frown, turning and hurrying into the restaurant. Inside, I shake my hair out, hoping to get some of it dry, but not much happens. If anything, it just leaves it looking worse than it did before.

I see Ashton stacking plates in the corner of the restaurant, looking focused and at ease. I wipe away a few raindrops dripping from my hair, wishing Luke could be a bit more easygoing.

I'm grateful that work is only for two hours today. There is apparently someone coming in to meet with my boss and they don't need as many employees, and I'm not one to argue.

I push Luke out of my mind and grab two handfuls of silverware, beginning to set up the tables in my section. Ashton catches my eye and flashes me a dimpled smile, and together we prepare the tables.

~*~

The two hours go by unbelievably fast since I had Ashton to keep me busy talking and laughing. The restaurant was slow, of course, but my time was over before I knew it.

I had almost forgotten about Luke by the time Ashton and I were off, but peering outside and seeing Luke's absence was a harsh reminder.

I grab my stuff and head outside, wondering if perhaps he is parked around the corner. Rain beats down on my head, plastering my hair to my forehead and dripping down my cheeks. Raindrops catch on my eyelashes, blocking some of my vision as I scan the sidewalk.

He's not there.

I exhale, wondering why I bothered. Luke doesn't say something and then not go through with it.

I sit down on the curb, curling into myself unhappily, tucking my legs to my chest. The rain continues to pour down on me, taking no time in drenching me head to toe. I wrap my arms around myself, the rain chilling me to the bone. I start shivering.

I look down at Ashton's bracelet, the thread getting soaked in the rain. I sniffle a little, growing upset. I hate that Luke has to put restrictions on my life with Ashton. For the first time, I realize just how much I hate it.

"Calum?"

I glance behind me to see Ashton, his hazel eyes looking at me curiously. He's getting soaked, his curly hair falling in wet strings around his face, but he doesn't move. I blink at him.

Ashton suddenly widens his eyes. "Jesus, Calum! You're freezing!" He bends down beside me, wrapping his strong arms around my shoulders. "You're shivering like crazy."

"I'm-- I'm fine," I mumble. Ashton does his best to shield me from the rain, but I'm still soaked. "I'm waiting for the rain to stop."

"It's not going to stop, Calum," Ashton says, and I can tell he's confused. "Not until later tonight, anyway."

I sigh, figuring he must be right. Ashton looks at me for a moment longer before sitting down next to me, staring at a messy puddle in front of us. He chews on his bottom lip.

"What are you doing out here, Calum?" He asks quietly.

I look down at my hands, slippery and wet from the rain. "Luke got mad this morning. He told me to walk home."

Ashton furrows his eyebrows. "You're kidding me."

"I-- I deserved it," I mumble, not looking him in the eye. I stare up at the slick road ahead of me. "I should probably start now."

"You're not going anywhere," Ashton says, his voice firm. "I'm driving you."

"You can't do that! He'll find out," I say hurriedly.

"I won't let him. We'll keep it secret, alright?" Ashton says gently. He brushes some raindrops out of his eyes. "But you'll get sick if you walk all the way back to your house. It's cold out here."

I let out a sigh. "Ashton..."

"Please, Calum," he says, looking me straight in the eyes. "Let me."

I want desperately to say yes. The rain has soaked me straight through my clothes, and I'm shaking so bad that I can't keep my hands still. I can imagine Luke's face if he found out, but one look at Ashton's pleading eyes lets my guard down.

"Okay," I say, and Ashton's face lights up. He gives me his dimpled smile and helps me to my feet, walking us through the rain to Ashton's beat up car. I climb into the passenger seat and Ashton turns on the heat, making sure the vents are angled towards me.

"Let's get you warm," Ashton murmurs, rummaging around in the back for a blanket. He wraps one around my shoulders, and then he rubs my hands together with his, blowing hot air on them. I laugh a little.

"I'm okay, I'm good," I tell him, and Ashton smiles happily. He pulls the car out of the parking lot, and I give him directions.

I stop shivering halfway into the drive, and by the time we reach my neighborhood road, I'm plenty warm and almost completely dry.

"You can stop here. My house is a few ahead, but I don't want Luke to see you," I say. Ashton puts the car in park.

He looks around with an impressed look on his face. "These are very... nice houses."

In other words, they're big. Massive actually. Luke's is one of the biggest of this neighborhood, despite us two being the only ones living there. I nod.

"Yeah, I guess so."

I sit in silence, but it's not awkward silence. It's the kind of silence that is brought from sitting in a beat up car with the rain pounding down, cuddled in a blanket and enjoying the simple presence of a kind boy at your side. The kind of silence that you can't just pass by without enjoying.

I can see Ashton glance at the necklace every so often, either gawking at or or looking at it with distaste, I don't know. It makes me want to take it off and throw it out the window.

"Calum," Ashton begins. "What do you want to do? You know, when you stop working at the restaurant."

I stare at him as though I'd just seen a ghost. I'll be working at that restaurant my entire life, probably. Having another job just isn't an option for me.

Although, I have thought about it before. "Teaching. I want to teach kids."

Ashton smiles softly. "You'd be so good with kids. I can see it."

"What about you?" I ask, running a hand through my hair and catching a few more raindrops.

"Undecided," he says with a grin. "That's why I'm working at the restaurant."

I sit back and envy him for a moment. He's got his whole life ahead of him, and he can control it all with a wave of his hand. An empty plate, waiting to be filled. Mine is already full and planned out, regardless of what I might want. The stab of jealousy courses through my veins.

I glance outside at the ever going rain. If anything, it's pounding down even harder than before. "I guess I should probably go now. It's been a while."

Ashton stares at me with a look I can't desipher. He frowns and unlocks the door. "As you wish."

I open up the door, squinting at the rain hurdling itself outside. I glance back at the boy. "I-- Thank you."

Ashton gives me a sad looking smile. "Anytime, Calum."

After I close the car door, I walk quickly up the driveway, not wanting to get too cold again. I hurry up to the front door and slip inside, welcoming the warmth of the home with open arms.

"You're back," says Luke. I turn around, finding him staring at me with cold eyes, leaning against the wall. He moves closer to me, and I grow nervous. He's dressed in a simple white t-shirt and a pair of fitted black jeans, but he still manages to look intimidating. His lips form a frown.

"Who drove you?" he asks, his voice dropping lower. My blood stills in my veins.

"N--Nobody. I walked," I say. Luke doesn't look fooled.

He reaches up and flicks at my hair. "You're hardly wet, Calum. Don't think that you get get by lying to me."

I lock my jaw and stay silent.

"I'm going to ask you again." Luke's voice stays low and almost quiet, speaking in chopped sentences. "Who drove you?"

My heart throbs in my chest, seeming loud enough to wake up the entire world. I keep my lips sealed, refusing to give up Ashton's name. Though, by the looks of it, I have a feeling Luke already knows. He just wants to hear me say it.

Luke takes my silence as an answer, shoving me harshly against the wall. My head smacks against the wall, and it feels like my brain shakes.

"How superior do you thing you are, babe?" Luke growls, the pet name sharp as a knife. I flinch as he leans in closer. His fingers wrap around the necklace, and he uses it to yank me closer to him. "You think you can disrespect me like that and get away with it?"

Frightened tears threaten to spill down my cheeks, and I scramble away from his grasp, my eyes on the door. Ashton could still be out there. I could run out to him and--

Luke slams me against the wall just before I reach the door, and a cry escapes me as a bit of blood spills from my lip. The color stains Luke's thumb as he wipes it away.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, dread filling my stomach like honey. "I'm so sorry."

Luke blinks at me with a look I can't decipher, but his eyes soften, just a bit. He doesn't say anything, his grip on my necklace not loosening. He finally gives me a small nod and a sad look, saying "I know."

And then he presses his lips against mine, tasting my blood as easily as though it were sweet red wine.

---
A/N im at the beach and damn. it's hotter than satan's asshole out here

so as you know, i've planned out the rest of the story, but is there anything you want to happen in this story? i'm just curious

also my eye stings really bad whenever im by the sea is that normal

anyway lol this was a weird author's note. thanks for reading this messed up story. i really appreciate it. hope u liked it. pls vote and comment maybe ?

love u 2 th moon

bye