Wait to start the song.

Josh woke up to a mouthful of wild, blue hair. He groaned and shoved it away. It wasn't until he went to roll over and found himself pinned down by a body laying on top of his that he belatedly realized he wasn't in his own bed. Ashley was sleeping peacefully on top of him, her head and hand resting comfortably on his chest as her warm breath drifted across his skin.

Just when Josh was going to push her off of himself so he could get dressed and go home, he heard the front door open. Ashley must have heard it too because her eyes opened tiredly.

"My mom," she mumbled, remaining on top of Josh and wiping at her eyes sleepily. "She probably won't even notice we're here. She don't care."

Ms. Frangipane walked right past the living room, not even glancing at the couch her daughter and a boy were completely naked on. Still, Josh pulled the blanket up over Ashley a bit more. The front door opened again, and Josh felt anger spike in his gut once again when the same man who'd been arrested last night came walking in. He wasn't as unobservant as Ashley's mom had been.

"What the hell is this?" He demanded.

Ashley's mom peeked around the corner then, looking at her daughter, who kept her chest covered with the blanket as she sat up. Josh grabbed his shirt off of the ground and slipped it over Ashley's head, helping her to pull it on without exposing herself to the creep in the doorway. There was no way Josh was leaving now. Not while this guy was here.

Ashley's mom broke the silence, surprising Josh with the smile that spread across her face when she spoke to him. "Well I'll be damned! Joshua Dun. I ain't seen you since you was just a tiny little thing. You's all grown up now, ain't you? My Lord."

"Hi, ma'am. Nice to see you," Josh replied calmly.

The creep was still watching Ashley like a hawk, and Josh didn't like that too much. He was grateful for his inability to feel fear when Ashley shrunk back against him fearfully under the creep's glare. Even if she was going to be intimidated by that asshole, Josh wasn't. It wasn't his responsibility, but he'd keep that piece of shit away from her.

"I didn't think you'd be home so early," Ashley said tiredly, tangling her fingers with Josh's underneath the blanket.

Mostly as a means of showing the creep that he wasn't in control of this situation, Josh shifted their hands outside of the blanket and pulled her closer with his free hand. He wasn't her boyfriend, but that didn't mean the creep had to know that.

"You're stayin' for breakfast," Ms. Frangipane told Josh seriously. "I wanna hear all about what's goin' on in your life. It's been too damn long."

"Yes, ma'am," Josh replied, smiling as if he didn't know the man beside her was seething at the idea of having breakfast with the guy who'd actually been allowed to fuck Ashley last night. "Thank you."

"Of course. I missed havin' you around. You always been good to my little girl," Ms. Frangipane said, as if she actually cared about Ashley's well-being, before going into the kitchen.

Knowing full well that Ashley's mama's boyfriend was still in the doorway, Josh shifted Ashley out of his lap so he could get his underwear off the floor. Josh had learned pretty early on that he was bigger than most guys, and he'd definitely used that to his advantage whenever possible. He stood up and pulled his briefs back on, smirking at how the colour had drained from the creep's face.

"Dude, it's kind of creepy to stare at another guy's dick," Josh said as he handed Ashley her shorts.

Ashley smiled as she pulled them on under the blanket. "Everything okay, Dusty?"

The man said nothing, leaving the room instantly. Josh smirked again, picking up his jeans off of the floor.

"Come on," Josh told Ashley, helping her up off the couch. "He ain't gonna bother you, okay?"

Ashley nodded, looking surprised when Josh didn't let go of her hand once she was standing. Instead, he led her upstairs, smiling politely at Ms. Frangipane when she looked at them. She smiled back before opening the fridge. When Dusty looked at him, he just raised an eyebrow, making the older man's face flush again as he looked away fearfully. Josh grinned as he took Ashley upstairs to her room.

"How do you do that?" Ashley asked curiously, following Josh to the bathroom attached to her room.

"Do what?" Josh asked, dropping his jeans on the ground once again before helping her out of his shirt.

Ashley didn't answer the question though, blushing deeply as she shyly asked instead, "Are you showering with me?"

"He ain't gonna like that, is he?" Josh asked with a smirk as he slid her shorts down her legs.

Ashley was practically beaming as she stepped out of them, shaking her head. "Not at all."

Josh stepped out of his underwear too before letting her turn the shower on. Her smile didn't cease at all as they climbed into the small shower. In fact, it only grew when Josh started to wash her hair. She didn't look scared at all now.

Start the song. It's Adam (Reformatory) by Nicole Dollanganger.

"We didn't close the door," she remembered after a moment.

Josh simply shrugged, his fingernails scratching at her scalp lightly as he worked the shampoo into her hair. "He won't come in though. He's too embarrassed that he saw me naked. Besides, he thinks I'll beat the shit out of him if he bothers you."

"Will you?" Ashley asked quietly as he moved her underneath the stream of water and rinsed the suds out of her hair.

It seemed like a stupid question, but Josh answered it anyways. "I'll kill him."

Ashley beamed, pulling him down and kissing him. Her arms wrapped around his neck as her lips moved against his. Her tongue was soft, and Josh didn't mind morning breath too much, so he backed her up against the cold wall and deepened the kiss. If he was going to have to stay here for a while and put up with that asshole in her kitchen, he may as well get something out of it. He definitely wasn't taking care of her out of the kindness of his heart. He just already knew the girl he was sleeping with was soiled, and he didn't want anyone else dirtying her up. Sharing her with Brendon was bad enough. He wasn't sharing her with some nasty redneck who couldn't take no for an answer.

When the kiss broke, Ashley's fingers remained tangled in Josh's hair as she lightly nuzzled her nose against his. That seemed a little too soft though, and Josh hated shit like that. He bit her bottom lip instead, which was already bruised from the night before. She moaned quietly, sliding her hands out of his hair and down his chest before wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Do you have any idea how hot girls think you are?" Ashley asked him, her eyes studying his face while she smiled fondly.

"Yeah," Josh replied simply.

Ashley laughed, resting her head against his shoulder. "But you're cocky, and that's kind of annoying."

"Yeah, well, you're needy and you think you can't survive without a boyfriend, and that's annoying too," Josh replied, prying her arms from around his waist as she blinked at him in hurt confusion.

"Why do you always do that?" Ashley asked quietly, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Do what?" Josh asked, handing her the conditioner instead of putting it in her hair for her.

Instead of washing her hair immediately, Ashley held the bottle in her hands for a moment as she studied Josh again. "Why do you do sweet things and then immediately act like an asshole after? Why are you so determined to make people not want to be around you? I know you aren't actually a dick. I've seen how you are with your dad and your little sister. You're a good person. Why don't you want people to know that?"

Josh rolled his eyes, feeling irritated that she would ever think he owed her as much as he did his family. God gave him his sister and his dad because they needed him to take care of them. They did everything they could for him. Of course he treated them well.

"See, the thing you're forgetting is that my family is special. You're just something to fuck when I'm bored. You should be used to that already. That's all you are to Brendon and his dad too. Even that piece of shit downstairs thought so. He just didn't realize that he could only fuck you if you let him. I don't want to fuck you so we can talk about our feelings and braid each other's hair and get married. I want to fuck you because you're hot, and you owe me," Josh explained to her disinterestedly.

Ashley shook her head, looking down at her feet. "But...but you love me. It's not the same thing."

She squeaked in shock when Josh pushed her against the wall again, this time wrapping his hand around her throat and squeezing slightly. Her eyes were wide when she looked at him, but he didn't know if she was scared or turned on. Maybe both. He pressed his forehead against hers, letting his lips ghost against hers as he spoke.

"I could kill you right now and not care. I could crush your windpipe, watch you die from lack of oxygen, finish showering, politely tell your mama I have to go, and go home to eat breakfast with my little sister without caring at all. We ain't friends. I'm not your boyfriend. I don't want to be either of those things. I don't love you at all, and I never will," he told her coldly. "Understand?"

Tears filled Ashley's eyes as she nodded. She sniffled when Josh let go of her throat. "I understand," she whispered.

Josh smiled at her, softly brushing her wet hair off of her face and kissing her. It didn't surprise him at all that she kissed back without hesitation. "That's a good girl," he told her. "See? You don't need a boyfriend. You just need someone to remind you that you aren't as important as you think you are. You're getting a big head, princess."

It was almost comical how pink Ashley's cheeks got at the pet name. She nodded, kissing him one more time. "You're going to stay, right?" She asked needily.

"For a while," he told her.

He was impressed by how quickly he'd been able to train her to stop thinking she was in charge of this situation. He'd had to break a few girls down in the past, but she'd broken the fastest. No wonder he liked her so much. He was going to have a lot of fun with her.

Ashley nodded again, pulling Josh back over to the stream of water falling from the faucet. "Thank you," she told him quietly.

"You're welcome," he replied with a smirk.

For the rest of their shower, Ashley tried to get Josh to touch her as much as possible. Because she'd been such a good girl, he complied. He washed her hair and body, let her wash him, and littered her throat with hickeys. By the time they were getting dressed again, Ashley was well on her way to being completely dependent upon Josh's thoughts. It was one of the most satisfying things Josh had ever experienced. She wasn't Brendon's anymore.

---

Dusty wouldn't make eye contact with anyone during breakfast. He didn't even try to look in Ashley's direction, and Josh knew it was mostly because she was sitting with him. After being practically attached to Josh at the hip for most of breakfast, Ashley had suddenly got up in the middle of breakfast and climbed into his lap. She sat there contentedly while she ate her pancakes, and Josh didn't move her. He was too entertained by how horrified Dusty had looked when Ms. Frangipane had cooed over how cute she thought Ashley and Josh were. It only made things better that Ashley was still wearing Josh's shirt, so Josh wasn't wearing one.

"Honey, you never did tell me why things didn't work out with that Brody kid," Ms. Frangipane said to Ashley.

Josh smirked as he took a sip from his coffee. Even Brendon's name was irrelevant apparently. He loved that. Ashley gripped Josh's thigh nervously under the table.

"Um," she said quietly, glancing at Josh. He offered her no help, setting his coffee down and picking up a slice of bacon. Ashley looked nervously at her mom. "I guess I'm technically still dating him?" It sounded like a question. "I mean, I am. I'm still dating Brendon."

Ms. Frangipane took that in stride, nodding and taking another bite of her pancakes. "I see. Was I not s'posed to say nothin' bout that in front of Joshua?"

Ashley cleared her throat uncomfortably. "No. It's okay. Um, Josh knows. Brendon doesn't."

"That don't bother you?" Dusty asked Josh finally, looking a bit afraid to even try to converse with him.

Josh smirked. "Why would that bother me?"

Ms. Frangipane chuckled, taking a sip of her coffee.

Dusty looked completely floored. "It don't bother you that she don't wanna break up with her boyfriend for you?"

"She's a big girl, sir. It ain't my job to tell her what she can and can't do. If she don't wanna break up with him, I don't get to pretend her no means yes. I don't have to tell you that, though, do I?" Josh said calmly, smoothing Ashley's hair back off of her face softly as he spoke. She melted against him pathetically like a stray cat being pet for the first time.

The colour drained from Dusty's face, especially when Ashley turned her head and kissed Josh slowly. She smiled at him gratefully as she soothed her fingers through his curls. He smirked at her before looking back to Dusty, who looked like his entire world was ending.

"Well," he redirected his attention back to Ms. Frangipane, "I better get going. I told my dad I'd visit him at the station today." He mentally celebrated at how the words made Dusty's eyes widen in fear. "Thank you so much for breakfast, ma'am."

"You're so welcome, sweetheart. You come by anytime. Thanks for keepin' an eye on my baby. She gets into trouble more often than she don't. I'd rather she be gettin' into trouble with you than that Braxton kid. He ain't responsible. I know your daddy raised you better though. You take care, sweetie," Ms. Frangipane said kindly.

"Thank you, ma'am," Josh said again. "You have a nice day."

"I'll walk you out," Ashley said quietly as she climbed out of Josh's lap.

Knowing it would bother Dusty, Josh held Ashley's hand as he walked with her. Ashley blushed deeply.

"Oh, wait!" She said suddenly before disappearing into the living room. She came back out with his hat, which she set backwards on his head before smiling. "Much better."

She sighed contentedly when he kissed her, walking her backwards until her back hit the door. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she kissed him back, and Josh knew Dusty could see the scratches on his back from the kitchen table. The bite mark on his shoulder was pretty visible too. There was no way Ashley would get any shit from this asshole after Josh left.

Ashley beamed at Josh when the kiss broke, especially when he met Dusty's eyes and kissed her forehead protectively. "See you later, princess," Josh told her, making her practically vibrate with contentment. He then whispered so only she could hear, "Be a good girl, and call me if he does anything creepy."

She nodded obediently, kissing him again. "Bye, Josh."

He hummed a response before leaving, incredibly impressed with how he'd managed this entire situation. The creep was going to leave Ashley alone, she was going to stop thinking she was anything more than a warm body for Josh to fuck, and Josh had gotten laid. It was an all around win for everyone involved. Josh hadn't ever gotten his shirt back, though, so there was that.