Ch. 12: Drunken Shenanigans

Kris

"I can walk!" Ashley announced for the third time as I led her through the living room toward the stairs. The guys had already gone to their rooms, leaving me alone with Ashley.

After reaching the hockey house, Ashley had spent a good ten minutes puking her guts out on the sidewalk. And then a few more, making me beg her to drink water. Why? Because drunk Ashley was stubborn as fuck and wouldn't take no for an answer. In the end, I had to bribe her with cookies to get her to drink water.

"See?" Ashley asked aloud when she had taken a few wobbly steps ahead. For some reason, she refused to let me carry her or even hold her hand to support her.

With a sigh, I followed after her, keeping close to her in case she lost balance. Again.

Despite the situation, Ashley seemed to be in a good mood. A smile tugged at my lips when I realized she was humming a tune and trying to dance and walk at the same time. Ashley was definitely a happy drunk.

She came to a halt when we reached the staircase. As she took a step forward, her foot slipped and she stumbled. I immediately wrapped my hand around her, catching her.

"Careful," I said.

She let out a giggle as she looked up at me. "Your stairs are moving."

I chuckled, squeezing her waist. "The stairs are fine. You are drunk."

"I don't think—"

Before she could finish her sentence, I bent down and wrapped my other arm around her knees, lifting her up in my arms. Ashley squealed and then started giggling uncontrollably as she threw her arm around my neck.

"You picked me up," she said, her eyes wide as saucers.

"I picked you up," I confirmed and started climbing the stairs.

"How did you pick me up?"

"I'll give you an explanation when you are in the state of understanding. For now, just enjoy the ride," I said, smiling down at her.

Ashley hummed and rested her head against my chest. "Shane says no one can pick me up because I'm...big."

Irritation flared inside me at her words. I already had a pretty low opinion of Shane and it was tanking lower with every new thing I learned about him. It was even more frustrating to think someone as sweet as Ashley was dating a douchebag like him. She could have done so much better than that pompous asshole.

"Shane's an idiot," I scowled. "Don't believe a word he says."

"But...but I am big," she mumbled, her voice so small that it broke my heart. "No one likes a girl that's as tall as them. Everyone wants to date those short girls who are cute and adorable."

As I entered my room, I kicked the door shut and placed her on my bed. I kneeled in front of her and cupped her face. "Only someone insecure about himself will try to make you insecure about yourself. You are beautiful and very adorable," I said and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Ashley kissed my cheek in return. "You're sweet."

Smiling, I stood back up and went to get a change of clothes. I usually slept shirtless but since Ashley was here, I pulled out my comfiest t-shirt and sweats to sleep in tonight. While I didn't have anything in my closet that could fit Ashley, I hoped she could still wear one of my old t-shirts and shorts. The t-shirt wouldn't be fine with her height, but the shorts worried me a little.

"You can change in my clothes for the night if you want," I said as I handed the clothes to her. "I'm uh... I'm gonna go change in the bathroom so you can have the room to yourself. I'll wait outside so just let me know when you are done."

Saying so, I carefully opened the door to my room and peeked outside. If anyone saw me heading to the bathroom with my clothes, they'd just have more doubts about my relationship. And I couldn't have that. The less everyone was concerned, the better it was.

Once assured that the coast was clear, I snuck out and rushed to the bathroom. I took my time changing clothes, brushing my teeth, and everything I could possibly think of doing. I spent at least fifteen minutes twiddling my thumbs while sitting on the toilet seat before deciding to head back. Hoping that Ashley had already changed and maybe even fallen asleep by then.

She hadn't. She was sitting on my bed, in the same spot I'd left her and had her phone in her hands. The clothes I had given her were lying in a heap beside her.

"You didn't change?" I asked as I closed the door behind me, locking it.

Ashley looked up from her screen, a frown marring her beautiful face. "April is texting me. She seems mad. There are no emojis."

It hit me then that I completely forgot to notify April that Ashley was staying with me tonight. That's the first thing I should have done considering I'd promised to drop Ashley at the dorms after dinner. They must have been so worried.

"Oh, she's calling," Ashley said as her phone started ringing. She accepted the call and pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello?" There was a brief pause before Ashley's face lit up with a blinding grin. "I'm with Kris. We are having a sleepover," she explained enthusiastically.

I couldn't really tell what they were talking about so I sat down on Ethan's bed as I waited for Ashley to finish her conversation.

"No, I'm still wearing my clothes," Ashley said suddenly, taking me off guard. She then looked at me and nodded. "Kris is wearing his clothes too. But they are different from before."

Oh. So that's what they are talking about.

"Wait. Let me ask Kris," Ashley said, looking at me. "Kris, April is asking if we are going to have sex. Are we going to have sex?"

I felt my cheeks flame at that. "No," I said, clearing my throat. "We are just going to sleep."

She nodded, going back to her phone call. "No. We are just going to sleep together."

Okay time for an intervention.

"I want to talk to April. Can I have the phone please?" I asked. Ashley handed me the phone and I immediately began to explain myself. "We are not sleeping together. I mean, we are sleeping but not like that. We aren't—"

"How drunk is she?" April asked, interrupting me.

My gaze went to Ashley who was still humming the same song from before and swaying side to side. "Very drunk," I replied.

Ashley scowled at me and lifted her nose indignantly. "I'm not drunk!"

"Of course, you aren't," I told her and then turned away from her, facing the door. "I had no idea she would get this drunk from cocktails," I whispered over the phone, hoping Ashley wouldn't hear me.

April let out a sigh on the other end. "She's a goddamn lightweight but would never admit it. She also loses all self-control and self-respect when drunk so please don't let her leave your sight."

Boy didn't I already know it! Over the course of the evening, Ashley had gone from being nervous about her ex to winking at random men to get drinks. Apparently that wasn't all drunk Ashley was capable of doing. Because in the next minute, her bra landed on my head.

I stilled as my mind processed the situation. Ashley's bra that somehow distinctly smelled like her and was of the similar shade of her skin was hanging from my head, one of its cup covering my eye. And if it was on my head that meant it wasn't on Ashley and that she was partially naked.

Blood rushed through my veins, heating my body from the inside at the image that popped in my mind. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, erasing that thought from existence.

"Kris? Are you there?" April's voice snapped me out of my stupor.

"Y-Yeah. I... I'm here. I'll call you later. Bye," I said and hung up.

Taking the bra off my head, I held it in my hands, trying not to focus on how soft the material was or how the cup fit perfectly in my palm. Or how that tiny detail conjured another image where something else of Ashley's would fit perfectly in my palm.

No! It was wrong of me to think like that. Ashley was drunk. She was out of her senses and didn't understand what she was doing.

I shook my head and cleared my throat. "Ashley? What are you doing?"

"I'm hot," she replied.

That you are.

I shook my head, pushing the thought aside. "Why would you take off your bra?"

"Because it's uncomfortable," she replied in a 'duh' tone as if I was supposed to know that already.

"Have you changed your clothes then? Can I turn around?" I asked. "Are you fully dressed?"

"Yep," she quipped and I slowly turned around, ready to face the door again at the first sign of exposed skin.

But nothing could have prepared me for the sight in front of me. Seeing Ashley in one of my t-shirts nearly stopped my heart.

It was a dark green t-shirt with a Labrador on it. Mom had bought it from a charity event raising money for abandoned dogs. She'd thought it would be fun to bring everyone in the family a t-shirt with a dog on it that matched their personality. It was the most simple piece of clothing I owned but Ashley still looked so beautiful wearing it. My eyes drank her in, noticing every tiny detail about her as if seeing her for the first time.

Since the t-shirt was so adorably loose on her, the left sleeve fell off her shoulder, exposing the curve of her neck and collarbone. My gaze honed in on the tattoo under her collarbone. It was a tiny swan with a lotus beside it. I hadn't thought Ashley to be one for tattoos but seeing that swan on her made complete sense. It suited her.

"How do I look?" Ashley asked and did a twirl for me.

And that's when my mind went down the gutter all over again. I hadn't realized how short the t-shirt was on her until I saw that it barely covered her ass. I had miscalculated her height and the length of the t-shirt and now I was paying the price. And she wasn't wearing the shorts I had given her. Lord, save me.

"How do I look?" she repeated, facing me again.

I averted my gaze and cleared my throat. "You...you look great," I said as I moved toward Ethan's bed. "We should go to sleep now. You take my bed and I'll sleep on Ethan's bed. Goodnight."

Without wasting another minute, I switched off the lights and got under the covers, turning away from her and facing the wall. The alcohol and exhaustion of the game was causing my mind to wander off in the wrong directions. Yes, that was it. I just needed some sleep. Everything would be fine tomorrow morning.

Ashley wouldn't be drunk and we would go back to being normal. She wouldn't be wearing my shirt or flinging her bra at me. Her lacy bra that was see through in some places. Since the bra was the same color as her, would that make her look naked even if she was wearing it?

Stop! Kris Argent you need to stop this instant.

What was fucking wrong with me? I had no right to think about Ashley like that. It was wrong and disrespectful and...

My righteous thoughts died a painful death when I felt an arm thrown over my torso followed by a leg. A warm presence behind me jolted me to reality and I immediately sat up straight.

Ashley was lying beside me, her golden hair splayed on my pillow as she got comfortable under the covers. The faint moonlight coming through the window illuminated her pale skin and made her blue eyes appear darker.

"Sleep," she said, patting the space beside her.

I rubbed a hand over my face as I tried to get my bearings back. "Ashley, why are you in my bed?"

"Because..." she started, her lips turning into a pout. "Because I can't sleep without hugging my bunny. And...and it's a sleepover. We should sleep together."

"It is, but we can sleep in separate beds. It'll be more comfortable and—"

"Please? I-I'm," she averted her gaze, "I'm scared of sleeping alone."

My chest ached at the way her voice quivered as she admitted that. And I knew I couldn't refuse anything she said after that.

"Okay," I said and laid down beside her, pulling the duvet over us. "You're going to regret this tomorrow."

She shrugged, a bright smile on her face. "I'll think tomorrow."

Saying so, she draped her arm and leg around me again, pulling me close until there was no space between our bodies. I tensed in her hold, becoming hyper alert of all the ways her body was touching mine. With her chest pressed against mine, I could feel her every breath and every sigh.

Her leg moved higher up my frame, stopping at my waist and I tried really hard not to think about the way the t-shirt must have ridden higher with that move. She pushed herself close to me and my breath stuck in my throat when I felt her on my groin.

"Ashley," I warned.

"Yes?" she asked, blinking up at me.

"Stop moving and go to sleep," I said, my voice hoarse.

"Okay," she said, but kept staring at me.

I reached up and shut her eyes with my hand. "Sleep."

Thankfully, this time she obeyed. I watched her for a few seconds to make sure she was truly asleep before closing my eyes as well. Having Ashley wrapped around me wasn't as uncomfortable as I'd imagined it would be. In fact, I found myself slowly drifting off to sleep faster than I usually would have.

I'd nearly dozed off when I felt a tap on my shoulder. "Psst. Kris?" Ashley whispered. "Did you sleep?"

My eyes shot open immediately and I nearly banged my head on the wall when I noticed her face merely inches away from mine. Why was she close?

"What... Do you need something?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Why are you nice to me?"

I looked at her perplexed, not knowing where this was coming from. Ashley was extremely happy a while ago and now she seemed so... sad. I scratched my forehead as I tried to think of the best way to move forward in this situation.

"Uh... I don't know. Why would I be not nice to you? You haven't been mean to me and you are very sweet," I said.

I had hoped this answer would pacify her, but instead, her brows furrowed in confusion. "But you don't know me. You don't know whether I'm nice or not."

"Ashley..." I sighed and gently brushed her hair away from her face. "I know you are nice. I have no reason to think otherwise."

She hummed and averted her gaze. We laid in silence for a bit with me trying to wrap my head around her sudden melancholy while Ashley drew patterns on my chest. I wondered if Shane had something to do with it. She was pretty upset about him joining us and considering the way he always made comments about her, maybe that got to her.

No matter how much she brushed it off and pretended like she didn't care what Shane said, it must hurt at times. I knew all too well how much effect an ex's words have on you.

"I... I did some bad things," Ashley said finally. "Hurt people. Was very mean to some."

The confession took me off guard. It was hard to imagine Ashley being mean to anyone. I had seen how caring she was when both her friends were hammered and I had seen how gentle she was with my siblings.

Hell, she was nice to me when she got locked up with me in the store room. Anyone in her position would have been furious. Not only was she nice, but she also helped me out.

I heard her sniffle against me and my heart shattered.

"People make mistakes and sometimes we end up hurting others. It's natural and happens with everyone. As long as you realize your mistake, apologize for it, and never do it again, you are not a bad person. Not everyone admits or realizes when they are wrong. And you doing that already makes you so much better than them."

"But..." she paused, sniffling some more as she looked up at me. Seeing her tear filled eyes just worsened the ache in my chest. I wished I could do something to make her stop crying, to make her happy again.

Sadly, all I could do was listen to her and hold her close, hoping that it would make her feel at least a bit better.

"But I realized it too late," she continued. "I apologized too late. I upset so many people. I hurt my parents. I hurt everyone."

Big, fat tears rolled down her eyes, soaking my shirt. I tightened my hold around her and tucked her under my chin. Not knowing how to fix this situation was killing me. I hated when I couldn't be of any help to my friends.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," I said as I ran my fingers through her. "But you learned from your mistakes and are trying not to repeat them. That's what matters."

She shook her head. "Juliette... She stopped talking with me. And...and Shane broke up with me. He's mean to me, but I was always nice to him. I did everything he said. I even—"

A sob wracked through her body, cutting her off mid sentence and a pit formed in my stomach at the thought of Shane hurting her in any way. I had pegged him to be just another arrogant dude who couldn't fathom someone moving on from him, but this seemed serious.

Whatever Shane had done was clearly big enough of a blow that it was still haunting her.

Ashley looked up at me, a look of desperation on her face as she fisted the front of my shirt. "Will you be mean to me too? Will you stop being nice?"

"No, sweetheart. I'll never be mean to you. I cannot be mean to you," I said and pressed a kiss to her forehead. That seemed to calm her a bit as she relaxed in my hold and snuggled closer to me. I kissed the top of her head and ran my fingers through her hair. "Go to sleep now. You'll feel better tomorrow."

"You'll stay with me here?" she asked.

I smiled, nodding. "Of course. I'll be here."

As Ashley drifted off to sleep, I kept stroking her hair and rubbing circles on her back. Now that I knew some more context about Ashley, Shane, and Juliette's relationship, I couldn't help but wonder what had exactly happened in her past.

What had gone so wrong that Ashley lost two important relationships of her life at once and still blamed herself for it?

Juliette's words from before rang in my ears, forcing me to question my judgment. Could she be telling the truth? Could Ashley really be the one at fault?

I looked down at Ashley sleeping soundly against my chest and a pang of guilt went through my chest for being skeptical of her. How could I doubt her after everything she had done and was still doing for me? Besides, I didn't even know Shane and Juliette that well. They could be lying to my face and I wouldn't know.

Bethany was lying to your face too and you still trusted her.

An inkling of doubt seeped into my mind at that thought. I had once believed that I knew everything about Bethany and that she could do no harm. I even fought with my friends who tried to warn me against her. I almost lost one of my closest friends because of her.

Could I really trust my judgment then?

For all I knew, Ashley could be lying to me and I wouldn't know. After all, she was good at it. If she wasn't, we wouldn't be fake dating right now.

How was I supposed to trust Ashley when everything about us was a lie?


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