Ashley’s eyes shot open as she heard the front door open. She shook Steven who was still sleeping next to her.
“What?” he groaned rubbing his eyes.
“Someone’s here, I heard the door.” She said nervously thinking someone was breaking in. “Shit!” she whispered as she heard the familiar voice calling her name.
“Who is it?” Steven sat up.
“My brother. Hurry up, get dressed!” she jumped from the bed grabbing his pants and t-shirt and tossing them at him. “He will kill me if he finds us like this.”
“My shoes are outside with my keys.” He said pulling on his shirt.
“Your cars in the driveway, he already knows someone’s here…he just cant know what we were doing.” She quickly fixed her hair and tried to straighten out her bed switching the TV back on. She heard his footsteps getting closer.
“Just sit on the bed and act like nothings going on.” She said as she got back on the bed not sitting too close to Steven.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AJ could see the light of the television flashing from under the closed door. He took a deep breath as he reached out and slowly opened the door.
He sighed a sigh of relief as he opened the door and saw Ashley sitting on the bed just watching TV. He flipped on the light as she turned to look at him.
“Alex? What are you doing here?” she said acting as if she hadn’t heard him come in.
“Well I had to take a nice ride over here because someone wasn’t picking up the phone.” He walked a little further into the room. “Who’s this?”
He could see the nervous look on Steven’s face and it made him begin to wonder what was really going on. He scanned the room and noticed something on the floor just under the bed. At first he wasn’t sure if it was what he thought but as he got closer he knew he was right.
“Sorry. We fell asleep for a little, I was really tired after rehearsal. This is Steven.”
“I think it’s time for you to go home.” He didn’t bother introducing himself, angry that Ashley was lying straight to his face.”
“We’re just watching TV. It’s no big deal.” She said looking at him trying to read his expressions.
“You and I need to have a little talk.” He looked at her sternly. “I think it’s best if you go home.”
“About what? We’re just watching TV.” She was now beginning to get nervous.
“I’ll just go.” Steven said beginning to feel uncomfortable. “I need to get home anyway. I’ll see you in school.” He quickly kissed her on the cheek and stared down at the floor as he passed AJ, too nervous to make eye contact with him.
After a moment they heard the front door open then close and Steven’s car start. AJ looked at Ashley with disappointment.
“How stupid do you think I am?” he asked trying to maintain his emotions.
“What are you talking about?” she tried to act innocent.
“Don’t pull that shit with me, it won’t work this time.” He looked her in the eyes. “How long has this been going on?”
“How long has what been going on?”
“Everything…lying to me, lying to mom…having sex.” He could barely bring himself to say it, let alone believe it, but his suspicions had been confirmed.
Ashley’s eyes grew wide as those final words came out of his mouth. She swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in her throat but couldn’t find her words.
“Next time you’re trying to cover your tracks you might wanna pick everything up off the floor.” He pointed down to the condom wrapper he had discovered earlier.
“It’s not what you think.” She said nervously knowing there was no way to get out of this one.
“Oh no? Then why don’t you tell me exactly what’s going on.” He waited for a response but Ashley couldn’t come up with anything. “That’s what I though.”
“You’re not gonna tell mom are you?” she said nervously finally looking him in the eyes.
“Is that all you care about?” he shook his head. “Do you not think of all the other things that can happen?”
“I’m being safe and I’m not just going around sleeping with the whole world.” She tried to defend herself.
“Ashley condoms aren’t one hundred percent safe. Things can still happen.” He stopped for a moment as he phone rang.
“Hey mom. No I just got here.” He looked at Ashley who looked back at him, her eyes begging him not to tell on her. “She’s fine mom. She was just sleeping, the phone wasn’t’ in her room. I had to come in here and wake her up.” He hated lying to his mom but he knew he could handle this on his own. “Ok I’m staying here tonight so you don’t have to worry now. I’ll have her call you tomorrow. Night mom.” He hung up the phone and stared at her.
“Thank you so much.” She rose from the bed and hugged him.
“You’re not off the hook. You may not have to deal with her but you have to deal with me.” He walked out of her room motioning her to follow. “Talk.”
“About what?”
“Why the sky is blue…what do you think?” AJ rolled his eyes at her.
“I don’t know what you want me to say. It’s obvious you know the truth so what more do you want to hear?”
“Let’s see…why you even started having sex in the first place might be a start, followed up by when you started having sex and how’s about we close with how many people you’ve had sex with.” He looked at her seriously.
“I don’t feel comfortable sharing that with you.” She looked down at the floor.
“You either talk to me or mom. It’s your decision, but you need to talk to someone.”
“Fine. I started cuz’ I wanted to, it was last year with Matt and before tonight Matt had been the only person.” She said quickly.
“Ashley you’re too young to be having sex.”
“Oh cuz’ I’m sure you were so much older.”
“I have nothing to do with this.”
“See! Why is it that when it’s you it doesn’t matter but it’s me and the world suddenly stops?” she crossed her arms as she paced the floor.
“Ashley I just worry about you. I want you to think about what you do before you do it, not just jump into things that you’ll regret in the future.”
“Alex I do think. I felt in my mind that I was ready and I don’t regret it. As much as no one wanted to admit it me and Matt had something different and it was just something I can’t explain. I know I’m gonna make mistakes but I don’t think this was one of them and I don’t want you to be disappointed in me.”
“When the hell did you grow up so much?” he sighed. Ashley just shrugged and looked at him as he pulled her into a hug. “We still have more to talk about.”
“What else is there?”
“Let’s start with why you lied to me last time we talked.” He crossed his arms as he took a seat back on the couch.
“What was I supposed to say Alex? You were all ‘when you think about having sex in a long, long, long time’ was I just supposed to come out and be like ohh too bad so sad I’ve already done it?”
“Yes. The truth would have been nice. Do you know what it was like hearing that accusation come from someone else?”
“Great so now there’s more people talking about me.” She sighed sitting on the couch. This was not the way she wanted AJ finding out about this. In fact she didn’t want him finding out at all.
“What do you mean more people talking about you?” he looked at her concerned. As much as he wanted to lash out and yell at her he knew he couldn’t. He was not the person to be pushing abstinence.
“Nothing, just forget it.” She could see the disappointment in his eyes, she just couldn’t tell if it was because he found out her little secret or if he was upset she wouldn’t open up to him.
“Why won’t you talk to me? I’m trying so hard to be here for you but you won’t let me.” He finally let go how he was feeling.
“Alex I just…” she sighed. “I do trust you I just don’t know how to tell you these things.”
“Just talk. You know I’ll listen.”
“There was just some crap going on at the beginning of school with that guy from the beach.” She sighed.
“Why didn’t you come to me?”
“I did…you just didn’t call back.”
“I’m sorry…I know I messed up that time, but I did call eventually.” He tried to make himself look a little better.
“Too little too late.” She shook her head. “It’s not just that, how come you’ve been home for like over a month and this is the first time I’m seeing you?”
“I know I haven’t been living up to my part of the bargain, but you don’t want me around most of the time.” He defended himself.
“Only cuz’ I don’t want to be let down.” She finally blurted out.
“I’m sorry Ash, I didn’t know you were feeling that way. I’m doing the best I can here but you have to give me time.” He put a hand on her shoulder.
“Just try harder, ok?” she looked up at him.
“I will. And you please promise me that you’ll think more before you do anything else? Maybe talk to me about it first?”
“I will…promise.”
He pulled her into a hug squeezing her tightly.
“Now go to bed, I’m tired as hell.” He said giving her a little push off the couch.
“Thanks.” She said as she walked out of the room.
“For what?” he asked making his way towards the stairs.
“Not killing me and listening to what I had to say.”
“It’s what I’m here for kiddo.” He kissed her forehead and they both made their way to their bedrooms.
Author's Chapter Notes:
I didn't want to leave you guys hanging for to long haha but the next update wont be for a few days(Wednesday most likely) so sit tight and enjoy. Review please! let me know what you thought of AJ's reaction.
