Chapter 3

The sun peaks through the curtains and I refuse to open my eyes. They eventually flutter open when I realize that the bed that I’m in doesn’t feel like mine. My eyes open and close rapidly before forcing myself to realize where I am.

I turn over and that familiar curly hair douche bag is sleeping next to me. Fuck, I am in his room. This wasn’t a dream. I try my best to remember how I got here. I wasn’t as drunk last night as I was the night before but still some parts of last night are a blur. I guess parts of it I tried hard to forget.

Ashton is such a jerk. I hate him. I really do. But he is flawlessly perfect in his sleep. His full lips are slightly parted. I’m happy that nonsense isn’t falling from the beautiful mouth of his. The moment he speaks I want rip my ears off. He’s so degrading.

His stunning hazel eyes are clenched shut and I find myself wondering what’s going on in that crazy mind of his. His arm is draped over my waist. I wouldn’t say he was trying to cuddle. It’s a tiny twin bed and be tried his best to put as much distance between us last night. I could have just stayed in Calum’s bed but in my drunken state I wanted to be close to him. I can’t say the same for this morning. Actually, that’s a lie. I still want to be near him.

I lift his arm slowly and try my best to sneak out from under him without waking him up. No such luck. He groans and his eyes slowly open. “Good morning” I whisper.

“What the fuck?” He shoots up and looks around the room. “Why are you here?” he asks with clear aggravation in his voice. What?

“You brought me here last night.” I recall him picking me up from my bed and walking down the hall to his room.

“No… I didn’t” he says with such seriousness. How does he not remember this?

“You weren’t that drunk last night.”

“Apparently I was if I slept with you” he snaps. Ouch. Never heard that one before.

“Okay then” I sigh and hop off his bed. I cover myself with my arms, even though I’m wearing a shirt and he’s seen me in less but I suddenly feel very exposed to him.

What a fucking jerk. He definitely wasn’t that drunk last night. I shouldn’t let his words affect me but they do and I hate myself for it. He’s an asshole that I won’t allow myself to waste anymore time on. But I still had so many questions for him. Like why the hell he beat up Dan last night? What was up with that?

“Shane” I hear my name just as I’m about to leave the common room. I was hoping that no one was here to save myself the embarrassment. I spin around and Luke is sitting on the couch flipping through channels. His lip ring is sucked between his teeth when he sees that I’m only in short shorts and a very revealing tank top.

“Please don’t judge me” I practically beg.

“Never” he laughs and I can’t help but laugh along with him. “I’ll just call you an idiot.”

“Thanks.”

“How about breakfast?” He stands up and grabs his beanie from the windowsill.

“Sound perfect. I just need to change first.”

“I like this look” he says eyeing my body. I don’t feel uncomfortable with his eyes on me as I did when Ashton was staring at me just a few minutes ago. And speak of the fucking devil as he makes his way into the common room. Couldn’t he have just stayed in his room until I was gone?

I can’t help but stare when he walks out in just his black boxer briefs and a towel thrown over his shoulder.

“Want breakfast?” Luke asks him and I shoot Luke a dirty look.

Ashton laughs loudly. I didn’t think he was capable of laughing. “Always taking my sloppy seconds.”

Luke rolls his eyes, trying to ignore his rude roommate. “So that’s a no?”

“Hell fucking no” Ashton corrects him.

 —

We meet Calum at the dining hall after stopping at my room to put on actual clothes. It’s a little chilly out so jeans, a sweater and boots are suitable.

“So how did you end up in my bed last night?” is the first thing that Calum asks. I’m mortified. That meant he had to come in either last night or this morning when we were both still sleeping. Luckily I know that we didn’t do anything in Ashton’s room other than sleep.

“I wasn’t in your bed” I shot back. “I was in his.” I mentally slap myself in my face. That doesn’t sound much better. Calum throws his head back and laughs. He just wanted me to admit that I slept with Ashton. “And for the record” I speak up again. “We did it in my room” I defend and I want to actually slap myself. I am just digging myself a bigger hole. I just announced to the whole table that I had sex with Ashton last night. “It was a huge mistake and it won’t happen again.”

“Oh you’ll be begging sweetheart” Ashton says from behind me. I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me. I turn around to face him, glaring up at him. “But you’re right. That won’t happen again.” I don’t know why he is being like this right now. He seemed to enjoy it. He can deny it all he wants but he was in pure ecstasy last night. This is what I don’t understand. Why the hell did he come after me if he regrets it so much? He is so frustrating and I need him to get away from me.

“I thought you didn’t want to come with us” Luke says to end the awkward moment and I’m thankful.

“I’m hungry” he shrugs.

“Shane worked up that much of an appetite for you?”

“Calum!” I shout and slap his arm but he just laughs again. How did Luke and Calum end up with such an asshole for a roommate?

“Barely” he scoffs. He takes one of my grapes from my plate and throws it into his mouth. I hope he chokes on it. I don’t know why he is being so disrespectable and cruel. I didn’t ask him to come here. And I sure as hell didn’t ask him to come home with me last night.

“Move” Ashton demands one of Luke’s friends sitting next to me. I didn’t catch his name earlier. Before he can stand up and oblige to Ashton’s stupid commands I get up.

“Have my seat” I say politely to Ashton, plastering the most fake smile on my face. I say goodbye to Luke and Calum, not even bothering to say anything to Ashton. But his body brushes against mine as he goes to take my seat. It sends heat through my veins. Why is his touch doing that to me? I don’t like him.

“You going to be at the party tonight?” Calum asks before I walk away.

“I don’t know. I might just hit the bars later.”

“Of course are you” Ashton smirks. I was going to ask what he meant by that but I simply don’t care.

 ———— ———————— —————

“So where were you last night?” Amy asks when I get back to my room.

“Okay Mom” I shoot back. “Out” I shrug.

“I had company this morning. It would be nice if your bed was made.” I roll my eyes at her. She is intolerable. She is worse than my own mother. God forbid there is even a sock on the floor under my bed. She freaks out and lectures me about being a more organized and neater person.

I pick up my hamper, staring down at the dirty sheets from last night. Memories of last night come flooding back. The way he said baby and moaned my name over and over again. My skin gets heated thinking about his hands on my body. No, Shane. Stop thinking about that. You’ve had better I try to convince myself with no such luck.

I ran down to the laundry room, throwing my sheeting the washer and few other clothes. Of course Michael is in the laundry. I can’t help but giggle as he starts cursing at the wash machine.

“Did you try sweet talking it?” I joke.

“Really funny” he shakes his head. I help him with the buttons and eventually it starts to work. I invite Michael up to my room while we wait for our laundry to be done. I did want to hang out with but I mostly wanted to piss Amy off. She hates the ‘punk’ type.

“Do these belong to you?” Amy throws a pair of boxers at him. Michael immediately drops them from his hands.

“Oh my god” I groan and cover my face. I don’t give a shit about Amy finding Ashton’s underwear but I don’t want Michael to think I bring random guys back home often.

“Rough night?” Michael teases and I can’t help but laugh.

“Gross” Amy covers her ears. “I don’t want to hear it” she says before leaving the room.

“Barely” I mock Ashton’s words even though he is not here to hear it.

“So who’s the lucky guy?”

“No one” I look away from him and I climb onto my unmade bed. Michael looks down at the boxers that I left on the floor after kicking them to my side of the room.

He starts laughing and I stare at him confused. “You fucked Ashton.”

“What? No” I say but I barely sound convincing.

“He’s my roommate. I know his boxers. That sounds creepy.” I grab them from the floor and throw them in the trash. “You’re not going to use them as an excuse to see him again.”

“I don’t want to see him again” I answer honestly.

“There’s a first” he smiles. “Every girl always finds an excuse to talk to him again.”

“Not me.”

“Good.” I want to question him more about it but I chose not to. I shouldn’t care. He is such a jerk why do girls keep going back to him? I will never be that girl. If a guy doesn’t want to talk to me, fine. I am not one to seem desperate and needy. It’s just onto the next.

“Oh god” Michael groans.

“What?” I look up at him as he hops off my bed.

“You fucked him here, didn’t you?” He doesn’t seem disgusted just amused.

“It was a mistake. I was drunk” I make up excuses. I take this opportunity to ask him why Ashton came after me because I know I won’t get those answers from Ashton himself. “What the hell happened last night? Why would he go after Dan?”

“Don’t know” he shrugs. “That’s just Ashton. He starts fights for no reason.”

“Do you know why he followed me home last night?”

“Um, after he beat Dan into the tile floor he was pissed. He shoved Luke out of the way and stormed out of the party. He didn’t say much. I figured he was just going to go to the bar to drink it off but I guess he had other plans.”

“Why does he hate me so much?” I continue with the questions while I’m still getting answers.

“No clue. I guess because you give him the same attitude he gives everyone else.” Makes sense, I guess. Calum said that no one ever talks back to him, especially a girl. But they should. What authority does he have?

“So then why live with him?”

“You sure have a lot of questions for a girl who doesn’t want to talk to him again.”

“Fine” I sigh. “You’re right.” I stop asking questions even though I have a hundred more for him.

“Come on, the washers should be done.”