awakening

Chapter Fifteen

I wake up with the worst headache of my life. The light coming from the window only making it worse. I pull my arm over my head to block the light. What time was it?

I search for my missing phone but end up finding myself on an unknown bed. I grip the blanket around me. These are not my bedsheets. I look around the room trying to put the puzzle pieces together.

My eyes wander around the organized room filled with posters.

Was I at Ashton's? Yesterday's events come back to mind in a foggy haze.

At least we hadn't shared the bed, I would've jumped to conclusions right away.

On the bedside table, I find a note with some painkillers.

"I know you're feeling like hell right now so I put these pain killers here for you so you wouldn't have to find them yourself. - Ashton"

I found a water bottle next to the pills, and I take them down right away. The sooner this headache is gone the better.

Getting up now in search of my phone again, I stumble still not having my balance back. I search for my clothes but realize I'm not in my clothes.

"Oh god." I mumble to myself.

I look around for my clothes which are located on the dresser with my phone on top. Thank god I didn't lose it.

The time reads that is seven in the morning, why must I wake up so early? It must be this killer headache. I turn my phone off to conserve what's left of the battery and try to find the bathroom to see if I looked as bad as I felt.

I spot it across from Ashton's room and walk in slowly working myself up to go glance into the mirror.

I almost scream. I hope I didn't look this bad last night. My hair was a matted mess, I had mascara smudged under my eyes, and I looked ghostly pale.

I turn the sink on in a desperate attempt to wash my face. I then ran my fingers through my burnet hair to try and tame the crazy locks.

I give up after my attempts on my hair did not go as planned and make my way out of the bathroom.

I quietly trot down the stairs to find Ashton, wondering where he was for the night.

I find him sleeping on the couch in his living room in the clothes he wore last night. I leave him to sleep as I make my way back upstairs feeling slightly better than I did waking up.

I stumble as I make my way back to the bed and I end up kicking a small box from under the bed. What is this?

Open it is all I hear in my head as I stare down at the rectangular box. I reach out and shake it lightly, it seems to be filled with paper or pictures maybe.

He doesn't have to know that I looked. I shake my head as I have an internal battle about opening the box.

I give in placing the box on my legs with the lid go the side. It was in fact filled with pictures and a notebook. I bite my lip in anticipation of what was written.

I start with the pictures. There are random photos of his family and friends and one stick out. It looked like he was smiling with a young Luke. Something about this picture resonates in my mind from something last night. But no matter how much I rack my brain, I cannot find the answer.

I open the notebook next to find random scribbles of thoughts and random lyrics he has accumulated over time.

Some of it looked to be written in haste, making it rather difficult to read, while some lines were written out more clearly and looked to be well thought over with some lines scribbled out.

'You're just a little bit out of my limit, it's been two years now you haven't even seen the best of me, and in my mind now I've been over this a thousand times, but it's almost over, let's start over.'

His words smooth together nicely and I wonder what he plans on making out of them. Or even if he'll complete the lyrics.

'I don't even like, why you go and make me feel this way? I don't understand what's happened, I keep saying things I never say.

Every time I see you, suddenly my heart begins to race, every time I leave, I don't know why my heart begins to break.'

I put the box away from where I had kicked it out from placing everything where I had found it. I stumbled onto something very personal, and I feel kind of bad for intruding.

I stand up slowly and carefully and close the curtains to the window so it'll be darker.

I climb back into the bed cuddling into the vast blankets.

→ → →

I wake up to Ashton opening up the curtains that I closed. I glare at him through my hands not wanting the bright light.

"I thought you might like to shower." He says tossing a towel my way. I roll over, ignoring him, and pull the blankets over my head.

I feel my warmth being stolen from me and I want to scream.

"It's almost noon, Emma." Ashton laughs at my peeved state. My headache was still present but only dulled compared to when I woke up hours earlier.

I saunter off to the bathroom, towel in hand. It takes a minute for me to figure out the shower but I get it finally and adjust it to my liking. I strip out of what I assume to be Ashton's clothes and moan in relief as I step under the warm shower.

I use the first shampoo and conditioner I see not caring who's they are.

I dry my hair to my best ability and comb through the locks with better luck this time around, I put my underwear back on.

I tread lightly with the towel wrapped around my body to get dressed across the hall. I place Ashton's clothes neatly where mine was.

Once I know I'm in the clear, I quickly get dressed and ascend down the stairs.

I find Ashton finishing up cooking and I politely thank him.

"What do you remember from last night?" Ashton starts up a conversation taking a drink.

"Not much really. I remember everything up to my third cup and then is all hazy, but I do remember a little from last night here."

"You told me you liked me." I choke at his words, taking a drink to soothe my nerves.

"Then you blushed, like you are now, and told me not to listen to you." He was clearly enjoying my reaction to this news.

"Stop laughing," I whine, still coughing from before,

"I'll have you know I was intoxicated." I defend myself.

"Drunk words are sober thoughts." Ugh, he will not let this go.

"I better get home soon." Alex has probably figured out I didn't come home last night and is all panicked. Most likely blowing up my phone as we speak too.

I know I'm going to get an earful from him once I'm back.

I leave the table to go out on my boots and grab my phone as Ashton gets ready to leave.

"Where were you?" I'm bombarded as soon as I enter my house, my parents, nowhere to be seen.

"Nice to see you too, Alex. I was at a friend's." I shrug him off.

"You didn't drink at all did you?" My silence was enough of an answer for him.

"Are you kidding me, Emma?"

"No, no I'm not, Alex. What's done is done." I storm off to my room, Alex hot on my heels.

I plug my phone in and prepare myself for the wrath of my brother. I turn to him, he is looking at me with determination.

"Why'd you drink?"

"You'll have some murdering to do if I say." I recite his words from the week prior.

"It was that Luke kid wasn't it. What did he do." Alex demands.

"I'll tell you if you swear not to do anything to him." I cross my arms.

"I can't promise that now tell me."

"I caught him kissing Sophie." I walk away to find some more comfortable clothes.

"I'm going to kill him." He mutters to himself. I roll my eyes placing new clothes on my bed.

"I'm sure you will, now go so I can change." I forcefully shoo him out.

Once out of my hair, I quickly change into my sweatpants and a t-shirt. I am not looking forward to school this week, that's for sure.