Status: prewritten 12 chapters and counting.
Painting Flowers
Chapter 16
*Christmas Eve*
"So, mind telling me what all that stuff is hiding in my closet?" May grinned at me as we stacked the newly cleaned dishes. I could hear the boys playing video games in the living room.
"Well, I had to hide the gifts somewhere." I laughed as I pulled a fresh tray of cookies out of the oven.
"What'd you get them?"
"Well, Zack was relatively easy. When we were in the city, I noticed some lenses he didn't have. So I'm filling the holes in his camera collection. My friend, Drew, actually helped with Alex's. I painted the album art of all of their CD's. Cass is flying out to surprise Rian tomorrow. He doesn't think they're seeing eachother till they head back to the city for the show."
"That's amazing! How did you pull that off on such short notice?"
"Well, having the cash sure made it easier, but oddly enough, I owe most of it to a really good friend from back home. When I was waiting at the airport for my flight here, I realized that I had no clue what to get them for presents. I called Nate out of pure panic and he calmed me down and rationalized."
"It's really great that you have a friend you can count on like that. Especially a boy."
"Yeah, he's a special one." I feel myself blush as I move the somewhat cooled cookies onto a plate. "We've been friends forever. He's been there for me through everything. He's really protective and he definitely wasn't your brothers biggest fan at first."
"I haven't seen my brother this happy in a long time." She admitted with a small smile.
"Really?" I look up at her. "I guess a part of me can't stop thinking this is all just a dream."
"Not a dream, sweetheart. I guaruntee, this is real to him. I can see it when he looks at you." We both smile.
"Cookies!" Alex screams as he jumps on the counter, interrupting our sisterly moment. Jack comes in behind him, followed by Rian, Zack, and Matt. He wraps his arms around me and I stick a cookie in his mouth before kissing his cheek.
"So what were you and May talking about earlier?" Jack and I were laying in his room, everyone had decided to finally go to bed around midnight. We might all be in our early 20's, but that doesn't make the excitement of Christmas morning any less.
"Us, my life back home, your christmas presents." I smiled. He was playing with his phone but he lifted his head quickly at the mention of gifts. He narrowed his eyes & opened instagram.
"Come here." He wrapped me in his arms and took a picture of us. I stayed put as he typed in the caption: "Merry Christmas Hustlers. I don't need anything else for Christmas. Thanks, Santa for the early gift! (:"
I sat up and looked at him as he waited for it to load.
"What?" He asked innocently, fighting a smile.
"I can't believe you just did that." I say softly with a smile.
"What? Come on, I don't want to keep this a secret. The entire fanbase already knows, anyways. with the pictures we've posted."
"Yeah, like they know Alex and Tay are dating from their pictures?"
"Oh, come on. We've been super obvious."
"I know, but I thought you didn't want to start anything."
"Did you not want me to?"
"No...I love that you want people to know about us. I just..I don't know." I got quiet and started playing with the charms on my bracelet. The towers, a couple music notes, a football jersey with Nate's number on it, a beautiful yellow flower, a "daddys little girl" engraved heart, a statue of liberty, a color palette & a yellow ribbon.
"What's wrong?" He sat up with me and took my hands. "Are you second guessing this?"
"No, not at all. But...I don't want you to..."
"Baby, why on earth would I do that?"
"I have a really complicated past and-"
"Stop it. Stop it right now." He kissed me lightly. "I know enough about you to know that I want to be with you and nothing you can tell me is going to change that."
"You don't know how screwed up I am." I whispered, making him stop in his tracks and just watch me for a minute. I blink, trying to keep from crying. "What?"
"I'm just trying to figure out what someone could have done to make someone so amazing feel that way about themselves." He said softly. I fell into his arms and he ran his fingers through my hair, calming me. How did I get this lucky?
"I'm falling in love with you, Ash." He whispers into my hair, making my breath catch in my throat.
"Please don't say that unless you mean it."
"I wouldn't." He assured me, kissing my forehead again.
BZZZZZZZ. BZZZZZZZ. BZZZZZZZZ.
"What the fuck?" I murmer, gently getting up, trying not to wake Jack. I glanced at the clock, 2am. It was my phone ringing. I grabbed it and walked out into the hall.
"Hello?...Yes, this is she....I'm sorry, what?...No, that's not possible...No, that--oh, god. Okay. I'm on my way." I hung up and immedietely dialed another number. He picked up immedietely.
"Ash, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I need you to get to Saint Lukes. Now. I'm so sorry, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't totally necessary."
"Ash, slow down. What happened."
"I'm leaving Baltimore now. Just get there. Please. Tell them you're there for me. And that I'm on my way. I'll be there by morning." And with that, I hung up and started writing a note to Jack.
"So, mind telling me what all that stuff is hiding in my closet?" May grinned at me as we stacked the newly cleaned dishes. I could hear the boys playing video games in the living room.
"Well, I had to hide the gifts somewhere." I laughed as I pulled a fresh tray of cookies out of the oven.
"What'd you get them?"
"Well, Zack was relatively easy. When we were in the city, I noticed some lenses he didn't have. So I'm filling the holes in his camera collection. My friend, Drew, actually helped with Alex's. I painted the album art of all of their CD's. Cass is flying out to surprise Rian tomorrow. He doesn't think they're seeing eachother till they head back to the city for the show."
"That's amazing! How did you pull that off on such short notice?"
"Well, having the cash sure made it easier, but oddly enough, I owe most of it to a really good friend from back home. When I was waiting at the airport for my flight here, I realized that I had no clue what to get them for presents. I called Nate out of pure panic and he calmed me down and rationalized."
"It's really great that you have a friend you can count on like that. Especially a boy."
"Yeah, he's a special one." I feel myself blush as I move the somewhat cooled cookies onto a plate. "We've been friends forever. He's been there for me through everything. He's really protective and he definitely wasn't your brothers biggest fan at first."
"I haven't seen my brother this happy in a long time." She admitted with a small smile.
"Really?" I look up at her. "I guess a part of me can't stop thinking this is all just a dream."
"Not a dream, sweetheart. I guaruntee, this is real to him. I can see it when he looks at you." We both smile.
"Cookies!" Alex screams as he jumps on the counter, interrupting our sisterly moment. Jack comes in behind him, followed by Rian, Zack, and Matt. He wraps his arms around me and I stick a cookie in his mouth before kissing his cheek.
"So what were you and May talking about earlier?" Jack and I were laying in his room, everyone had decided to finally go to bed around midnight. We might all be in our early 20's, but that doesn't make the excitement of Christmas morning any less.
"Us, my life back home, your christmas presents." I smiled. He was playing with his phone but he lifted his head quickly at the mention of gifts. He narrowed his eyes & opened instagram.
"Come here." He wrapped me in his arms and took a picture of us. I stayed put as he typed in the caption: "Merry Christmas Hustlers. I don't need anything else for Christmas. Thanks, Santa for the early gift! (:"
I sat up and looked at him as he waited for it to load.
"What?" He asked innocently, fighting a smile.
"I can't believe you just did that." I say softly with a smile.
"What? Come on, I don't want to keep this a secret. The entire fanbase already knows, anyways. with the pictures we've posted."
"Yeah, like they know Alex and Tay are dating from their pictures?"
"Oh, come on. We've been super obvious."
"I know, but I thought you didn't want to start anything."
"Did you not want me to?"
"No...I love that you want people to know about us. I just..I don't know." I got quiet and started playing with the charms on my bracelet. The towers, a couple music notes, a football jersey with Nate's number on it, a beautiful yellow flower, a "daddys little girl" engraved heart, a statue of liberty, a color palette & a yellow ribbon.
"What's wrong?" He sat up with me and took my hands. "Are you second guessing this?"
"No, not at all. But...I don't want you to..."
"Baby, why on earth would I do that?"
"I have a really complicated past and-"
"Stop it. Stop it right now." He kissed me lightly. "I know enough about you to know that I want to be with you and nothing you can tell me is going to change that."
"You don't know how screwed up I am." I whispered, making him stop in his tracks and just watch me for a minute. I blink, trying to keep from crying. "What?"
"I'm just trying to figure out what someone could have done to make someone so amazing feel that way about themselves." He said softly. I fell into his arms and he ran his fingers through my hair, calming me. How did I get this lucky?
"I'm falling in love with you, Ash." He whispers into my hair, making my breath catch in my throat.
"Please don't say that unless you mean it."
"I wouldn't." He assured me, kissing my forehead again.
BZZZZZZZ. BZZZZZZZ. BZZZZZZZZ.
"What the fuck?" I murmer, gently getting up, trying not to wake Jack. I glanced at the clock, 2am. It was my phone ringing. I grabbed it and walked out into the hall.
"Hello?...Yes, this is she....I'm sorry, what?...No, that's not possible...No, that--oh, god. Okay. I'm on my way." I hung up and immedietely dialed another number. He picked up immedietely.
"Ash, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I need you to get to Saint Lukes. Now. I'm so sorry, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't totally necessary."
"Ash, slow down. What happened."
"I'm leaving Baltimore now. Just get there. Please. Tell them you're there for me. And that I'm on my way. I'll be there by morning." And with that, I hung up and started writing a note to Jack.