Oh Love
Thirty-one.
Alex POV:
“Let’s take a walk.” I said to Ashley and took her hand. With a confused look on her face, she followed me. We walked over the beach, hand in hand, and we both didn’t say a word. Suddenly she let go of my hand and stopped walking. “Alex, what’s wrong?” I sighed and sat down in the sand. I patted next to me and after a minute of consideration she sat down, too. I locked eyes with her and took her hands in mine. “Ashley..” I heard myself say. “I just got off the phone with our manager, and..” I sighed again, trying my best to tell her the right way. She looked away, knowing already what I was about to say. “He called to remind me we’re going on our next tour in.. 4 days.” She was still looking away from me, but I could see she was fighting against the tears that were filling her eyes. “Ashley..” When she finally looked up, tears were rolling down her cheeks. “Ash, I’m sorry..” I apologized. I hated seeing her all sad like this. “Don’t be.” She whispered. “We knew this was coming. We knew this was going to happen. We both knew that eventually this summer vacation would come to an end, and I would have to go back to New York and you would have to go on tour again, but I just..” she couldn’t finish her sentence. Her voice broke from sadness. I felt my eyes filling with tears now, too. “I don’t want to leave you, Lex.” she sobbed. I took her face between my hands and made her look me in the eyes. She looked so fragile.. “I don’t want to leave you either, Ash. But we’ll find a way, some way. We’ll make it through, we always do. I won’t forget about you this time, Ashley.” Tears were streaming down my face. “And I’m trying to hold myself together right now, because I need to be here for you, I need to comfort you. It’s my job as your boyfriend to tell you we’ll see each other again, soon and time will fly by. But the truth is, I’m terrified. I’m terrified of what it’s going to be like to be so far away from you for a long time.” She clung to my neck and I hugged her tightly. “We’re going to be okay, Alex.” She cried. “Everything is going to be okay.” I agreed, stroking her hair.
The next morning we took a small van that would bring us to the airport. We were all quiet during the ride, not even Jack was in the mood for making jokes. We didn’t have to wait very long this time, we could almost immediately start boarding. I sat between Jack and Ashley in the plane. Ashley fell asleep on my shoulder as soon as we took off and after 20 minutes, Emily was sleeping already as well. “How’d she take it?” Jack asked me, nodding towards Ashley. “It was hard, how about Emily?” he shrugged. “Same.” We were silent for a moment. “This is going to be the longest tour ever.” Jack sighed. “You’re right about that.”
At the airport, we had to face some paparazzi and fans again before we could get to baggage claim. “So, we’re back.” I sighed. I helped Ashley to carry her luggage and together we walked to the car that was hopefully still parked here somewhere. Jack was driving this time and Emily sat next to him in the passenger seat. So I sat with Ashley in the backseat. She played with my fingers while she rested her head on my lap. “Lex?” she said softly. “Yes?” She tilted her head to look at me. “Can I stay with you for the night?” I stroked her cheek with the back of my hand. “Ofcourse you can, Ash.” I answered and pulled her to my chest. “I love you, Alex.” She whispered in my ear. “I love you, too.”
When Jack parked the car on my driveway, we said goodbye to him and Emily. I carried our suitcases out of the trunk and put them in a corner of the hallway. “Is it okay if I take a shower now?” Ashley asked me. “Can I come with?” I wiggled my eyebrows. “No, you definitely can’t.” she teased and ran upstairs. “Then you can’t take a shower!” I said and ran right behind her. Just when she was about to close the bathroom door, I grabbed her by her waist. “Let go of me!” she laughed and tried to escape. “Never!” I answered. “Pleaaase, I’ll do anything!” she pouted. “Anything?” I raised an eyebrow. “I want to shower with you.” I said while letting go of her. “Oh, really?” she walked towards me and pushed me gently against the door. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” she asked alluringly while making a pattern on my arm with her finger. I nodded, smiling as she locked the bathroom door with a grin on her face.
“Let’s take a walk.” I said to Ashley and took her hand. With a confused look on her face, she followed me. We walked over the beach, hand in hand, and we both didn’t say a word. Suddenly she let go of my hand and stopped walking. “Alex, what’s wrong?” I sighed and sat down in the sand. I patted next to me and after a minute of consideration she sat down, too. I locked eyes with her and took her hands in mine. “Ashley..” I heard myself say. “I just got off the phone with our manager, and..” I sighed again, trying my best to tell her the right way. She looked away, knowing already what I was about to say. “He called to remind me we’re going on our next tour in.. 4 days.” She was still looking away from me, but I could see she was fighting against the tears that were filling her eyes. “Ashley..” When she finally looked up, tears were rolling down her cheeks. “Ash, I’m sorry..” I apologized. I hated seeing her all sad like this. “Don’t be.” She whispered. “We knew this was coming. We knew this was going to happen. We both knew that eventually this summer vacation would come to an end, and I would have to go back to New York and you would have to go on tour again, but I just..” she couldn’t finish her sentence. Her voice broke from sadness. I felt my eyes filling with tears now, too. “I don’t want to leave you, Lex.” she sobbed. I took her face between my hands and made her look me in the eyes. She looked so fragile.. “I don’t want to leave you either, Ash. But we’ll find a way, some way. We’ll make it through, we always do. I won’t forget about you this time, Ashley.” Tears were streaming down my face. “And I’m trying to hold myself together right now, because I need to be here for you, I need to comfort you. It’s my job as your boyfriend to tell you we’ll see each other again, soon and time will fly by. But the truth is, I’m terrified. I’m terrified of what it’s going to be like to be so far away from you for a long time.” She clung to my neck and I hugged her tightly. “We’re going to be okay, Alex.” She cried. “Everything is going to be okay.” I agreed, stroking her hair.
The next morning we took a small van that would bring us to the airport. We were all quiet during the ride, not even Jack was in the mood for making jokes. We didn’t have to wait very long this time, we could almost immediately start boarding. I sat between Jack and Ashley in the plane. Ashley fell asleep on my shoulder as soon as we took off and after 20 minutes, Emily was sleeping already as well. “How’d she take it?” Jack asked me, nodding towards Ashley. “It was hard, how about Emily?” he shrugged. “Same.” We were silent for a moment. “This is going to be the longest tour ever.” Jack sighed. “You’re right about that.”
At the airport, we had to face some paparazzi and fans again before we could get to baggage claim. “So, we’re back.” I sighed. I helped Ashley to carry her luggage and together we walked to the car that was hopefully still parked here somewhere. Jack was driving this time and Emily sat next to him in the passenger seat. So I sat with Ashley in the backseat. She played with my fingers while she rested her head on my lap. “Lex?” she said softly. “Yes?” She tilted her head to look at me. “Can I stay with you for the night?” I stroked her cheek with the back of my hand. “Ofcourse you can, Ash.” I answered and pulled her to my chest. “I love you, Alex.” She whispered in my ear. “I love you, too.”
When Jack parked the car on my driveway, we said goodbye to him and Emily. I carried our suitcases out of the trunk and put them in a corner of the hallway. “Is it okay if I take a shower now?” Ashley asked me. “Can I come with?” I wiggled my eyebrows. “No, you definitely can’t.” she teased and ran upstairs. “Then you can’t take a shower!” I said and ran right behind her. Just when she was about to close the bathroom door, I grabbed her by her waist. “Let go of me!” she laughed and tried to escape. “Never!” I answered. “Pleaaase, I’ll do anything!” she pouted. “Anything?” I raised an eyebrow. “I want to shower with you.” I said while letting go of her. “Oh, really?” she walked towards me and pushed me gently against the door. “Are you sure that’s what you want?” she asked alluringly while making a pattern on my arm with her finger. I nodded, smiling as she locked the bathroom door with a grin on her face.
9/15/13