Jess' POV
I come back home at 10 PM, expecting Ashton to be there, but he's not. I don't bother texting him or doing anything for that matter. I just rest in the sitting room, laying down on the sofa, mindlessly staring at the ceiling. Finally, at 11:26 PM according to the clock on my phone, He finally gets here. Without a word, he storms in, go to his bedroom slamming the door behind him. A few minutes later, he comes into the sitting room, having changed into his pyjamas. He sit on the sofa in front of mine, but I'm still looking at the ceiling. I can feel his anger, so I don't dare to look at him. He's not saying anything, and I'm not sure if I should.
More time has passed in this unbearable silence that no one wants to break. Until Ashton throws his phone on the table sliding it my way. I hesitatingly turn to look at him, to see what he just did and why, and that's when I noticed that the screen is lit with a photo of Niall and a headline. I look at Ashton confused, and still not talking, he just nods towards the phone, silently telling me to check it.
I quickly scroll through the article packed with lies and speculations about how I'm cheating on Ashton with Niall, with lots of photos of my outings with him over the last few days. They even wrote that I was seen making out with him, I mean what? We just hugged! I pressed the back button and I saw the Google page full with similar articles, some speculating that Ashton and I are over, others saying I cheated, and others saying even more outrageous things.
I gently put the phone back on the table, 'You know those are lies... You promised me you won't believe them!'
'I honestly don't know what to believe anymore. You being oblivious to the most obvious details, you platonically hanging out with Niall, or the pictures in front of me.'
'You don't seriously think I'd kiss him in the middle of the streets like that, would you? I mean I'm not that stupid!'
'Oh, so you have kissed! Just not in the middle of the streets! Where then in his house? Is that what you've been doing there all that time? Did you sleep with him too?'
He starts raising his tone so I do the same.
'No Ash! I told you! I do not cheat! No, Niall and I have not kissed!'
'Well, I'm sorry if I don't believe that!'
'Excuse me? I'm your girlfriend! You'd rather believe the lies of the media than your girlfriend? What's wrong with you! Also! I'm the one who should be asking what have you been doing! You weren't supposed to be out today! We were supposed to spend the day together! And when I asked you where are you, you didn't give me a straight answer! So tell me this, Where were you, Irwin?'
'I just couldn't stand being around you. I see you I think about you two together.'
'For the 100th time! There is Nothing between me and Niall! Besides, if you can't stand me why are you still here? If you hate me so much, why are you still with me? You stopped trying 2 weeks ago anyway. Then why are you still with me Ash?'
'Yeah, you'd love it if I just break up with you! You'll be free! You could finally be with Niall! Because you're too selfish and like to pretend you're the better person, that you're the only one who's trying! the only one who actually cares about this relationship! You like playing the victim! You never do anything wrong! It's him who left you, it's me who don't trust you! You never do anything wrong!'
'I always admit it when I make mistakes! I never said I'm perfect, I never said I'm better than anyone else!'
'Jess, I'm done. I can't keep fighting a losing battle. I'm not gonna tell you it's either Me or Niall because I know you'll choose him. So, I'm doing you a favour and I'm letting you go. You can go be with him now.'
'Ashton, you do realise that I never said that I wanted to be with him? Do you realise that I never said that I love him? You just keep making decisions for me! You're the one who decided that I'd rather be with him than you. You're the one who decided that I love him and not you. Even if I keep telling from the start, that I only want you, I only see you. You just wouldn't have that. You never believed me! You never trusted me! You never wanted to!'
'I did believe you and I did trust you. But then you came here, you ran into him, and then suddenly you just Had to be friends with him again! And you wouldn't accept otherwise! And that's when I realise that you both love each other and that I can't do anything about it. Jess, you were never mine. It was always going to be you and Niall. I didn't see it before. I thought it's just a crush, it's nothing and you'll get over it, and you'll love me and we'll be happy together. And maybe, you believed that you loved me. Maybe you really thought that you had moved on and only wanted to be with me.'
'Loved? I still love you! I only Love you!'
'Let me finish! I'm not saying you're lying to me. I'm not saying you've been lying to me this whole time. I'm just saying that you have been lying to yourself. That subconsciously, you've never stopped loving Niall. And that when you saw him, it was triggered again and it started being less and less subconscious.'
'No! That's not true!'
'It is, Jess. Even if you're still in denial. It is! I mean I told you it's done, we're over, and you're not even crying! What kind of girl doesn't cry over a break-up?'
'It's not because I'm not crying in front of you that means I haven't cried at all. I spent a lot of my time today crying. I just don't feel like I can trust being vulnerable in front of you. I'm not sure that you'll hold me when I can't stand anymore because I'm crying so hard. And I don't feel like you'd try to calm me down and tell me that it's gonna be alright. Because you're the one ending this! I don't want to end it! I want to fix it! I want us to be better and be happy again!'
'Jess, there's nothing to fix. And we can't be happy together. We're not gonna be happy together. I'm doing both of us a favour here. You have to accept this. Because it's happening whether you like it or not. I'm sorry. I really am. But you're not alone. I'm leaving you knowing there's someone to pick up the pieces. I still care about you, but I know we're not meant to be together. I took the day to really think about it, and now I know it's what I want. It's what needs to be done.'
'You're still making decisions for the both of us on your own. We should've discussed it together. We should've come to this conclusion together!'
'Well, there you go, another reason why we don't work.'
'So this is really over huh...' I sigh.
'Yes. I'm sorry. But it's for the best! And since you're leaving tomorrow to London, you're free to spend the night here. I can crash at Cal's if it makes you more comfortable.'
'No, thank you. But I don't feel welcome here anymore. I'm gonna finish packing and go. Thank you for everything though. It was short, but it was nice.'
I walk close to him, put my hand on his cheek, 'I'll always only remember the good times with you. I get that it's over, I'm not saying I'm okay with it. But I accept it because it's what you want. Take care of yourself, Ashton.'
I got up the stairs, barely able to hold back my tears now that I'm alone. But before I finish the packing, I text Niall.
'Still up?'
'Yeah, what's up?'
'Pick me up, please? I don't have anywhere else to go.'
'Of course, I'll be there in 10!'
I make my way to the front door where Ashton is waiting.
'Should I even ask where will you stay until your flight?'
'You already know the answer.'
'I really hope he can me you happy, Jess.'
'Yeah, whatever.'
He opens the door and before letting me walk out for the last time, he lifts my head up to make me look at him
'Please don't be mad at me.'
'I'm not. I'm just mad in general. Not at you.'
'Are you gonna be okay?'
'I'll make myself okay.'
'Jess...'
'Goodbye, Ashton.' I sigh walking out.
'Goodbye, Jessica.' He says closing the door behind me.