Page 67 of Downfall

“What exactly are you saying, Skylar? That you want to tr⁠—”

“I don’t know,” she interrupts me. “I don’t know what I’m saying. You’re right. It’s late. We should get some sleep.”

I nod, shoving my hand under the pillow. “Can I still hold you?”

“Yes, please,” she says softly, snuggling back into the crook of my arm. I wait until I hear her breathing even out and then I allow myself to drift off.

It feels like it’s only a few minutes later that the banging starts, but it must have been longer because sunlight filters in through the edges of the window.

“What is that?” Skylar groans, grabbing her pillow and shoving it against her ears. It sounds like it’s coming from the front door. It couldn’t be my dad. For one, he doesn’t bang on doors, and two, he’s been avoiding me ever since he dropped by a couple of weeks back. It could be Claire. She didn’t seem too happy with me when we got off the phone last night.

“Someone’s at the door. I’ll get it.” I slide my arm out from under her head so I can get up.

“Just make it stop,” she groans, burrowing further into the blankets. She lifts a hand to adjust the top so it’s all the way up to her chin and that’s when I notice it. She’s wearing the ring I made her. My heart soars, but it’s short-lived because the damn knocking starts up again. Cursing, I get out of bed and throw on a pair of gray sweats. Whoever is knocking my door down at this ungodly hour is going to have to deal with me being half-naked.

Of all the possibilities running through my mind, the last thing I expect is Ashton standing on my front steps absolutely seething.

“Hey, man. What the⁠—”

I don’t have time to finish my sentence because he rears back and punches me in the face so hard I stagger backward.

“You fucking asshole,” he spits, cradling his split knuckles in the palm of his other hand. “How could you do that to her?”

He winces in pain, and I realize he must have caught my lip ring.

“I asked you a question.” As Ashton pushes his way inside, he slaps my bare chest, and I let him. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what he’s mad about, and if I’m right then I deserve whatever else he does to me. “Answer me!”

“Why? You have it all figured out already. What’s the point of explaining myself?”

“Because I want to hear it straight from your fucking mouth, Dec. I want to hear about what could have possibly made you fuck our best friend and then break her heart in the same sentence.”

“I don’t know, Ash. Your sister was busy that night.”

I’m not sure what reaction I’m expecting, but the vein pulsing in his forehead softens, before a smile breaks out across his face, and he starts to laugh. “You’re so fucking pathetic. You know that?”

“So I’ve been told.”

Ash takes a seat on the bottom step of the staircase, passing a hand through his light hair right as Skylar hurries down the steps. “What the hell is going on?”

“Why don’t you ask your knight in shining armor over here?” I nod at Ashton. “He came to defend your honor.”

“Shit. I’m s—” She’s starting to wring her hands, but she stops when I pin her with a look. “We started talking last night, and it just came up.”

“Don’t you dare make this her fault.” Ashton lifts his head, his usually soft brown eyes boring into me. “It’s been a long time coming. I let you guys have your little secret because it wasn’t my business or maybe I was used to sticking my head in the sand when it came to things I wasn’t sure how to handle, but I’m done with that shit now.”

I can’t help the smirk that splits my lips.

Ashton blinks. “What?”

“Nothing, I’m happy you finally grew a set of balls.” I rub the side of my face. “Your right hook isn’t bad either.”

“Oh, fuck off. I got in some good hits the last time.”

“I do remember a couple of light slaps. It was kind of soothing, actually, like the caress of a butterfly’s wings.”

Ashton stands up, anger written all over his face again. “Stop changing the fucking subject.”

“Wait, what were you guys fighting about that night junior year? Skylar asks. “You never told me and then I got so drunk, I forgot about it.”