Loving All Over Again | ✓

Chapter Forty-One: Gonna Regret This?

Aliana's POV

"Ashton?" I asked him as we walked down the sidewalk, our folded hands swinging in between the two of us. 

"Yeah?" he asked, guiding me around a huge frozen lump of dirty snow. 

I jumped away from the pile and replied, "You know, I've never been to your house before, and I really don't know much about your family or your life away from school. So, I have a question."

He glanced at me warily, seemingly caught off guard at my sudden interest in his personal life. "Okay..."

"Why have you never invited me to your house?" I asked. Then I realized that it sounded like a slightly blunt question so I added quickly, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, like, if it's too personal, but I was just sorta curious."

He stared at the ground and shook his head. "No, um, not really, I don't know why I've never invited you over." He sounded a little unsure.

"Okay. So, what I wanted to ask was if I could come to your house. Meet your step brother, step mom, dad, you know, the whole shebang." He chuckled quietly at the last word, but it died down quickly.

"I don't know, Ali," he said, his voice strained. I frowned. 

"But why? Why don't you want me to come to your house?" When he didn't say anything, I closed me eyes in realization. "There's something private that you don't want me to know about, isn't there. How could I have not figured that out before? Gosh, I'm-"

He put his other hand on my arm. "Ali, no, it's not that."

I looked at him. "Well, then what is it? You can tell me anything, you know. I don't judge."

"Yes, I know. It's just that, I don't think you'll be a huge fan of my step brother," he admitted. I raised a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Will you stop asking so many questions if I just take you to my house right now?" he asked in annoyance. 

"Hm, I guess you'll have to find out," I replied. He squeezed my hand and gave me a small smile. It wasn't one of his amazing grins, but it would do.

"So, is your house far?" I asked him as we strolled down the snow-covered sidewalk. He shrugged.

"Eh, not really. Pretty close to yours actually, just a street over." 

I nodded, then nodded again. "Oh. I don't even know why that surprises me. Why would my boyfriend not tell me that he literally lives five minutes away from me?" I asked sarcastically.

"This is not the time for your sarcastic humor, Aliana," he said, rolling his eyes. I laughed and glanced up at the bright blue sky.

"Sometimes you're a very secretive boy, Ashton." 

He snorted. "Are you basing that comment off of just today?"

"You know, I'm not gonna take this sudden sass, Dobias. We just admitted our love for each other and now you've decided to throw the sass at me? You should've gotten that out of your system beforehand."

He sighed. "You're right. I should've. I just kind of dreaded the day that you'd ask to come to my house. But don't ask, because you're gonna find out anyways, I can't stop it from happening at this point."

Now I really wanted to know what he was hiding from me. "Okay, I'll stop griping on you for now."

"That last part worries me." He suddenly stopped in front of a two-story house. I looked up. It was a bright robin egg blue, with white shutters. It looked quaint, and calm. I smiled up at the structure.

"Is this your house?" I asked him. He took a sharp intake of breath.

"Yep, this is it." He took a step forward and I followed. He opened the door and gestured for me to keep walking. I took a couple steps and looked around. It looked very similar to my own home. Same rooms, same walls, staircase, everything. 

Ashton was suddenly at my side, and he took me hand again. "Come with me. I think my parents are either in the living room or their bedroom." I nodded, and he pulled me into the living room, and sure enough, his parents were sitting on the couch.

His dad looked up at us. "Oh! Hi, Ashton." He put down the newspaper he was holding and stood up. 

"Hi, Dad." He paused. "Oh, Dad, this is Aliana, my, um, girlfriend." I expected his dad to look surprised, but he just smiled and put his hand out.

"Hello, Aliana. I didn't know Ashton had a girlfriend." I smiled as he shook my hand. 

"Nice to meet you, sir." I heard Ashton let out a small sigh of relief. His step mom stood up and appeared in front of us.

"Hello, dear." 

"Hello, Mrs. Dobias."

She waved her hand. "Oh, please, call me Grace." I gave her a smile. Ashton's family seemed very nice so far, but I still had yet to meet his step brother.

"We're going to the basement," Ashton said, grabbing my hand and gripping it tightly. I grimaced at his strong grip, but didn't pull away.

"Go right ahead, but no funny business," his dad said in a kind-of-kidding, kind-of-not sorta way. Ashton rolled his eyes, before pulling me down the stairs in a rush.

"Ashton, what is your prob-" I was cut off by him stopping suddenly, and me smashing my nose into his hard back. I muttered an 'ow' as I rubbed my nose. I expected Ashton to move, but he stayed stuck in his spot.

"Aliana?" a voice asked. I looked over to the couch, where the voice was coming from, and I stopped breathing when I saw who was sacked out on the couch with a bowl of Doritos on his lap.

"Tyler?" I asked in shock. Ashton groaned and ran a hand over his face. Tyler set down the bowl and stood up.

"Stay away," Ashton warned him when he took a step towards us. He stopped, a smirk playing on his lips. What was going on?

"You can't tell me what I can or can't do, Ashton. I want to see my girl," Tyler shot back smugly. Ashton growled lowly.

"Your girl? I think you've got that wrong, Tyler. She's with me. Not you or anyone else," Ashton ground out. Tyler raised a threatening brow, but kept his mouth shut. I thought he was going to be smart and not say anything more, but no, he wasn't.

"She was with me in the first place."

Ashton scoffed. "You broke up with her. You gave up an amazing girl because you were too oblivious to realize it. You lost your chance, man." Tyler blew a breath out of his nose.

"God, you're so annoying. And since when was Ali your girlfriend? You're not good enough for her," Tyler said, his eyes darkening.

"You think you can just suddenly get her back after you broke up with her, that just shows how clueless you are." Tyler crossed his arms and glared threateningly at him. Ashton pulled me to his side protectively.

I had to say something before this got out of hand. "Tyler, just knock it off. I saw you making out with Vicky, and you broke my heart in two. You blew it. I had to figure out some things, to find out how to love again, but when I did figure it out, I realized that I deserve so much more than your kind of lame, self-centered 'love'. Ashton came along and helped me to see things in ways you never could, so stop harping on me and Ashton and leave us alone. I don't want you in my life anymore."

Tyler looked surprised at my sudden say in this conversation. 

"You guys are gonna regret this." Was all Tyler muttered before he grabbed his bowl and went back upstairs.

Okay then.