Ace's POV:
Ella had fallen asleep in Ashton's arms not long after Sofia fell asleep against my shoulder.
Me, Ashton, Grayson, and Chase were all talking about random shit.
Then Sofia sat up frantically, gasping, and looked horrified. "Sofia!" I said loudly trying to make her realize she was awake. Ella had been woken up by Sofia's gaps and was about to come over before Ashton put his arm in front of her to stop her.
She looked at me before searching the room frantically with her eyes. I gently grabbed her face forcing her head towards me. "Look at me" I muttered but she couldn't hear me. "Look at me!" I demanded loudly. She had tears welling up in her eyes as she stared at me, shaking from fear. She shut her eyes as she tried desperately to catch her breath. "I've got you" I reassured her, stroking her cheek with my thumb. "B-but he had me" She uttered, still seeming paranoid.
I hated this. I hated this so fucking much. I can't help her when she's asleep and that's why I hate it. I'd love to kill the demons in her nightmares but only she can do that.
"Well, now I've got you, understand?" I raised my eyebrows at her. She nodded slightly before playing with her hands, trying to calm herself as best she could; It was working slightly considering her breathing had slowed a lot. Ella stared at Ashton with a pout, feeling bad for Sofia.
I pulled her into my arms, the safest place for her to be. She latched onto me and didn't want to let go. "You're okay" I hushed her, trying to get her to go back to sleep; I knew she was exhausted. She nodded slightly, blubbering into my shoulder. I went to lie down and she clung to me like I was going to disappear. "I'm only lying down" I replied. I lay on the couch as she got comfortable next to me. I felt awful since I couldn't do anything else to help.
She was very tense for a second but eventually gave in, cuddling up to me and lying in my arms. I ran my hand through her hair soothingly.
"Nightmares?" I questioned her. "Yeah, I think so" She glanced up, now at ease while laying next to me. "What did he do?" I asked carefully, not wanting to upset her again. "He strangled me" She hid her face in my chest, feeling safe in my arms. I felt the anger build up in my chest as she hid afraid. "I won't let him hurt you" I whispered quietly to her so only she could hear. She nodded slightly.
"You have to admit, it feels good when they find comfort in you because you think the only thing in you is darkness" Ashton muttered eating the leftovers from the Chinese earlier.
Ashton has a point. It was weird to have someone who felt safe in your arms instead of.....well, terrified. It's crazy how I wouldn't even let a girl sleep in my bed, let alone in my arms just a few months ago.
"You're her safety blanket" a half-asleep Ella murmured cuddled next to Ashton. "What's a safety blanket?" Grayson asked confused. "You guys are 15, you won't understand what a person being a safety blanket is like" Ella explained to them. "She's so......soft and warm, I almost feel like I'm a bad influence on her" I sighed defeatedly as I battled with my thoughts, unsure of what to do.
"Ace, as far as I can see, you're the only one who has stayed; That's more than enough that shows me that you're not a bad influence. You're human, you make mistakes" Ashton voiced confidently. "I've left before though" I admitted, staring at Sofia who was now asleep on my lap.
"But you got her back, did you not?" Ashton's deep voice grumbled as he raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Yeah" I replied, stroking a strand of Sofia's hair behind her ear. "All that matters is the fact you always come back" Ashton reassured me with a slight smile.
"Both" Ashton replied while Ella drew circles on the inside of Ashton's palm. Sofia stirred in my arms and then proceeded to hold my hand whilst asleep. She hummed contently.
"It's weird. I never thought I'd see Ace with a girl" Grayson raised his eyebrows judgementally with a cheeky look on his face. "Neither did I" I sighed as I watched Sofia's peaceful expression. "Did you get a date to the dance yet?" I teased Grayson. "Yeah" he smiled proudly. "Who is it?" Chase asked him curiously. "Zaiya" He grinned. Chase rolled his eyes.
"Who's Zaiya?" Ashton asked before kissing Ella's repeatedly making her laugh. "She's the popular girl" Chase scoffed. "You're just jealous" Grayson snarled at him defensively. "Woahhh, relax" I hushed them. "You wake my girl and I'll kill you both, understood?" I warned them causing the boys to shut up.
"Wow, he's almost as protective as you" Ella spoke with shock while staring at Ashton. "I'm not protective" I scowled at Ella. Ashton stood up and walked towards us, obviously trying to achieve something. He went to touch Sofia but I grabbed his wrist, stopping his arm forcefully. "Not protective huh?" Ashton turned my attention to my hand which had stopped him from touching her. I did that subconsciously without even realizing it.
"Oh, shit" I stared at my hand as if it wasn't mine. Ashton sat back down with a groan. "Do you still wear suits all the time?" Ashton questioned me with a cheeky smile. "Yeah" I nodded, clueless as to why he would ask that. "You should be a kid while you still can" Ashton warned me, pulling out a cigarette. "I don't want to be a kid" I spoke with disgust in my tone; I always hated kids, they always think they know everything yet they haven't even lived half the life I have.
"Being a teenager is great" Grayson smirked while scrolling through his phone. "Yeah well your father didn't abuse you mentally and physically" I scoffed, pulling out a smoke, following Ashton's lead. I started getting really tense lately, it's like my anger would all of a sudden turn on and I couldn't switch it off no matter how hard I tried. I clenched my fist, trying to let my anger dissolve.
Ashton looked at me. "Go take a walk" Ashton demanded, noticing that I was becoming agitated. I could feel that I was going to snap if anyone even annoyed me slightly. I gently moved Sofia off of me and took my cigarette outside. I inhaled a lot of smoke and slowly breathed it out, hoping it'd give me some relief but it didn't. It gave near to none actually, probably because I've been smoking since I was 15.
I walked back inside and jogged upstairs. I grabbed the wooden baseball bat that my father had gotten me for my 16th birthday and took it outside with me; My father is lucky I never used it on him. I walked up to the really big tree in my back garden and stared at it for a moment. I held the cigarette in my mouth while the bat rested on my shoulder.
This is my favorite thing to do when I'm angry.
I started swinging the bat at the tree. Each hit became harder and harder; I was so angry at the world, as I always have been. It had given me the best thing in my life only for me to lose her again later. I know I'll fuck it up. I know I'll fuck it up somehow.
The sound of the bat whipping through the ear was piercing yet relieving.