melody

I woke up in an unfamiliar place, a room I did not recognize. I was against Ashton's side, my head on his chest and my legs wrapped around him. This time, I was the big spoon.

The familiar ratchet clawing pain in my gut started again. Cramps.

No way.

I had felt them the past few days, and kept telling myself to throw tampons into my purse, but I kept putting it off and forgot.

I prayed silently that Mother Nature hadn't come yet. I loosened my arms from around Ashton, and looked down.

Oh. Fricken. Crap.

Blood was coating my jeans, and on Ashton's thigh and skin on his stomach.

I have never hated my vagina more.

I'm gonna kill myself.

I panicked and hoped that Ashton wouldn't notice that his grey shorts and tanned skin were now red.

I unraveled my legs from around him, and scooted away, hoping he wouldn't wake up and I could just clean myself up and sprint out of this house after stealing his Advil. I turned around and began to get off the bed, careful that I didn't track blood on the sheets.

"Melody?"

Shoot.

I turned around, my face bright red.

"Are you trying to leave me?" he frowned.

"Um..." I got nervous and couldn't speak.

"What's up?" He sat up.

"Please don't look down," I squeezed my eyes shut.

"What?" he sounded confused, but I couldn't see his face since I closed my eyes. "Oh."

He found it.

I opened one eye, revealing Ashton sending me a sympathetic smile.

"You okay?" He scooted over to me and dangled his legs off the bed.

I shrugged, trying to hold back tears. My lip started trembling, causing me to bite it to keep it still.

"You aren't okay, huh," he smiled and hugged me.

"I'm sorry," I bursted into tears.

Ashton stood up, still holding me. He rubbed my back slowly. "No, don't be," He coaxed.

"I'm so stupid," I yelled at myself.

Ashton let go of me and frowned. "Don't say that."

"But I am! I didn't do anything about it when the signs were all there-"

"You aren't stupid, Melody. Come on, let's clean ourselves up."

I nodded and sniffed.

He had me jump in the shower, even though I told him he probably needed it first.

"Someone else's vagina blood is literally on your body," I cringed.

"I don't care, Melody," he laughed. "Go get in the shower, I'll get you a towel. I have another bathroom anyways."

When I got out, I saw a navy blue towel on the counter. I wrapped myself in it, and then realized something.

I had no clothes.

The only clothes I had were covered in blood, and based on the fact that they weren't in the bathroom anymore, Ashton had already put them in the wash.

I nervously walked out of the bathroom, only in a towel. Ashton sat on his bed, his back facing me. He turned around when I came out.

A deep pink color rose onto his cheeks, as well as mine. "You don't have clothes."

I nodded.

"I somehow was brainless enough to forget that," he muttered.

Ashton walked over to his closet and threw a "Russel's Rock Cafe" shirt out that he had cut the sleeves off of, a pair of boxers, and grey sweats.

"They're all clean, I swear," he promised me.

I grabbed the clothes and changed in the bathroom. When I walked out, I earned a few giggles from Ashton. The sweatpants were large, and I had to go tie them really tight so that they would fit my waist. Still, the ankles pooled over my feet. The man has long legs. The shirt fit better, but it was still rather large.

"Oh shut up," I swatted his arm and leaned onto his shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Stop saying sorry!" he lectured. "You literally have nothing to be sorry about."

I shrugged.

"Oh, and Calum wants us to all go to his place again."

I shot up. "What?"

"Yeah, he thought since last night was cut short and everything because we left."

"We left early?" I didn't remember us leaving.

"Yeah, you fell asleep, and after an hour I figured we'd leave."

I nodded. I still didn't have tampons or lads or anything for that matter. "Um, can we stop at my place? I need to grab a few things."

Ashton's eyes widened and he blushed a bit. "Yeah, if you can find your keys."

I grabbed my purse from his desk and rummaged through it. "What the- Where's my key?"

"I don't know, I couldn't find them last night. I had tried to take you to your place, but I couldn't find your keys to get in."

I groaned. I needed to stop at home.

"Could you possibly go without?" Ashton asked weakly.

I shook my head. "I've bled on enough of your clothes."

"It's fine, I'll go pick you up some," Ashton decided.

"What? No, that will be embarrassing for you," I told him. "You've done so much for me already."

Ashton shook his head. "No, you need me to get things for you, and I'm going to! You can't tell me no."

"Whatever, but I'm coming with," I reasoned.

"Fine."

We drove to the nearest Target after I flooded the underwear with toilet paper.

We walked in, and I held onto Ashton's arm like a child. I hated going out in public like this, and I hated confrontation.

Ashton looked down at me and giggled. "You're fine."

We walked to the section, and I found the right tampons, still holding onto Ashton's arm.

"You guys are the sweetest couple," a woman behind us mentioned sweetly.

We both froze up for a second. "Oh, uh, we aren't together," I said nervously.

The lady shook her head and laughed. "Sure you aren't. If you aren't now, you will be soon! And I'm counting on it."

I smiled a bit, but I didn't want Ashton to see me. I hid my face in his arm.

"I need to get myself a man like that," the woman laughed before walking to another isle.

Ashton looked down at me for a moment before we walked to the self-checkout. I started scanning the item and before I clicked complete, Ashton scanned something else. Chocolate.

I looked up at Ashton. He smiled and threw the bar into the bag.

Now I could just burst into tears again.

We made our way back to the car and the first thing I did after the door shut was hide my face in the shirt and cry. Hormones were really getting to me.

Ashton giggled a bit before laying his head on my hunched back.

"I love you," he told me.

Pure shock was the only thing that stopped my tears.

"What?" I sniffed.

"I love you," he repeated, still cuddling into my back.

The words slipped out of my mouth. "I love you more."

The honesty in that statement was unreal.

Ashton shook his head. "Impossible."

a/n rOLL THE CREDITS lol jk there's so much left in this book and also this is my favorite chapter i have ever written i love them sm and HsnakksbdknHwkznNmsnMamdnm

okay i love you all!

#BLM TPWK HAPPY PRIDE MONTH