“Where are you? xx A.” I texted Nicole and waited for her to reply.
But she didn’t.
“Hey… I’m worried, where are you? xx A.”
She didn’t reply again.
Okay… this wasn’t good… she always replied so fast.
“I’m coming to your house. xx A.”
“Miss Colton, mrs Colton is waiting for you in the car.” George said from behind the door.
I changed my clothes into a pair of black jeans and a loose t-shirt, grabbed my phone and opened the door and walked down the stairs.
As I passed the limo, Viola pulled down the window.
“Miss Ashley Colton, in the car, now!!” she yelled at me.
I stopped walking and turned around.
“Excuse me, you were talking to me?” I said with narrowed eyes.
“Is there any other miss Ashley Colton around here?” she said bitterly.
“Listen Verona, I don’t have time to answer your stupid question. You wanna go shopping, then go without me!!! don’t act like my mom or like you’ve been in this family since forever and like you can order me around!! You’ve just arrived last night and you absolutely have no idea who is the boss here!!! and you yell at me one more time I…” I said breathlessly that she cut me off.
“What would you do?” she said with a smile.
“I’d tell my dad, Viola Verona!!!!!” I said simply.
She stared at me for a second and then burst into laughter.
George and Margaret were standing at the door, watching us.
“I am mrs Colton, now!!”She said firmly.
I stared at her for a couple of seconds.
“You’re voila Verona to me!!!” I snapped at her and then turned back and walked out in a huff.
“Ashley!!” she yelled.
I ignored her.
“Don’t go alone anywhere!! Get back!!” she yelled.
I began to run, heading to Nicole’s house.
- - -
Nicole’s jeep was in front of the house.
So she was surely home.
I knocked on the door and Nicole’s small brother opened the door.
“Hey Nathan!! Where’s Nicole?” I asked him.
He looked at me and then pointed into the house.
“Can I come in?” I asked him politely.
He nodded and ran into the house.
I stepped in and closed the door behind me and went to Nicole’s bedroom.
She wasn’t in her bed.
Nathan was solving a puzzle.
“Where is she?” I asked him.
He pointed at the bathroom.
“Oh… thanks.” I said and he smiled at me.
“So… when did she get home?”
“I don’t know… a guy carried her to the house and put her on the bed and told me to go to sleep.” He said while putting the puzzle’s pieces together.
“How did… he look like?” I asked him again.
“He had blue eyes and blond hair.” He said.
Then Niall had brought her home last night… that Irish guy.
She opened the door and staggered towards the bed.
“Hey!” I said to her.
She panicked and looked me.
“Hey hey, it’s me!!” I tried to calm her down.
Nathan burst into laughter.
“God!! You scared me!!” she said and sat on the bed.
“Your hair is a mess!!! You look… terrible!!” I smirked.
She glared at me and sighed.
“I got a bad hangover.”
“I see.”
“So… how’s your stepmom?” she asked.
“Ugh!! SHE’S A BITCH!!” I said and sat next to her.
“Do you want some water?” I asked her.
She nodded and closed her eyes.
“Nathan, bring some water for your sister, please.” I said to Nathan.
“How many candies would you buy for me?” he asked.
“A box!! Just get her a water!!” I said to him.
Someone rang the doorbell twice.
“ Get the door, too.” Nicole said to her younger brother.
He ran out of the room.
“You have a cute little brother, Nic!!” I said to her.
“Yeah… especially when he steals your stuff to exchange them with chocolate later…”
I chuckled.
“Hey hey hey!!! Look who’s here!!!” said a familiar voice….
I turned around and saw Niall with a boy, with green eyes and a huge quiff, wearing a tight brown t-shirt.
“Hey Niall!!” Nicole and I both said in unison.
“Hey… you okay?” Niall asked Nic.
“I’m good… yeah…” she replied.
“What about you? arrived home on time, last night?” he asked me.
“Nope.” I answered.
“Do you know her?” that boy asked Niall with a husky voice and he nodded…
“She’s Nic's friend, Ash… ” Niall said to that boy.
“Ash…short for… Ashley?” that boy asked me.
I stared at him.
“Don’t you wanna introduce yourself?” I said to him.
Niall raised his eyebrow in surprise and the boy narrowed his eyes at me.
Nicole nudged me.
“What?” I said to her.
She gave me a fake smile.
“I’m Harry.” The boy said, his eyes fixed on me.
“Hmm…. And you couldn’t just say that earlier?” I snapped at him.
Niall looked so amused.
“You’re one little brave chick…huh… brave chick…sounds funny….” Harry said to Niall.
“Not at all.” I said firmly.
Niall and Nicole looked at each other then at me and Harry.
“You clearly don’t know who you’re talking to, do you?” he said.
“No, actually, YOU don’t know who you’re talking to!!… but even if I knew, it wouldn’t make any difference.” I said to him.
“Don’t be so sure, babe…” he said with narrowed eyes.
My phone started to ring.
Gerard Colton… it was my dad.
“Hello?” I said.
“Ashley? Where are you?!” he said.
“I’m at Nicole’s… is everything alright?” I asked.
“I was worried about you…”
“I’m fine,dad.”
“Please listen to your mother…”
“She’s not my mother!!” I yelled at him.
Harry, Niall and Nicole exchanged a meaningful look.
“Ashley… please… I need you to understand… we had this conversation before… listen to everything she says. She wants the best for you. I expect you to act like a mature lady. Remember, you’re a Colton.” He said and hung up.
I sighed and stood up.
Nicole looked worried, Liam and Niall looked confused.
Nathan came in with a glass of water.
“I gotta go.” I said and left the room, my eyes on the ground.
“What about my box of candies?!” Nathan groaned.
“Not now, Nathan!!” I said and left the house, without turning back.

Notes

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