Ashton found himself approaching Benji after their football game, every word he wanted to say aching in the depths of his throat and doing nothing to ease the dryness.

But when he stood in front of Benji—under the sun that seemed to never leave, and opened his mouth to speak—nothing seemed to come out.

Benji wore a smirk, and the more Ashton stared at it, the higher his confusion increased.

Within a split second, Ashton had zoned out and was mindlessly watching drops of sweat trickle down Benji's light brown skin, his arms lifted behind his back as he stretched his muscles.

His thoughts focused in, and they kept switching continuously between Betsy and then to Luca. Betsy this, Betsy that, Luca this, Luca that.

"Ashton hello? Do you need something?"

Ashton titled his head slightly and locked his eyes onto Benji's face.

His mouth fell agape and he messily stumbled around his words, "I–uh..Luca?"

Benji cracked up with laughter. His smirk morphed into a wide grin but there was something that flashed in his dark eyes; curiosity.

"Luca?" he asked, his eyebrows elevating.

"Yeah. You two?" Ashton bit down onto his lower lip.

"Us two? Ashton honey, talk a little more clearly, you're not making any sense," Benji said, shaking his head.

A moment passed and Ashton deepened himself into the meaning behind his thoughts and what exactly he was trying to get at.

"I don't know how to," he finally responded.

"How to what?"

"Make sense."