Frozen.

I stood there shell-shocked unlike everyone in mass panic around me.

Gunshot after gunshot rang through my ears as everyone around me pushed and shoved at each other, trying to make it to the door.

The piercing screams surrounding me made me bones cringe, but my legs stayed

frozen.

There was no way in hell he was going to make it out alive, and I knew that.

So there I stood in a crowd of hysteria, still.

Shouting could be heard from upstairs where the gunshots were coming from and I couldn't help but worry for Ashton. I had no clue what he had gotten himself involved in, but I thought the absolute worst.

As if he had heard my thoughts, he started to come down the stairs, jumping stair to stair. I let my eyes follow the blood trickling down his neck to his waist, but what overwrought me was the body he kicked down the stairs that went rolling before him.

The body hit the ground with a booming thud, blood starting to creep around it like a shadow.

It was one of the three men who had stood guard behind Oso.

I let out a gasp, my hand clinging tightly to the material of my shirt.

But .. I don't understand. They were the ones who wield the guns. Although I couldn't bring myself to examine the body for bullet holes, I got the foul feeling that was exactly what had killed him.

I watched as Ashton's eyes searched around the room for something. I couldn't help but shudder at the cold look he held in his eyes as they darted quickly around the room.

Then,

they landed on me.

Jumping off the stairs, he pushed his way through the dwindling sea of bodies and grabbed my arm pulling me towards the bathroom.

"Ashton don't you think we should get out of here —What happened anyway? And how did you kill that man? he was HUGE JESUS CHRIST YOU'RE SHOT ASHTON YOU GOT SHOT WE GOTTA CALL SOMEBODY WAIT!!

I'LL GRAB A PHONE SOMEONE HEL—"

Ashton cut me off, pushing his lips against mine.

I didn't protest, our lips moving in perfect rhythm.

After a while he pulled back slowly, searching my eyes for something.

I noticed his eyes weren't his usual bright green color with specks of gold, they had gone completely black,

completely bitter.

"Asht—"

He cut me off with a sigh and pulled my body flush against his.

"Not right now, okay little one?

We'll talk later, right now let me focus on getting you out of here."

I mumbled an okay and simply watched as Ashton pulled the shower curtain back revealing the bathroom window.

He quickly flipped the latch and opened it, causing the cool breeze hit my skin.

"Alright I'm going to lift you up and you ease your way out, it's a long drop."

"Pshhhh."

I brushed off what he said, walking straight over to the window and leaping out.

Before I knew it Ashton was beside me, huffing out of anger or lack of agility.

"You're going to learn to listen to me." he growled lowly by my face.

Definitely anger.

"Or what?"

I asked curiously, wondering what promise was held behind his threats.

Not the time, Madison

"Or I'll make y— Aaaah!" He panted, reaching for his side where he'd been shot.

My eyebrows scrunched together as I reached for his side and pulled up his now blood soaked shirt.

I stared at his gushing abdomen, not able to help my shocked look or the tears that prickled my eyes, threatening to spill down my face.

I let a cross from a sigh and a cry leave my mouth, my hand flying up to my mouth since Ashton tended to get mad when I freaked out.

"Okay-ok-okay we just need to get home.. Yea I-i can stitch it. You're not gonna die. He's not gonna die." I let out a shaky breath trying to convince myself.

"Will-will you let me?" I spoke again, nervous from his no reply, although I was mostly speaking to myself.

By this time we had been walking down the lake for 6 minutes when Ashton stopped walking abruptly and looked at me making me want to eat my words.

"You're the only one I will let stitch me." The corner of his lips twitched up to a smirk before he looked ahead and continued walking.

I couldn't remember how far we lived from the bullet house but the walk felt never ending. Ashton occasionally let out a grunt in pain reminding me he had gotten shot that night which left an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something told me that wasn't going to be the only gunshots I would hear in my life if I kept hanging around Ashton, which happened to be really tempting.

He had a certain way to him that left me always wanting to know more. I hoped it didn't get me hurt in the long run but wherever he went, trouble followed.

Finally, I started to notice the lake around us as the lake that was by the cabin. Ashton and I headed straight up the stairs to the bathroom where the first-aid kit lived, not even bothering to see if anyone else had made it back.

"Okay sit down." I ordered Ashton, getting out the peroxide, needle & string, sterile kit, along with a wet towel to wipe some of the blood.

"Take off your shirt." I stated, looking over at him to find him glaring back. I had grown accustomed to his angry face and noticed he even had multiple.

Obsessive or Observant ?

"Watch it with the orders." He snapped but winced in pain.

I kept quiet, just simply going to work cleaning the wound and sterilizing the needle.

Before long, the wound was sterile and it was time to sew. My breathing hitched as I threaded the string through the needle. Ashton seemed to be a bit nervous himself, which I couldn't blame him for. I stared at the needle then his wound then back at the needle to his wound, sizing it up and mentally preparing myself.

Letting out a breath I had been holding in for some time, I proceeded to scoot closer to Ashton, eyeing his gunshot wound one more time for good measure.

Never stitched up a gunshot wound, only a couple pillows and my grandma's quilt. There's gotta be a first time for everything, no?

For the first time ever, a look crossed Ashton's eyes that I could easily decipher!

Ashton was scared.