Unbroken | Ashton Irwin's Little Sister (COMPLETED)

Chapter 9

Bitter words spoken, everything broken, it's never too late to bring us back to life

***

| Ashton |

"You what?"

Am I hearing things? This has to be a dream. Yes, this has to be a very, very bad dream. This can't be real. Right?

Wrong.

"I - I have cancer," Bailey repeats herself, more quietly this time. "At my physical —"

"Wait, your physical? That was months ago! You told me everything was fine! You told me you were in perfect health, you told me —" I sit up abruptly and rub my free hand over my face.

This can't be real.

I turn back to the screen where Bailey stares at her hands, a horrific look of guilt and pain plastered across her face. I should have known, I should have seen the signs. I did see the signs, but she told me everything was fine! So I didn't worry, but I should have. There were so many signals. The lies that didn't add up, her being so sick for so long and telling me it was just a bug, it was all there, it was all right in front of me. But I ignored it, I pushed it away, I told myself everything was fine, everything was okay, everything was good. Because she told me it was. She lied to me. So many times. So many lies.

"When was the official diagnosis?" I ask flatly.

Bailey lifts her eyes to meet mine and I see the prominent bags beneath them. "March 20th," she whispers, "My usual doctor wasn't in that day. The replacement was an oncology specialist. That's how it happened." Her voice is barely above a whisper. I barely hear her, not because of her volume, but because I was only half listening.

March 20th. It's May now.

"You didn't tell me about this until now?" My voice raises, laced with hurt, making Bailey visibly tense.

"I wanted to, but —"

"But?" I cut her off. "There shouldn't be a but! How could you not tell me about this?! Does Arden know?" She has to, she sees Bailey and mom almost everyday. To my dismay, Bailey nods.

"So, what? You just figured because I'm not in the same country as you you're just exempt from telling me you could quite possibly be dying?"

"Ashton, I had planned on telling you. I just couldn't at first. I didn't want you to worry," Bailey tries to explain.

"You didn't want me to worry? Well, I am now, so what's the difference?! You could have already died! It could have gotten worse! You could have died and I'd never even know, because you didn't tell me!" I'm screaming by now, and I'm thankful the other boys aren't here.

"I know. I'm sorry. I should have told you when it first happened. I just couldn't bring myself to —"

"I can't believe this," I scoff with a bitter laugh. Tears are welling in my eyes, they're already spilling down Bailey's cheeks. "You told me everything was fine." My voice cracks. "You lied to me for almost two months. You have freaking cancer, and you told me you were fine!" I'm yelling again, pacing the length of the tour bus in a furious manner. "You lied to me so many times," I wheeze, slamming my fist against one of the bunks. Bailey jumps, then regains her composure and wipes her eyes.

"Ashton, that's enough. Bailey made the decision, and it was a mistake. We can't do anything about it now," mom says sternly, yet gently. It's a tone of voice I'll never understand.

"No, there isn't anything we can do about it now. And I don't think there's anything she can do to get me to forgive her for this, either."

Bailey's eyes widen in shock and horror and her face contorts to pain.

"Ashton!" My mom shouts; she never shouts. That's when I hang up the phone, because I don't want to hear anymore. I throw it across the room and slam my fists against the bunks until they're stinging and raw before resorting to pretty much tearing the tour bus apart. Finally tired out from my tantrum, I crawl into my bunk and draw my legs to my chest, rocking back and forth, finally letting the tears flow.

I wish this wasn't real.

***

"What the hell happened in here?" Calum's voice rings out through the tour bus, but I don't answer. I'm not even sure my voice works after the fit I threw earlier.

"Ash?" Luke calls. He carefully makes his way through the bus until he spots me in my bunk. He takes in my red, puffy eyes and swollen knuckles before his mouth drops in shock, "What the hell happened, Ashton?"

I finally force myself to stand and roughly brush past Luke, making my way into the kitchen. I run my hands under the cool water, hissing in pain as it comes in contact with my raw and bloody knuckles. The other three boys stand around me in complete shock.

I dry my hands, run one through my hair and then over my face. I sit down on the edge of an unused bunk, resting my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands.

"What's wrong?" Michael finally asks.

Life freaking sucks, that's what's wrong.

"My sister has cancer," I spit. "And she has for almost three months, yet she decides that only just now is the right time to tell me." I throw my hands up in the air and then drop them beside me in defeat.

"She lied to me for almost three months! She told me everything was great and fine and good and normal, yet she's dying of fücking cancer! To make matters worse, I told my dying sister I'd never forgive her."

I break down into sobs again and Luke is the first one to sit beside me and pull me into his arms. "It's okay, Ash. It'll be okay," he soothes.

But it won't be okay. My sister has cancer, my poor mother is all alone having to deal with it, and I told her I'd probably never forgive her. Things are not okay.

"Just get some sleep, and you can call her tomorrow. Everything will turn out alright, okay?" I nod as he eases me into bed. But will things be okay? Will they really? How badly I want to believe him.

A/N - yikes, Ash has a temper. Also, my SLFL show is in SIX days! I'm not emotionally prepared for this, like at all.

Have you guys been to SLFL or are you going?

I hope you all have a fantabulous day my friends! Xoxo - Em:)