Anything (Van McCann | CATB Fan Fiction)

25. Santa Ana, CA

|Vienna|

It was shivering cold in Santa Ana that afternoon. I was taking a few candid shots of the band roaming the streets, and I was mentally cursing myself for leaving my jacket in the bus. I hadn't expected it to be that cold before sun's out.

I tried my best to avoid Van throughout the day. I wished I had forgotten all about what happened in Sacramento, but sadly, I remembered them all. The way our lips crashed, our bodies moving together. I really thought his mind was synchronized with mine but even in his hazy state, he had pushed me away. That was a clear sign to me that we have taken things too far.

It was supposed to be a friendly gesture - him helping an emotional friend or colleague who just had a meltdown.

But I've crossed the line. Sure, I was drunk, but, that's no excuse. I need to refrain myself from him. Van was my greatest temptation. I tried to deny it, but I was defeated. Maybe I liked Van a little too much. I just couldn't contain myself around him. He looked at me like I mattered the most to him, like he truly cared about me.

We were both vulnerable - getting out of a relationship was rough and finding comfort from somebody else was the easiest way to forget everything.

I was so mad at myself that I could barely speak anything to him anymore. I bet he thought I was just some looney, pathetic person with never ending issues.

But, my strategy worked. I managed to avoid talking to him all afternoon, thanks to the endless interviews they had in between. I made sure I stood as far away as possible from him whenever we were in a same space. And I was getting the hang of paying no mind to him.

But he kept on reappearing in my mind. I wished I could stop thinking about him.

Once I was done taking shots of the boys, they then went inside a thrift shop, looking for some rare findings, Benji told me. I took the little time I have to roam the streets all by myself. The sky was getting darker and it was getting colder by the minute.

I found a Foto-Mex store along the street and decided to pop by so I could develop some of the films I took throughout the tour. I just couldn't believe that we were nearing the end of the tour.

I waited by the counter and waited for my film to be developed. I took out my phone and found a few notifications from Instagram - must be the Catfish fans. My profile were usually filled with shots I took while at work, so it was basically filled with shots of Catfish and The Bottlemen at the time. Fans were admiring the boys so much, especially Van. Well, no surprise there.

I tapped on the notification icon and found myself a new follower.

vanstagrammccannstagram is now following you!

I chuckled when I saw the name because I knew it was just some fan using Van's name on their profile. A few seconds later, another notification came in, saying that I have a new Direct Message.

From: vanstagrammccannstagram
Hey ya! Can't avoid me here, now, can you? X

I quickly swallowed. It couldn't be him. He had no Instagram account. Another message then came in.

From: vanstagrammccannstagram
It says SEEN. You can't ignore me forever, love.

Groaning, I shoved my phone back into my bag. I had no idea what he wants from me, but I wished he would just leave me alone. I could listen to my phone vibrated, indicating that there were more notifications coming in, but I ignored them all.