If This Is Love || Raura

7 | I Can't

The parts on italics (except for the song at the end) are the parts that happened during dinner. I don't think this A/N was needed, but I just thought I'd let you know anyways...
Enjoy💜

If This Is Love: 7 | I Can't
| Laura Renae |

"You ready for bed?" Rydel asks me, walking into the kitchen. She had her hair up in her scrunchie bun, zit cream on her few zits, and her pajamas on. I wasn't too far behind her. I had my glasses on, cotton shorts and a tank top with my hair down. Brianna had gone home over an hour ago, and big shock, Ross went with her. Was the dinner easy? Hell. No.

"Yeah." I whisper, grabbing my glass of water and phone. "Night, boys. Lov-" Before I could even finish my sentence, Ellington was on his feet and interrupting me.

"Are you gonna actually sleep?" Ellington asks, stepping over the boys' legs.

"I'm going to try." I tell him. Rydel sighs and walks back over to me and E. "Night, love you." I say, turning around. Ellington grabs my wrist and yanks me back around. "E, seriously, what's the deal?"

"Promise me you'll sleep." He whispers. "Because, believe it or not, I'm actually really worried about you." He adds, ruffling my hair. "I'm just looking out for you." He mumbles, now pulling me in for a hug. I smile and hug him back, thankful for him.

"I'll take a sleeping pill." I whisper, pulling away. Rydel must've heard me say that because she was already heading towards the kitchen when I told E and the boys that I loved them. I follow Rydel and take the pill from her hand and swallow the pill with water. "Thanks." I say, refilling my glass of water. Rydel just nods her head and the two of us walk to my room in silence. As the two of us got into my bed, parts of dinner kept replaying in my head.

"Do you have a job?" Rider asks Brianna. All of us were started at the dinner table now. Rocky made lasagna and garlic bread, which is delicious, and so far, one thing is clear. Brianna is the nicest, most sweetest girl on the planet. And it hurts knowing Ross has a perfect girl.

"Well, I'm a sophomore at USC, so I work as a barista at the Starbucks right off campus a few days a week. Nothing big, considering I'm only a nineteen year old college student." She explains.

"Laura goes there." Ryland says. I suck in a breath and send a smile back at Brianna who was smiling at me. So much for keeping quiet.

"Well, I'm more of an online student since we travel a lot. And I take small course loads when I'm on tour." I tell her. I should be a second quarter junior there, but since my course loads are small and I toured for almost a year and a half straight, I'm more of a first quarter sophomore level. But as of this quarter, I'm taking a full three class course load online.

"Is it tough?" She asks me. I shrug my shoulders.

"I meet with my counselors every other week when I'm home from tour and send them weekly emails while I'm on tour. I'm used to it really, so it doesn't suck much." I explain to her.

"What are you thinking about?" Rydel suddenly asks me. I jump the slightest, kinda forgetting she was beside me.

"Brianna." I whisper. "Did you like her?" I ask.

"You know I love you, right?" Rydel tells me. "And I want you and Ross to be together, right?" Sighing, I nod my head, knowing exactly where this was going. "Honestly... she's great, Laura. Believe me, I tried hard to hate her so I could give Ross shit about having a bitchy girlfriend, but I couldn't. She's just... perfect." That's what I was afraid of.