Meghan's POV:
I sat nervously at lunch knowing that the guys plane is landing here soon.
"Is she okay?" Izzy asked, turning to Bridget.
"Probably. I'm surprised that you aren't anxious either, Ashton is flying in today." When Bridget said that Izzy spit out her food.
"That's today!" She yelled." Ashton told me he'd be in the eighth!"
"Today is the eighth." I said, looking at her like she's dumb." They'll be here soon but we'll both still be in school.
"Anyway, why are you flipping out?" Bridget asked me.
"I'm just anxious. Knowing Luke and I's luck something will go horribly wrong." I answered." Plus I'm not sure how comfortable I am with Luke spending three hours alone with jack, jack, and Sammy while I'm at school."
"Understandable but as long as Luke has nothing to hide, they should get along fine."
Luke's POV:
"As long as you keep your mouth shut about Arzalea these boys won't suspect anything." Michael said to me as the Uber neared Meghan's house.
"Don't forget we're meeting for dinner tonight, all six of us." Ashton reminded me. The driver pulled up outside a condominium with two SUVs parked in the driveway.
"This is it. By the way, those boys are going to pat you down and give you a interrogation until she gets home." Ashton advised as I got out of the car. I nervously made my way up the entrance before arriving at the door. I rang the door bell and prepared for the big hug I was about to get.
When the door opened there stood a rather tall guy with dark brown hair." Welcome to hell." He smiled devilishly." You must be luke, I'm jack."
"I am indeed. Is Meghan home?" I gulped.
"No she's still at school until three." He replied, stepping aside so I could come in." While we wait maybe my friends and I can get to know you a little better."
I agreed and he sat me down at the table, two other guys I recognized from her pictures sitting on eat end with jack in front of me.
"I'm jack, this is jack and Sammy." Jack pointed to the other two guys." What are your intentions with Meghan."
"I intend to spend time with her while I'm here and make up for time we lost." I answered nervously. I wasn't afraid of them or their questions, I was afraid of the amount of time I'd be sitting her with these boys until Meghan gets home.
"Have you and Meghan had sex yet?" Sammy asked me. I was taken back in awe at how personal this conversation got.
"Of course not."
"Are you planning to?" Jackjack added.
"No! She's seventeen and we've only been dating for a few months." I replied. When I answered I thought back to that time in Texas when we almost did it.
As much as I wanted to have sex with Meghan, she wasn't ready and I wasn't going to force her.
"Better be telling the truth because as long as you're under my roof, there will be no sex." Jack said sternly.
The blonde jack leaned over to him and said," does that go for everyone?"
"No, no you're good." He answered." As for you," jack pointed at me." No sex, no touching, no sharing a bed. I want no physical contact between you and Meghan."
"But-" Sammy cut me off.
"No buts."
*
*
I was sitting awkwardly at the table while the other three sat in front of the TV watching a football game.
Every so often they'd yell or throw Cheetos at the TV when their team didn't score, making me feel more scared that they'd eventually use me as a punching bag when the team lost.
I sat around thinking about how long it takes until school is over and contemplated texting her but if she's in class, it'll just get her in trouble.
"Hey hemming!" Jack called." Why don't you watch the game with us." I stood up and made my way over.
"Ever watched American football?" Sammy asked.
"Once or twice maybe." I answered. When the game resumed I tried paying attention and tried to learn when to yell or cheer for the team jack and his friends liked.
After a while I picked up on it and the boys started to notice.
"I know we give you a hard time but we just want what's best for Meghan." Jack explained as I helped get more snacks.
"I know. I wouldn't intentionally hurt her." I said. Even though I knew at some point I would with this situation we're in, I didn't want to admit that to a boy who could tear me limb from limb.
*
*
*
Meghan's POV:
I sat anxiously in last period American Lit. waiting for the bell to ring. This class period felt like it had been going on forever and it was because I know that after this I get to see Luke.
When the bell finally rang, I ran past Mrs. Brown on the way out and practically sprinted out to my car. I got in, started the car, and made my way out of the lot beating the bus traffic.
I drove home and tried to calm my nerves before I got there. I was so excited to see Luke again and be able to kiss and hug him again. I could only imagine what he has been doing since he arrived at the house earlier that day. When I pulled into the driveway I jumped out of the truck, not even checking to see if I shut the door, and ran inside.
"I'm home!" I called, quickly dropping my stuff on the floor." Is he here?!" I asked the boys who were sitting at the table with cards.
"Who?" Sammy asked.
"Luke! Who else?!" I replied giving him a dumb look.
"He's not here yet." Jack answered." Wasn't he going to text you when he got here?"
"Yeah." Come to think of it Luke hasn't texted me all day, making me wonder if Izzy was right and they fly in tomorrow.
I took a deep breath and sat down with them before Sammy dealt me in.
"What're we playing?" I asked them.
"Five card draw."
*
*
*
"Full house." I said to JackJack as I laid down my cards and collected the money. We were currently into an hour worth of playing and so far no texts or calls from Luke or the other boys.
"What should we do for dinner?" I asked them.
"Whatever it is you're buying." Sammy commented." Maybe we could order Chinese."
"Sure why not." I agreed and got up to get the phone. When I looked back over at the boys they were snickering amongst each other." What? What's so funny?" I asked.
"Nothing. Just something between the three of us." Jack replied." Do you need my card?" He asked, getting out his wallet.
"No it's okay, I'll pay. I have all your cash anyway." I said. Before I hit the call button, the front door opened.
"Honey I'm home." Luke called as he came in. I dropped everything and ran into his arms.
He picked me up into a big hug and held me tight.
"I missed you so much!" I told him before kissing him. I hadn't realized how much I missed his lips until I finally got a taste of them again. Our lips moved in sync until the three, who were still seated at the table, hollered," Get a room or get out."
"Where have you been? Where are your bags?" I asked him.
"Already in your room. I got her around noon but for the past hour and a half I was out getting flowers for you and checking in on your brother and the other two." Luke explained as he handed me a medium sized bouquet of yellow, white, red, pink, green, cream, peach, orange, salmon, and lavender roses.
"Oh Luke, these are beautiful." I told him." How'd you know this is my favorite arrangement?"
"Not gonna lie, but I asked your brother." He answered." You said you loved these because despite what each color means, all of them together mean something greater." i gave him another hug and we went back to the table.
"i can't believe none of you told me he was already here. Made me feel like I was dumb." I said.
"And any chance to do that is worth taking." Jackjack joked." Besides we got to get you for an hour without anxiously waiting by the door for him to come back. Lord knows what you two will be doing for the next few days."
I rolled my eyes as Luke and I headed for the stars with all my stuff. When we got up to my room I shut the door and Luke grabbed me by the waist and pulled me close to him before pressing his lips on mine.
In between kisses he said," You have no idea how much I've been waiting for this," before kissing me again. We started with me pressed up against the wall and eventually made it to my bed with Luke's shirt off and him kissing and softly sucking my neck. When things started getting more heated, I took it upon myself to set ground rules before it went anywhere.
"Luke," I said, stopping him when his fingers reached my pants." I love you and I'm glad you're here, but before you go anywhere there I'm still not ready for that."
He moved his hands away and smiled down at me before kissing me again.
Jack's POV:
"What do you think they're doing?" I asked the boys as we sat awkwardly at the table, restraining ourselves from invading.
"Maybe playing a board game." Jackjack suggested." Like Monopoly or Shoots and Ladders."
"Oh please, they're probably about to have sex." Sammy commented." It's been how long since they've seen each other, things get heated, and next thing we know they're doing it the whole time he's here and she gets pregnant with his kid just when he's about to leave for a world tour."
With that remark all three of us headed for the stairs but when we got to her door, I heard talking. I motioned for them to be silent as we tried to listen to what was going on in there.
"I love you and I'm glad you're here, but before you go anywhere there I'm still not ready for that." I heard Meghan say. There was no response from Luke so I got more anxious that he got his way anyway despite him saying earlier that he wouldn't have sex with her.
Before I opened the door to make sure nothing went on, I heard more talking.
Meghan's POV:
"You have so many photo albums." Luke said as he inspected my bookshelf. I was sitting on the bed now in sweats and his Liberty Cafe shirt while he remained shirtless.
"Well I have a lot of stuff I want to remember. What better way to capture memories than through a photo album." I replied. He took one out and joined me on the bed. He opened it up and the first picture was my dad and I on my sixth birthday.
"So that's your dad." Luke mumbled to himself. He took a look at me and back at the picture." You still look like that." He joked.
I playfully shoved his as he flipped the page. It was Harry, Lauren, Ashton, mom, dad, and I Christmas morning of '05 in front of our tree in cliche matching pajamas with wrapping paper scattered on the floor around us. The next few pages were of me and my sibling before one of my dad and I in front of the apartment he bought when we came to LA when i was twelve. There was gap of empty pages after that.
"Where'd these pages go?" Luke asked me.
"I didn't want to remember those. They were of pictures of my dad and Cheryl, the woman he married after my mom." I answered. The last picture was of Jack, Jack, and I on the lawn of the house on fourth of July watching fire works. It was the same week I moved in with them and despite me not being American, I celebrated with them anyway.
"Why is this the last picture?" Luke asked me.
"Because my life with my father ended early, so his scrapbook did as well. This one will forever be unfinished because after this I started a better life without him." I explained." Somewhere there is one of the dorks downstairs and our first year together and such. I made a seperate one for my mom and siblings that I will eventually continue adding to because my life with them isn't close to being finished."
Luke nodded and gave me a soft kiss on my head before he set the book on the bedside table and crawled into bed.
I went to bed that night wrapped in Luke's arms, a feeling I have been craving since that last day of the tour.
*
*
*
When I woke up, I noticed Luke was already awake and on his phone.
"Morning." He said." Sleep well?"
"Best sleep I've had in a while."
Luke's POV:
In my mind, all I could think about was this conversation I'd have to have with her before I leave.
I didn't sleep for most of the night because I was so worried about what was going to happen.
"Can we talk for a minute?" I asked her. She rolled over to face me and propped herself against the bed frame. I looked her in the eyes, trying to find the words to explain this with.
"Luke, what's up?" She asked after I remained silent for a minute." Is everything okay?"
I sighed." Yeah. I just love you so much. And I really need you to know that."
I couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew no matter what I said, it would end with me losing her.