Josie's P.O.V.
We were out of the hotel room, walking around the town. Since the sun was setting, it made it even easier for us to disguise our faces from random onlookers. It was as if we were perfect again. We were never perfect before, but our relationship was better, at least, the best it's been in a while.
We entered the cheesiest 50s themed restaurant with big red and white booths and a juke box that you had to put a quarter into to play music. The waiters and waitresses were all wearing clothes from another era, from flowy midi skirts to slicked back hair. We were seated in a booth overlooking the increasing nightlife that this small town seemed to offer with more and more pedestrians filling the streets. It was a far way from the country side, where our hotel was located in, which was a huge scenic change, but a beautiful one at that.
Luke ordered a large vanilla milkshake and specifically asked for two straws as if today couldn't get more cliche enough. By now I would've thought that we hit the maximum overload of cheesiness, but Luke was able to surpass that.
"It's been months, but you haven't changed," I commented sipping on my straw of the milkshake as he held one of my hands in his. We were sat across from each other in a booth, but he had his long legs stretched out underneath the table allowing me to feel his foot against mine as if we weren't already physically touching.
"I actually did, for a little bit," he shrugged with a slight droop in his usually broad shoulders
"The whole thing really did screw us both over," I added
"But you got one hell of a song out of it," I continued making him protrude the slightest of smiles as he shook his head
"And you probably have one hell of an album coming out this week," he said back as I looked at him
Before today, I would've never thought that he would even bother to read something about me online, but I guess his words prove otherwise
"Did you google me?" I questioned jokingly since I never even mentioned my album release to him
"No, but you're all over the tv and the internet to promote it, it's kinda hard not to know about it," he answered
"Well, since you already know the date, I think all you need now is the time for you to arrive at the party," I smiled, but this time I watched his start to fade
"Is that an invitation?" He asked seeming confused mixed with a hint of hesitation at his words
"I doubt that I can make it through the entire event without you, so yeah," I said hopefully, but received a sigh from the other half of the table
"Kate's going to be there, she doesn't know what happened and I feel like we're better off if it stays that way," he explained
I knew he was right, but I still couldn't fathom spending that day without him. The album was written about our entire relationship after all, through all the trials and tribulations, I didn't want his presence at the event to be a statement to the paparazzi or the fans, I wanted it to validate ourselves and our survival through all the bullshit. But he does have a point.
I didn't reply, knowing that he was justifiably correct, but he took my silence as a caution sign.
"But if you want me to go, then I'll do it for you," he spoke
Luke's P.O.V.
I don't know whether it was a sense of relief or regret after I said those words to her, but I knew that in the moment it was what she needed to hear. Releasing an album is stressful, especially when you've been through the struggle we have been through both as individuals and as a couple. Honestly, I just want to be next to her for as long as humanly possible as crazy as that sounds.
After the diner, we headed back to my hotel taking the actual scenic route in the countryside as we had our taxi driver drop us off a mile away from the actual location so we could walk on the gravel. It was night, but the stars in the sky didn't make it seem as dark as it usually is in the city. One step after the other I heard the crunch of dirt underneath my shoes as the sound of her own steps filled it's own silence. We held heads and occasionally she would bring my larger hand up to her lips in a cradle of both of her hands making me let out soft smiles here and there. It all felt surreal to be honest. Like this was all a dream, but this time there wasn't any loud noise or sharp sound to wake me up because this was real life, and I couldn't be more thankful for it.
When we got to my hotel room, she plopped herself into my bed after placing all the articles she had in her small bag into one corner of the room. It felt like we were still in the past when she was tagging along on tour with the boys and I. This was what it felt like. This is what I remember comfort to be like, what warmth felt like even without her physical being against mine. It took me a second before I snapped back Into my actual position because I spent some minutes just gazing at her in all her depths. She was stretching herself out once my vision cleared and it brought me right back into business. Going through my luggage, I picked out a random shirt before throwing it at her rendering a small giggle from her as she lifted herself up to sit against the edge of the bed.
"You're probably never getting this shirt back, you should know that now," she commented taking her top off as I contemplated looking away or not for a moment
"Still hesitant about the female anatomy huh?" She teased standing up to walk towards me as I stared down at her face, nothing else.
"The female body I understand just fine, but yours is different. You're like an alien to me," I spoke thinking straight out of my mouth without formulating a clear statement first making the both of us laugh
"An alien? That's the best you could come up with?" She asked placing my shirt on to herself before unbuttoning her jeans. After slipping them off, she walked to her bag, folding the fabric she held in her hands and putting it inside. She took her phone out, turning it on I assumed, but groaned at the view of the screen in front of her for a reason that I couldn't make out, but I didn't want to intrude.
"It's true," I said not bothering to ask her
I wasn't lying after all. She's always been so foreign to me, whether we were on good terms or bad, I could never figure her out and I didn't try to. I liked the mystery, how I learned something new about her everyday.
"In that case, you're an alien to me to," she replied after setting her phone down. Taking my hand to lead me to the bed, she laid down on one side, her usual side like it used to always be, and I found my spot right next to her under the sheets.
"And why is that?" It took her a second to answer, I doubt that she was even thinking of one, she tended to speak right off the top of her head most of the time.
"You're basically a phenomenon, Luke. Actually, the story of us is pretty crazy within its own self. But you, you're something else." She shrugged turning over on her side to face me
As if it were natural instinct, my arm immediately found its way to drape itself over her as she snuggled her fact into my chest. It wasn't long before her soft breaths were being felt blowing against me, but I couldn't sleep as quickly as she did. Late night thoughts were creeping up onto me, thoughts of how easily this could be messed up. Our relationship is so fragile, everything about it made me feel so uneasy.
If we weren't meant to be together, would another break up wreck me like the last one did? Is this all another trick? Does she really love me? Why me? She's her for fucks sake. ...but, if she didn't love me, she wouldn't have done all this for me. Even if Kate did do what she did, Josie could've just broken up with me before, could've avoided all the pain on both parts, but she stayed for as long as she could... Right?
All this doubt started to fill my mind about the girl who I held in my arms right now. Looking down at her, one of my hands was entangled in her hair, running my fingers through it like I used it, smelling her tropical scented shampoo like I used to. My other hand rested right at the dip of her waist, but my eyes were studying her face, how peaceful she looked sleeping, how for a second the world seemed to be quiet for us, not as crazy as it always is. It felt like we were getting a break for once, but just once. To get my mind in a different direction, I forced myself to think about random things to get myself to fall asleep quicker. The room was fairly dark except for the light of the night sky peaking out of the window curtains in small crevices. But out of the corner of my eye, in the opposite direction, an even brighter light was shining. One that I couldn't get myself to ignore. It was a cellphone screen and its brightness was on full blast occasionally turning on and off every time she got a new message. Carefully and quietly, I released her from my arms and slowly got up trying my best not to make the bed shake too much to let her sleep. But as I got closer and closer to the phone, the words got cleared and clearer on the screen. There was a text from Kate and multiple texts from a guy named Jason. Texts that I couldn't forget.
Kate: ANSWER YOUR PHONE. ARE YOU WITH LUKE?
Jason: fun time that night. we should do it again babe ;)
Along with a picture of her sleeping in his bed by his side.
My actions after seeing that didn't match up with my emotions at all. I didn't know how to feel, I was angry, sad, frustrated, fucking infuriated. But instead of yelling, instead of breaking things around me, ruining everything in sight. I dropped her phone, walked out, and slammed the door behind me. This was the last time, this is the last time I'm falling for anything Josie tells me. I actually believed her when she made me feel like I was the only one. But I'm just a toy to her, something she can use for fame, for her own benefit, her own emotions, never even minding my own well being. As if she would care about me when she's been with another guy, probably more than just one guy. She knew I would be at Alex's wedding, she knew that she held my heart in her hands, she knew that I would always be there to love her, she saw what a mess she made of me after the break up, she could've done something but she didn't. Instead of thinking of me before the wedding, she thought of all the other guys she could spend time using. This is just another scheme, I know it. Kate knew that she and I would be in the same place. God fucking dammit. She probably invited me to her album release party just for the paps to see, to stir up more drama. She knew, she fucking knew.
With all these thoughts embedded into my mind, the only person I could think of talking to was Julia, she's always been there for all my bullshit, she knows what to do, she knows how to make me forget about everything. She'll fix it, she'll fix me.
Julia's P.O.V.
And there I was. Kissing Ashton motherfucking Irwin. I had thought about this sometimes always, sometimes never. He was my best friend for gods sake. I grew up with him. He grew up with me. Seeing couples who lived through these type of things were always so beautiful, but us? I had hopes but not high hopes. He was always with someone else, someone beautiful, someone who'd he come to me to talk about. It made me think "this could never happen, not for us, not in a million years".
But here we are.
Our lips moved like we've done this for ages, like I knew him like the back of my hand, to be quite frank, I did know him like the back of my hand, but only everything about him except for this part. Except for the physicalness of a relationship. My hand rested on his chest, feeling his muscles contort with every movement of his body as he pushed towards me closer and closer like our distance wasn't good enough. I knew his body, I knew the hairs on the back of his neck stood up when he was nervous, and I could feel them right now forcing me to let out a small smile through my lips. In return, he kept his hands gripped my waist rather tightly as if he was prepared to catch me if I fell, he knew that my knees got extra weak when I had too many butterflies in my stomach, and this moment didn't seem to miss any one of those butterflies.
It was his lips that I knew almost nothing about. We had only kissed once, a short one at that. I could feel him start to lean into me, prompting me to move back with every step he took, but just before I felt the wall nearing close to my back. The door opened.
"Fuck," I heard Luke break out in a small voice. The look on his face was broken, his eyes looked at us in complete sadness before turning angry, his fists started to clench at his sides, but before I could say another word, he closed the door.
"Shit," I breathed before rushing out after him. He was in the hallways forcing his way into Calum's room before beginning to yell "Get out!"
Within seconds, a shirtless and tired Calum was forced out of his room more confused than ever. Luke slammed the door and locked it behind him. Ashton trailed behind me with Michael opening his door questioning what the fuck just happened. I knocked against his door trying to get him to talk to me, but I knew that my methods wouldn't work for him anymore after what he saw.
"Luke, just talk to me, let me explain," I pleaded
"You can't just lock yourself in there forever, you tried that before, remember?" Ashton added on in a rather annoyed tone
"You're not helping, just go back inside," I remarked hearing him scoff
"He's a grown ass man, you can't keep trying to take care of him like this, at least he knows the truth," Ashton retorted
"The truth? What even is the truth anymore Ashton?! He knows nothing! I don't even know what was going on when you kissed me! There's no such thing as the fucking truth anymore," I yelled
"Wait- you guys kissed?" Michael cut in
Before an answer could slip through my lips, another door opened. This time, it was Josie. She wasn't sobbing when she came out, but there were tears.
"Jo, what happened?" Calum asked
But she didn't answer, instead, she went to Luke's door, knocking on it weakly.
"Luke, please listen to me," she begged leaning her head against the door
But even her voice wasn't enough for him.