Fire on Fire [L.H]

forty-two

     I whipped into Michael's driveway and immediately turned off the car. I jumped out of the car and ran up to the front door, banging on it. Until the door opened to Crystal, her eyes were wide. 

       "Girl I thought you were the cops of something. What are you doing here?" She asked me. 

        "Um, I kind of need to speak with Michael. And you. Where is he?" 

        "In his studio, here come in," Crystal said, allowing me in. She closed the door and I kicked off my shoes. She went to go to a door and knocked on it. Opening it lightly, I heard her mumble to Michael. "Dani's here, she needs us right now." I then heard Michael getting off of whatever he was on as Crystal shut the door. She walked to the kitchen, grabbed a water bottle, and handed it to me as I stood frantic in the living room. 

        I opened the water and drank it until Michael came into the room as Crystal stood there, nervous. "What's going on? Are you okay?" I shook my head and swallowed my last gulp before twisting the cap back on. 

        "Is it wrong if I told you that I loved ya. Even though if never do it when I'm sober," I said, resighting the Moving Along lyrics to them. Before Michael could verbally react, I kept going. "That line, Luke made eye contact with me at your Om The Record performance in New York a few days ago." 

         "Okay," Michael said, still trying to figure out what I was losing my mind about. He could tell there was more. 

       "That night, we had a conversation about the times he made eye contact with me. Well, when I said those lyrics and asked him about that, he told me he'd leave it for me to figure out." Michael nodded, following along. "We were doing our interview for Rolling Stone and apart of his answer, he said that he loved me to death!" I panicked. Crystal's eyes became wide as she seemed to have put two and two together. 

       "Wait- did he just admit to-" 

       "Loving me? Yeah, I think he did! Guys I'm freaking out!" I said, beginning to pace. 

        "Okay, Dani, calm down. Take a deep breath," Michael said, grabbing me to stop my walk. "Are you sure this is what you feel?" 

       "Well, I mean, I did think he was lying again and it broke my heart. Because last time, you remember how I reacted when he said something in the press," I reminded him from his interview with People Magazine before we left on tour for Australia. He nodded, knowing exactly what I was talking about. "And that hurt...a lot! But this, I don't know. I'm seeing too many hints. I meant he already said he's glad we never got together cause I'd regret it-" 

       "Wait wait wait wait wait," Crystal said, stopping me. "Time out. Luke said what?!" Shit. 

       "You guys didn't hear this," I said, followed by a sigh. They both nodded. "Luke and I were talking one night and we were drinking. But, he told me he is kind of glad we never got together because I'd regret being with him, basically." Michael just shook his head.

       "He's full of shit. That's all he wanted was to be with you," he told me. I turned around and sat on the sofa. 

       "I mean, I thought the same. But there's so many reasons now where I'm just like he doesn't have those feelings. The hate is gone now, Mike. Our fire is mostly gone. But now, I can't tell what's really going on anymore. I'm so lost." 

        Crystal walked over to me and sat done next to me as I stared at the ground. 

         "What do you feel?" She asked me. 

         "Do you know what you feel?" Michael followed. I looked next to me at Crystal, then up at Michael. I then nodded. "You have two months left, sweetheart. Make something happen," Michael told me. He's right. Because I promised him before their UK tour, I'd tell Luke how I felt. But I can't tell if things he's doing and saying is making this easier or harder for me. "Your chances are high now. Take it!" 

~°~

"He really said that?" Alexa asked me as I laid on the floor of my living room. Cara and Alexa were at the house for the night with me once again. 

      "Yes. And now I just don't know what to do," I said go them. "I feel like at this rate, he's not saying it just to say it for the press." I had my arm on my forehead and my knees up, staring at the ceiling. 

       "What do you feel like you should do?" Cara said. "I don't know if bringing it up like you did last time would help you. Because all he'll do is play with your heart like he did last time," Cara said making a valid point.

       "How do you even feel about him?" Lexi asked me. I turned and looked at them both. Cara saw the look in my eyes and I immediately turned around. 

       "You're in love with Luke," she said. 

       "Ughhh!" I groaned, rolling into my stomach and placed my head in my arms. 

        "Dani, it's okay. Why is that a bad thing?' Alexa questioned. To be honest, I don't know why it's a bad thing. I just can't stand it. 

        "I don't know," I groaned loud enough for them to hear me. "I just- I don't know. I really don't know," I said, picking my head up. 

        "Well you can either sulk in your own sorrow or tell him. That's all I can say," Cara said, snapping out of my pool of sorrow. Like a best friend does. 

        "I already got lectured by Michael. I don't need to hear it again." 

       "Girl you better listen to Michael," Cara said, causing me to laugh. "But, stress out all that. How was the actual photoshoot?"