Selfish Appetite [5 Seconds of Summer]

[33]

"If there's an upside to free-falling, it's the chance you give your friends to catch you."

- -

Sloan

My parent's marriage taught me a lot, even if I was too young to comprehend a big amount of it. Love means adoration, infatuation, laughter and adrenaline. It also means compromise, hard times and obstacles. Tears, stress, nerves, new beginnings. But if the love is pure, if it's true, if it consumes your entire body and soul, nothing else matters, because you will eventually figure everything out.

And if you don't, you still have each other.

*

On May twentieth, Qadri publishes our research paper on Psychoanalytic Therapy and False Memories.

On June fifteenth, it makes the cover on one of the most respected psychology journals.

"That's you!" Ally exclaims excited, pointing to my face and name on the paper. "That's my best friend!" she tells a random group of strangers who pass by our table at the restaurant.

"Ally." I chuckle.

"Don't you dare minimize this. This is huge. This puts you on the map. Tell her." she tells the rest, who immediately start agreeing with her.

"Stop bullying our friends into praising me." I fake-scold.

"This is extremely cool, Slo. Congratulations." Michael hugs me from the side, winking.

"Thank you." I grin. "Now can we please focus on the menus, I am starving."

"Your money, your orders." Calum smirks.

"Exactly, now focus." I smile, feeling as he caresses my thigh.

*

The food came and was consumed as quickly as it was placed in front of us.

Conversations flow lightly around the table, as the sun sets outside.

"So, what do you want to do for your birthday?" Mina brings up.

"Nothing." I shrug. "Just drinks at the bar is fine."

"You're a published persona now, drinks at the bar doesn't cut it." Luke exclaims, tilting his glass towards me as he speaks.

"I'm an exhausted published persona, and drinks at the bar is exactly what I need." I correct and he smiles wider at me, his dimples popping.

"Sloan, seriously, our butts are going to be forever imprinted on that godforsaken booth. Choose something else." Ally pleads.

I sigh in amusement.

"Fine." I give in. "Garden party. My house. Happy?" I offer.

"Extremely." she grins.

"Are we invited?" Ashton mocks our one-on-one.

"Of course, who else is going to bring the booze?" I shrug.

"Mm, funny." Luke mocks and I chuckle.

"You're all invited, of course. Bring whoever you want, whatever you want, no gifts, no sentimental crap."

"And she's back." Ally mumbles, earning an eye-roll.

"And tell Tony to come too." I tell Luke who nods happily.

"Will do."

Calum's hand has stopped circling my thigh. Instead, it's resting on it, warming up my entire body. I smile at the sensation, and wonder if it's him, or the amounts of wine I've consumed.