I'll Run to You // Awsten Knight

Chapter 50 - I'll Run to You

January 27th, 2018

2:48 p.m.

24 hours and Hope had to leave for tour. She spent all day packing everything in her closet, though clothes for the performances will be provided to every new place she went to. It didn't stop her from packing her entire wardrobe, and that was a decent distraction from the situation currently at hand.

She didn't talk to Nicole since she got home, which Hope felt bad for, but she would understand that she needs space for the time being. She would tell Nicole when she left and arrived.

The main thing Hope was needing in that moment was a shower... desperately. Plane air always gets to her.

She got one pair of clean clothes and rushed to her bedroom-connected bathroom. The dropped her clean clothes onto the counter and turned the water to almost hot enough to a boil (the usual). She had a pain in her neck that cracking couldn't fix, great; she'd need to massage her own muscles this time.

Her clothes got thrown onto the floor, and she stretched as well as she could, her body in need of some sort of warmth.

Hope stepped into the shower and let out a pleased sigh as soon as the water hit her body, it felt like utter euphoria after the past couple days she'd had, it was the one thing she needed.

//

After almost an hour of cleaning herself and standing in the water that she slowly cooled down, Hope was finally satisfied with the shower and she wrapped herself in a towel before stepping onto the cold bathroom tiles. The mirror was fogged up, and it wasn't going to clear soon, so she went into her bedroom to check herself of any missed dirt or leftover makeup.

As she did, there was a small black letter she noticed behind her ear. 

Hope didn't recognize it until she moved some of her hair out of the way and could fully make out the words that were tattooed onto her, I'll Run to You seemed like a haunting memory burned into the back of her brain.

She never really put her hair up so there was no reason she would look there often, but this was one of those days.

Instead, this time, she words filled her with dread. The significance of those words tattooed onto her forever was unbelievable. 

How could she?

How could she do that to herself and never think of the consequences she could later face?

It was stupid, childish, to ever think things could work out so well that she would never regret that tattoo. Then the song played in her head. The meaning she felt behind it, feeling that Awsten had made that about her.

Those four words held more meaning than a whole song, though. Awsten had done so much for her those past few months, and what did she do to show her appreciation? Nothing!

No wonder he cheated on her, no wonder somebody else was better than her.

She didn't realize she had dropped the towel and started crying until she had to hold on to the armoire that held the mirror she was looking at herself in. She didn't want to believe such a thing had happened, but there was all the proof she needed written into her skin. On her body forever.

Maybe she could ignore it for the rest of her life and move on?

 No, she couldn't, that tattoo would be there forever unless she covered it up.

Maybe that wasn't a bad idea.

She went back into the bathroom after checking the rest of her body to get dressed. She didn't cry for long, because if she did, then she'd take an extra fifteen minutes to calm herself down. There was no time for that.

A thought came into Hope's mind as she put her shirt on, maybe this tattoo was something she could show off, get used to it more, and maybe, just maybe Awsten would see it and regret what he'd done. No doubt that at the moment she was in his bed.

//

Awsten had finally left his room, but Jawn was the one to call him and offer they do something together, and he let Awsten pick.

So, they took a trip to HEB.

To Jawn, going there was a good sign that Awsten was in higher spirits, but it secretly was just a way for Awsten to do something with his life and have some privacy wit his friend before a tour in Australia, though it wasn't a very long one with four shows.

Jawn picked him up, something about Awsten being too tired to drive, which probably was true, he could function to shower and brush his teeth but that was really all.

Awsten grabbed his wallet after he got a text that Jawn was finally there.

He rushed down the stairs and said bye to his parents before coming out the door to the car.

In all seriousness, it put a real smile on Awsten's face that Jawn would put up with the trouble of taking his own friend to a simple grocery store. But if it meant that he would feel better, Jawn would do it all of the time if he could.

"Hey, bud. Who's ready for the best trip of his life?" Jawn greeted a little too giddily.

Awsten found it funny, thankfully, "The best trip of the week, if I'm being honest. Trust me, I've done a lot with my life, unlike some people." He gave Jawn a quirked eyebrow and received a nudge on the forehead, eventually pulling away and putting on his seatbelt.

Throughout the ride they made pleasant conversation, but it was mainly Jawn rambling on about what he was planning to do on tour and how excited he was to hold a koala for the first time.

Awsten stayed in his thoughts, it would be the first time he could enjoy himself in a while, just with him and his friends. Simple interviews with shows after, maybe he really would hold a koala himself. Maybe this wasn't going to be the worst day he thought it would be. 

Just as long as he didn't think about Hope. But it was all easier said than done, she was all he could think about. All he cried about. The only person he wanted to crawl into bed next to and just be in her arms one more time. He wouldn't even talk if it would mean Hope would look at him again. 

He was in too deep with his thoughts until he heard Jawn call his name from outside the car, they were at the store.

Awsten quickly caught up to Jawn, and they walked inside with a basket in their hands and went to Awsten's favorite aisle. The one with orange juice.

"Get as much as you want," Jawn offered. "I'm paying today. You've been too worn out to worry about these kinds of things."

As much as he wanted to object, Jawn was being a lot nicer than usual, so why not take an advantage of the moment?

He grabbed three bottles of the fresh orange juice displayed in front of him, and walked toward Jawn with a pleased smile on his face.

Awsten didn't talk much the whole time, but the expression on his face was all Jawn needed to know that his friend was satisfied with the deed he'd done for him. Jawn would do most anything to see his best friend's pain go away, just for an hour.