The Jacket Snatcher

Chapter 54- No One Really Wins

A/N

Thank you to everyone who has continued reading this story! You all make me smile :D 

_____________________________________

I stir awake when I feel the bus pulling to a stop. That must mean we've made it to L.A. My eyes feel crusty as I blink them open, as if I was crying in my sleep and the moisture just dried there. I lay still for a moment, all resolve to get off of the couch gone from my body.

Everything hurts.

There's a whole construction crew tearing up a road with jackhammers inside my head and an annoying crick has settled in the base of my neck. But those physical ailments are nothing compared to the burning in my chest. For a moment, a fresh wave of hurt sweeps through me at the thought of the pictures from the night before, but I shove it away.

I sit up abruptly, suddenly very eager to be off of this bus and in my own apartment. The boys have a free day today, then rehearsals and the show tomorrow, so that means I have a free day as well. And I can't think of a better place to spend it than in my apartment with Rachel and/or Brett, forgetting that Luke even exists.

Wanting to get off as soon as possible, I leap from the couch and open the door out to the hallway; however, once it's open, I realize that I am not the first person awake.

I can hear hushed voices coming from the kitchen and immediately recognize them as Ashton and Luke. I get a weird sense of déjà vu and desperately want to avoid repeating that situation of eavesdropping on them in their kitchen. So, trying to pay as little attention to them as possible, I rush to my bunk and start throwing everything I can find into my backpack. My suitcase is under the bus, so I will just have to get that later.

After corralling all of my things and stuffing them into the bag, I toss it over one shoulder and make my way for the front of the bus. I duck my head as I go past, refusing to look at either of them. Maybe they'll be so distracted by their conversation, they won't even notice.

"Steph! Wait!"

Guess not.

As soon as I hear Luke's voice, I make the split decision to leave my suitcase and head straight for the hotel where we just arrived. I pull out my phone and text Brett the address and to come get me. I do my best to speed walk and text, but Luke catches me just as I hit send. As soon as his hand touches the skin of my arm, I erupt.

"Don't freaking touch me! Don't you ever touch me again!"

He removes his hand, but steps forward, his eyes pleading. "Please, just listen. Just let me explain."

"Explain what? How you cheated on me with my childhood bully? I already told you that there's nothing you can say!"

"I have to try!" His eyes are wild, and even though his hand flinches towards me, he drops it, remembering my wishes. I stay quiet, so he continues. "I know it doesn't make it okay, but I was pretty drunk last night."

I scoff and roll my eyes, but he keeps going.

"I was so mad after you said that stuff about Allie. So I went out and got hammered, and I know that's not right, but it happened. Those pictures you saw, they never would've happened if I had been sober. You have to believe me!"

I do believe him. But that doesn't change the fact that they exist--that I can't get them out of my head. His admition of drinking brings up memories of my own drunken mistake, the one where I went way farther than I intended. The connection drops a bowling ball into the pit of my stomach. How far did he go?

"Did you sleep with her?" I ask abruptly.

"Of course not!"

"Did you kiss her?" Thanks to the pictures, I already know that he kissed her cheek, but he knows what I'm asking.