The Jacket Snatcher

Chapter 55- Long Time, No See

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Tonight is the first show in L.A., and that it's been pretty much a nightmare. Luke and I avoid each other as best we can, but it's still painfully awkward and depressing.

I try my best to keep my eyes off of him as we sit in the dressing room, but he must have some sort of magnetic pull because, without even realizing it, I find myself staring. And in the brief moment that our eyes lock before I glance away, it feels like someone takes an ice pick to my heart and chisels off another piece.

But other than these uncomfortable moments of eye contact, I've tried to keep doing what Ashton said and not mope around on the outside. I still walk around with the guys like normal, even if there is some tension between Luke and I. Thankfully, Adam has been too busy smoozing important people here that he hasn't really been around to notice our uncomfortable behavior, but the other guys have.

It's Calum who drops down on the couch next to me after the show and offers me a smile.

"So are you coming out with us tonight?" he asks.

"You guys are going out?"

"Yeah, that Brianna girl lives in L.A. apparently and invited us," he says.

I grit my teeth. "You're all going?"

Calum shrugs and addresses the room, "Hey, guys, are you all up for going out again tonight with those girls from before?"

"Yeah, sure," Michael says from behind his gaming laptop.

"Yep," Ashton says while putting on a fresh layer of deodorant. He chuckles. "I wouldn't be doing this otherwise."

Luke pauses a moment and looks straight at me. This is the first time he's initiated any sort of contact with me. I hold my breath as I wait for his answer. He smirks at me, that same cocky, douche-bag look that he gave me the day we met in the airport.

"Yeah. I'm going."

It's like all of my organs shrivel up and die at once. I can't breathe. I can't think. I can't even speak. So when Calum looks over at me, awaiting my answer, I just shake my head. He frowns, but accepts my answer, going over to use some of Ashton's deodorant and finish getting ready to go out. With Rachel out of town with her boyfriend and Brett at some soccer retreat, I dread the thought of going back to an empty apartment, but I don't really have a choice.

When the boys leave, Reggie, one of their drivers, offers to take me home. As I sit in the back seat, my emotions hop around from terribly sad to livid. How could he go out with her again? The girl that essentially broke us up. Doesn't he have any sort of decency? Maybe he was always this much of a dick. He was one when I first met him, so I don't know why I ever thought differently. These past few months while we've dated have obviously been the act; the first impression was his true colors. Apparently he can't hold up the façade anymore.

Suddenly, my phone starts buzzing in my hand, and when I glance down at the screen, I nearly drop it to the floorboard.

"Hello?" I say, answering the call.

"Stephanie! Long time, no see! How are you?" Cody asks, his accent coming through the phone in confirmation of what the caller ID said.

"I'm good. You?"

"Yeah, yeah. Doing well." He pauses to clear his throat. "Listen, I know this is pretty random, but you see, I'm in L.A. at the moment, and I remembered you were from here. Do you happen to be in town tonight?"

I answer without thinking. "Yeah, I'm actually just in town for another couple of days."

"Seems like our fates are aligned again, eh?" he says, repeating the phrase from the first time we met at the grocery store. "Do you want to go get a drink? Catch up?"