The Girl

THIRTY-FIVE: USE ME

"It's darker and you left your mark on me. You're going on and on..."

SONG: USE ME

ARTIST: MEEKAH

(she JUST released a new EP and she's lovely and talented and her EP is called Not Coming Home and I highly suggest you all give it a listen!!!! It's available on Spotify and if you like it, hopefully you guys decide to purchase it on iTunes)

Brianna and I didn't really bring up our fight again. We didn't want to. Bringing that up meant tip-toeing around each other, afraid we'll tell each other the wrong thing. Instead, we took care of Noah and tried to be as subtle as possible about our current situation until Jack and Celeste came back. Celeste thanked us thoroughly and Jack tried to shove money down my shirt while I was collecting our things.

Back at my apartment, Brianna took my hand and walked us into the bedroom. I didn't say anything; I was too tired to say anything. She brought us into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

We were allies to silence, it seemed.

Her fingers took the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head and throwing it to the side before she was placing her hands on the back of my neck. She didn't kiss me. She stared into my eyes and I broke then and there. Her nails scratched the back of my neck.

Breathing was soft, controlled. Her other hand running up my chest. It felt like the entire universe could collapse, but I wouldn't care because she was touching me the way she hadn't for the past two weeks. I wanted us to stay like this for as long as we could, her nose brushing against mine.

I rested one hand on her hip, the other on her back and brought her against my chest. She whimpered and began crying. I nudged her head upward and kissed her nose before pressing a chaste kiss to her mouth.

"We're okay," I whispered and caressed her cheek.

She licked the tears off of her lips and gripped my hair tenderly as I pushed her against the door. Brianna closed her eyes and removed her hands from me and ran them through her hair. Her hands covered her face.

"I just—I don't want you to hate me," She whined and leaned her head against the door. "I'm scared that you're only here because you feel bad for me."

I frowned and removed her hands away from her face and made her look at me. "Stop, Brianna. Stop fucking crying. Stop thinking I'm going to leave you because I'm not. I'm sorry, but you're going to be stuck with me for the rest of your life."

She opened her eyes and I was staring into her beautiful brown eyes. She tucked her lip between her teeth, giving me a soft look.

"Luke, you're supposed to be serious,"

I rolled my eyes. "We've never been serious people, babe." I took her shirt and pulled it over head, throwing it behind her. "Are we going to shower?"

"Can we just stay like this for a little bit? I like this, how we are right now," She whispered and returned her hands back to the back of my neck. I ran my hands up her back, pressing our foreheads together as she sniffled.

"I love you," I reminded her and kissed her forehead.

*

Ashton and Bryana got engaged that night at our group dinner. My Brianna, slipped her hand under the table and intertwined our fingers, giving me a little smile. I pressed my nose into her hair before joining my bandmates in another room to accompany Calum for a smoke and a beer.