the photographer [c.h.]

nineteen

"Thanks for the help, guys." I huffed, setting the last box down in my new apartment.

"Anything for you." Alex jokingly pinched my cheeks and I swatted him away with laugh. "But, you do owe us dinner."

"I agree." Jason nodded and sat down the bag he was carrying.

"Fine."

We left the apartment and I locked it behind me, walking down the stairs. Alex and Jason followed behind me and we all climbed in my car. I headed in the direction of a pizza shop down the street while they argued whether pepperoni or sausage was better on a pizza.

"I'm gonna have to go with sausage." I chimed in and Alex groaned.

"I knew I liked you." Jason laughed as I pulled into the parking lot.

We went inside and found a table, immediately ordering a large pizza. I was thankful to sit down, seeing as I had been carrying big boxes today. Once the tour ended, I figured that I couldn't live with Peri forever, so I got my own place. It's just a tiny apartment in Brooklyn, a few blocks from my new job.

While on tour, one of Peri's friends was looking for paintings to put in her gallery and Peri recommended me. She bought some of my work and asked if I could work in her photography studio. I couldn't turn it down. Literally she wouldn't let me. Not that I'm complaining.

"Are you excited for your new job?" Alex asked and I nodded, taking a sip of my Mountain Dew.

"New apartment, new job, new Katie." I took a deep breath and Alex smiled at me.

"Well, don't get too new. I still want my best friend." He joked and I laughed a little, grabbing a piece of pizza off of the tray.

"How's your neighbors?" I asked, eating a piece of sausage that fell onto my plate.

"They are literally banging each other every night." Jason groaned. "All we can hear is the headboard hitting the wall for an hour."

"Oh my god." I laughed and Alex rolled his eyes.

"Man, I don't even know how two people can have so much sex." Alex laughed and I giggled, shaking my head.

We finished dinner after a while and I drove the guys to their apartment, stopping at the grocery on the way to my place. Once at the apartment, I unloaded everything and walked up the steps. I put the groceries away and plugged my phone up to a speaker, letting music float through the apartment. I hummed to myself and began opening boxes, getting out kitchen utensils.

I went to my room and opened the closet, ripping open the first box of clothes. I pulled out some hangers and started to hang up some clothes, smiling to myself when Leah texted me to facetime her. I got my laptop and turned on facetime, clicking on her name. It rang and she answered it with a smile.

"Hey!" She smiled and I continued hanging up clothes. "How's the new place?"

"Good, Alex and Jason just left. They helped move me in. What's going on in Australia?" I asked. "Hey, Ash." He waved, walking past the camera, before leaving the room.

"It's really good. We went surfing today and his mom is cooking us dinner. I swear, Katie, I love it here so much." I smiled, happy that she was having fun. "You'll never guess what happened last night."

"I really don't want to hear about your and Ashton's sex life." I laughed and she gasped.

"No!" Leah laughed and I just giggled. "Ashton proposed." I literally dropped the shirt I was holding.

"He did not." I gasped and sat down on the mattress, setting the computer in my lap. "What the hell? How? And please tell me you said yes."

"Well of course I said yes." She rolled her eyes. "But, we were just hanging out in the basement and he brought up marriage. He was just like 'we should get married', but I thought he was joking. Then he got down on one knee and had a ring and everything."

"Leah, that's so cute." I smiled and she blushed. "Lemme see the ring."

Leah held her left hand up to the camera and I smiled, looking at it. It was a simple golden band with three diamonds on the top. Leah and I talked for a bit longer before she had to go. I shut down my computer and went back to unpacking. I finished with my clothes and went to making my bed.

After that, I walked to the middle of the apartment and looked around, smiling in content. It was just a small, one bedroom place with a living room, bathroom and kitchen. There was a big wooden sliding door in between my room and the living room with a huge window on one wall, facing the river. I could look out and see New York City every night.

I shut the lights off, seeing as it was close to one in the morning and grabbed my phone, going to my room. I sat down on my bed and opened Instagram, going through my feed. I frowned, seeing a picture that Calum posted at a bar. I shook my head and shut my phone off, ready to just go to sleep.

Before I could change clothes, someone knocked on the door. I furrowed my eyebrows, getting up and walking to the door. I swung it open and almost shut it right back. Calum was standing there with a frown on his face.

"What are you doing here?" I bluntly asked and he swayed back and forth, a dazed look in his eyes.

"I miss you." Calum slurred and I frowned, realizing he was drunk. "I don't want that other girl, I want you."

I ignored his words, tugging him inside just as he was about to fall over. Even though I was still angry with him, he shouldn't walk around Brooklyn at night like this. I led him to the couch and he sat down, peering up at me with a frown and puppy dog eyes. I went to the kitchen and got a glass of water and some ibuprofen, setting it on the table by the couch. Calum laid down and pulled a pillow to his chest.

"Get some sleep." I said quietly and he watched me as I made my way to my room.

"Katie?" I sighed, turning around. Calum didn't say anything so I continued to shut the sliding door. "I love you." I heard him say once the door was shut and I froze in my place.

No, he doesn't. He's drunk. He cheated. He doesn't love me.