The Boy Band Who Adopted Me!

Chapter 27 - Playing Cards for Her Sake

AN: Enjoy. :)

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We drove home in solemnity after a little while. Gavin took the wheel while Will reclined in the passenger seat, staring out the window as if nothing in the world was more dreadful than the drive back. I curled up in sad silence next to Emmett, who was listening to Northern Downpour. I put in one of his earbuds and laid tired on his shoulder, the candy rush gone. Cody was practically asleep on me himself. Everyone seemed worried; even Cody, in his sugary slumber, had a pensive expression on his face.

I remembered a month ago when Jamie said, "We'll leave it up to Will to tell you the rest when he's ready." That had been that. I was just waiting for him to be ready.

Nobody talked about it again. Gavin dropped me off at my dorm, pulling me into a tight hug, before whispering, "Don't worry, Alex. Just don't worry." He kissed my forehead and bid me goodnight.

Of course I was going to worry. I cared about Will a lot. He had been there for me before, and now I wanted to be there for him. My parents were skeptical of boys, so it wasn't as if I could provide him with a place to stay; I couldn't think of anything I could possibly do. The anxiety was so overwhelming that I had trouble getting to sleep. I danced in and out of fitful nightmares that I thankfully couldn't remember when I woke up.

My phone was vibrating off the hook from group chat-- everyone was trying to figure out what to do for Will. I was exhausted from my sleepless, nervous night, and immediately decided to go get some coffee for a pick-me-up. I cranked up my music to boost my mood; an Asking Alexandria kind of day. I pulled on tights, thigh-high socks, and a pair of shorts, along with my cat-toed Converse and my big, comfy MCR hoodie. I was too tired to do anything but light makeup and my hair in a messy, fluffy bun. All I wanted was coffee right now.

My phone vibrated in my pocket after a period of silence, so I checked it.

Gavin, 9:37 AM: We'll be writing at Emmett's today. Will's heading over there pretty late, so text him if you want to tag along. And please ask if he's alright?

I texted back:

Will do.

Not more than two minutes passed before I received a response:

Gavin, 9:40 AM: Good. :* I hope to see you soon. <3

I smiled and slipped my phone back into my hoodie pocket. Earbuds and the volume up gave me a boost of energy as I made my way down to the coffee shop.

A girl with bright purple hair and twin buns greeted me and and took my order. A tall black iced coffee-- that'd really wake me up.

As I waited for my order, I felt a tap on my shoulder.

I turned around to see Mason with an unlit cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, hood up. He had a habit of flustering me. It was something about his face; strong jawline, furrowed brow... I also suddenly noticed that his eyes were the gray of a stormy sky. Holy crap.

I looked away, blushing. When I looked back, he reclined against the counter, one eyebrow raised. "What's up with you, kid?"

"You can't smoke in here, Mason," said the purple-haired girl to Mason as she rang a Carroll student up.

"I ain't gonna light it, Rae," Mason said casually. He smirked at her. She rolled her eyes with a smile and gave the student his receipt. Mason had such a strong, flirtatious expression. I could see that the cut on his cheek was also healing up.

The barista's nametag read Raven. She leaned on the counter and looked at me, before handing me my coffee. "This your girlfriend? She's always coming in here with a bunch of guys, you know."