Just A Job (Lauren/You)

Chapter 26

The sound of the final bell was music to my ears.

I could faintly here the teacher saying something about an assignment but I couldn't care less right now. Ariana was finally back in Miami and she wanted me to drop by her hotel so we can hang out. It's been three months since we last saw each other and even though we called and texted each other every day, having her beside me was still an experience.

The only news I knew about Ariana was what she decided to tell me herself. I never googled her or read any articles about her. I didn't want to disrespect our relationship like that. But I knew she was slowly starting to get recognized. When I walked down the halls, I would always here girls talking about her style and her music. It never failed to bring a smile on my lips.

It also didn't bother me that she wanted our relationship to be kept a secret. She told me she didn't want people harassing me when they saw me. She, at least, wanted me to live a normal life and go to med school. I felt a smile tug on my lips. I was a lucky guy to have a girl like her.

I grabbed my backpack and walked towards the door.

"Oh my god, Ariana and Jai look so good together."

My hand froze as I was reaching for the door. I looked at the sound of the voice to see three of my classmates looking down a phone. Who the hell is Jai? Ariana never mentioned someone by that name.

"The picture of them kissing is cute!"

I barely noticed moving closer to them until I was looking down at the girl's phone. There on the screen was a picture of Ariana kissing a guy I didn't know. And it wasn't a photo taken from long distance—their faces were right up the camera.

"Y/N?"

I looked at the girl holding the phone. She looked confused but so the hell was I. "Who's that?"

"It's Ariana Grande and Jai Brooks," she told me.

I could feel my hands shaking at her words. I knew the answer to the question before I even asked it. But my heart didn't want to believe. My heart was still holding on to that last bit of hope that there was some sort of mistake.

"Who is he?" I asked noticing the shake in my tone.

"Her boyfriend."

And with those two words, all the hope was gone. I could feel something inside of me break and I felt out of breath. This can't be happening. This can't be true. I was her boyfriend—not some random guy. She told me she loved me, she told me I was the only one—then why? I could feel my classmate's stares on me. I must've looked like a mess right now but my mind was trying to come up with a logical explanation. My eyes slowly wandered down the article and saw the words 'six months'.

Then I broke into a sprint.

Out of the room and into the hallway. I probably bumped ten people on my way but I just kept going. My mind was bombarded with everything I loved about her. Her laugh, her eyes, her smile—everything that made me feel better in the past. But now, it just made me sick to my stomach.

I bursted through the door and out into the parking lot. I climbed my bike and pedalled so hard I could feel my legs ache from the force. I weaved my way through traffic, not caring for the stoplights I ignored along the way. All I could think about was getting to Ariana. I needed her to tell me it was a mistake. Or I was only dreaming. Anything but the reality of that picture.

The moment I arrived at the hotel, I quickly got down from my bike and ran inside. I didn't even chain it or park it anywhere—that's how much I wanted to get to her. The ride up the elevator was painful because my mind replayed unwanted memories once again. Like the way she kissed me or the way she told me she loved me—I didn't want them right now.