Want You Back

13.

A/N: There's a storm a brewin! Drama coming up - enjoy!

"Are you sure I can't convince you stay another day?" Luke asked for the millionth time as he shouldered my bag for me with one hand, the other dragging my suitcase along.

I smiled sadly, "I wish I could, but I had direct orders from Audrey to return to the northern hemisphere by tonight."

"Then let's take a trip. I say Japan."

"Japan? Really?" I turned to him, laughing.

He shrugged, "why not? I know you've always wanted to go."

"And what makes you think I haven't gone yet?"

"Easy," he shrugged again. "I googled you."

My mouth dropped open. "You did not!"

"Oh, I did." He grinned. "In a totally non-creepy way."

"That is borderline stalking."

"I prefer light research."

I shook my head, giggling. "You're insane."

"This is true," he agreed, setting my bag down in a chair in the waiting area for private boarding. Perks of being a celebrity meant that Luke could come as far as the boarding gate with me - a feat we were both quite happy about. I couldn't deny it anymore, my feelings for Luke Hemmings never went away, no, instead they'd been in hibernation of sorts - dormant. But I couldn't very well tell Luke that, not yet.

"Um," Luke shoved his hands in the pockets of his skinny jeans and rocked back and forth on his heels, "how about a coffee for the plane? My treat?"

I smiled, sitting down. "You know there is coffee on the flight."

"Yeah, but this way you'll have a momento to remember me by."

"Oh yes," I drawled sarcastically. "I will forever cherish the coffee you purchase for me. I won't even drink it, in honour of your great chivalry."

"Don't be ridiculous. You'll save the cup - I'm not the cruel to make you not drink coffee." Luke admonished, already turning away from me. "I shall return with coffee."

I giggled and called out to him, "I'll hold you to that!"

Luke grinned and then he was out of sight, just as my phone rang.

"Audrey! Hey, I'm just about to board my flight, so don't go all crazy-agent on me, okay?"

"Shit," Audrey whispered over the line, "I take it you haven't heard yet then, huh?"

I sat up. "What are you talking about?"

"Look, doll, when I landed in LAX the other day, I wasn't greeted with the best news. And I'm guessing you've stayed away from social media while down under, right?"

"Audrey, what are you talking about? You're scaring me."

My agent sighed; "5 Seconds of Summer released another single from their upcoming album yesterday. And it's about you. You and your relationship with Luke."

My world was tilted sideways. "T-that's not possible. Luke wouldn't do that to me, not after everything that happened on this trip."

"I'm afraid it is true, babe. Check the song out before you board, that way when you land you and I can prepare our gameplan. It's called 'Youngblood'. You got that, babe?"

"U-um, yeah, I t-think so," I stammered, my thoughts cloudy. "I'll text you when I land."

I hung up after that, doing so mindlessly and without thought. I didn't even say goodbye, or thank Audrey for telling me. All I could think about was how Luke had blindsided me yet again.

With shaking hands, I plugged my earphones into my iPhone's headphone jack and googled the song, selecting a lyric video. Taking a deep breath, I pressed play, my ears flooded with Luke's smooth voice and soft music notes.

'You're pushing, you're pushing, I'm pulling away, I'm pulling away from you. I give and I give and I give and you take, give and you take. Youngblood.'

The distinct snapping sounds seemed to pulse with my heartbeat as I read along with the lyrics, feeling as if the air had been sucked out of my lungs.

'Say you want me, say you want me, out of your life. And I'm just a dead man walking tonight. But you need it, yeah you need it, all of the time.'

My phone slipped out of slick fingers, my headphones pulling out of my ears as my phone landed on the carpeted floor below me. But I didn't notice, nor did I react. I didn't even blink as my brain raked through every moment I spent with Luke over the past three days. How genuine it all seemed, how caring and sweet he had been. But it had been all a lie, all a lie. He had been using me for the press, for the tabloids, for the media. He wanted to get back into my good graces so that when they released this song, his band would be everywhere in Hollywood. And what a scandal it would be: 'Actress Jasmine Chambers Siddles up to Aussie Band - is her Career Over Before it's Even Started?'

He had used me. For creative purposes, just to write the next catchy hook for his album. He had used me all over again.

"Hey, caramel macchiato, right?" Luke asked, carrying over two drinks, smiling proudly.

He froze when he saw me though and set the drinks down, plucking my phone off from the ground. "You okay?" He asked, turning my phone over, staring down at the lyrics that were flitting across the screen.

"Jasmine," he turned to me, "I can explain."

I didn't know how to respond, I couldn't respond. I could barely blink, barely find the energy to keep inhaling and exhaling even though every cell in my body screamed at me to react.

Then Brit and Jameson were there, Brit snatching my phone from a rambling Luke and Jameson hoisting me to my feet, trying to get me to move. But I just... couldn't. I stood stock still, as if paralyzed. Jameson muttered a quick apology that barely registered in my brain before he swept me off my feet, handing the attendant at the gate my passport and boarding pass. Brit strayed behind us, carrying my luggage as other members of my security team blocked Luke's path.

I heard shouting behind me, Luke shouting for me to understand, to just let him explain. He called out my name, repeatedly, sounding desperate, like I was the air he needed to breathe and I was being removed from his possession. But he didn't need me to breathe, I remembered as Jameson carried me away, Luke was always good at holding his breath while underwater.