Say It If It's Worth Saving Me

19. No One is in This Alone

 Jai had been missing shows.

In total, she actually had missed six shows.

The first few times it happened she had valid excuses because she was helping her dad and she was going to visit her brother, Tyler. As of late though, she didn't have excuses for missing the shows and Ryon was sick of it.

First of all, there was no one there to take amazing pictures of the boys on stage performing. Granted, Jai was there to enjoy the show but the pictures were an awesome way to promote the band.

Secondly, her lack of presence was starting to take its toll on the boys themselves. Ryon could see it in the way that Michael didn't move around as much and Calum would kind of crawl back into his shell a bit. Ashton wasn't as enthusiastic without a camera pointing his way and Luke searched the crowd every show for the one face he wouldn't find.

It was another Friday night and probably another Jai-less night as well. Ryon was backstage with the boys as they wasted the hour before their time. They were all just sitting around on their phones and Ryon couldn't blame them, Jai was what livened up the party.

"Ry, can I talk to you out in the hall?" Calum asked, standing up.

Ryon nodded and Michael made some half-assed teasing comment about them snogging or something. She wasn't really paying attention as she stood up and followed Calum out of the room.

He took her hand and their fingers entwined together effortlessly as he led the way down the hall a bit where there were significantly less people. He turned and faced her, leaning against the wall a bit.

"What's going on with Jai?" He asked, looking up at her.

That was not what she was expecting.

"What?" She replied, not knowing where he was going with this.

He pursed those full, kissable lips as he looked around them before turning back to her. He let her hand go, "I'm worried about her and Luke."

"You're worried about them?" She repeated, a little surprised.

Calum wasn't the one to be open with his thoughts or emotions which always left Ryon guessing on how he was feeling. She couldn't finish his thoughts the way she could with others, she couldn't guess what he was about to say. It made him a mystery and dear lord, she loved mysteries.

"Everyone is, that's obvious but they're torturing each other with whatever is going on between them," he began and Ryon gave her full attention. "We all know about the kiss and there's something going on with Jai other than just the grieving, Michael says she's depressed and I think he's right because she's acting kind of how Ashton does on his bad days and Luke looks like a lost puppy without her."

He crossed his arms and leaned his shoulder heavily against the wall, "She's hiding more than what we think, like, there has to be a reason why she's avoiding telling us anything, it has to be more than the depression and what she's dealing with at home."

It had occurred to Ryon that there may be something else going on but hearing the same thoughts from Calum just made the curiosity inside her grow. If he had a feeling that there was more going on then there definitely was.

"Do you think that Luke has feelings for Jai?" Ryon wondered aloud. "Everyone knows that Jai likes him."

Calum nodded his head, "Luke's liked her for a while now but he didn't want to make things awkward between everyone by trying to make something out of it, but now he's with Aleisha and even she knows that he's always searching for Jai in the crowd and not her."