The Runaway - N.H.

[07] Mate

"Holy shit, I didn't think you'd actually call." His familiar accent fills the car and it feels weird to hear his voice after so long.

"You're on speaker, I have friends in the car." I would never call them friends to anyone else but I can't explain everything to him right now.

"Take me off speaker."

"No."

"Yes." We both know I'm going to win.

"No."

"Fine. But I'm not holding back I don't care if your friends are there."

"Whatever." I say blandly.

"He misses you."

"He? He who?"

"He all three of them... Me too." He says like it was obvious.

"Mm" I don't feel like talking to him so I try to be as short as possible.

"Do you want to wish Mikey a happy birthday?"

"No just tell him I did." I can't speak to him, even if it is his birthday.

"He won't believe me, you know he won't." He's got a point, I know he won't believe him.

"Then I'll text you later and you can pass it on to him."

"BeeBee come on you can't be serious, two years together and you won't even say happy birthday? That's low."

"You're trying to guilt trip me and it's not working and plus we weren't together and he liked me the least out of the four of you and we all knew it." He practically hated me so I don't know why he's pushing this.

"That's not true... okay so it's true but he still loved you and he's been moping around all day and we all know it's because you used to throw him a surprise party every year and this year we didn't do anything."

"How is that my fault Luke?"

"Fucking hell Braeden I didn't say it was I'm saying he misses you god damn it. We all miss you. Even C-" I cut him off before he can say his name.

"Don't." I say through my teeth.

"You can't avoid him forever."

"We are on different continents so I actually think I can."

"That won't be true for long." What?

"What the fuck did you just say Luke?"

"We um... we are coming to LA."

"No."

"Yeah... that's why I needed to talk to you, did you hear One Direction is going on tour?" I look at Niall who's looking back at Louis who's staring intently at the speaker.

"Yeah, I mean no but go on." What is he talking about?

"Well we are a band now like a proper one and um we- we're, well we might be the opening act for like half the tour, so we have to fly into LA tomorrow."

"No. You're joking. He's joking. Is he serious?!" I pulled the car over and now I'm screaming at them, all of them.

"Braeden who are you talking to? What's happening?"

"Luke Hemmings?" Niall says. No. It can't be.

"Yeah is this... Niall? What the fuck? Braeden what are you having sex with Niall now?" How dare he.

"Why is your first instinct that I'm having fucking sex with him?!" Why would he just assume that?

"Oh come on it's not like you weren't sleeping with half of Sydney!"

"How fucking dare you! You know for a fact that when I left Australia I'd only slept with two people!" I can't believe what he's saying.

"So you are sleeping with him? Knew it." Asshole.

"I met him two hours ago!"

"Two hours is much longer than what you need."

"Mate." Louis finally says something.

"Who's that?" Luke sounds confused and I'm glad he doesn't know what's going on.

"Me, Louis." Luke mumbles a swear under his breath before he continues.

"So your friends are just people you're sleeping with?" I hardly give him time to finish before I scream fuck you and hang up the phone.

I put my forehead against the steering wheel before I start the car again.

{I know Michaels birthday is the 20th but in this book it's the 10th just so it's an easier time frame x}