Bandmate ||Ricky Garcia||

《f o r t y - s e v e n》

Ricky's POV

''Why are you here,'' I say holding on to the door handle.

''I just came over so we could talk, may I?''

''What you need is a mental hospital. Just leave,'' I start to close the door but a boot interferes and she pushes herself inside. ''You think I want to talk to you?''

''You always loved talking to me.''

''That was a long time ago. Peyton, I'm really tired and would like to sleep.'' I say and she nods but nothing happens. She stands there looking around, ''That's me telling you to get out.''

''Is something burning?'' Her long legs start to make her way to the kitchen, leaving me holding the door wide open.

''And this is why we broke up,'' I mumble shutting the door and follow the click of her boots. Entering the kitchen I find her examining the chicken. All the guys turn to look at me as if I had invited her. I shrugged and just waited for her next move since clearly, she couldn't a fucking take a hint.

''You know if you just scrape the black stuff off the chicken it's actually good.'' She starts to stab it with a spoon and took a piece to give to Liam who gladly ate it.

''We were going to order pizza-''

''Great order several. I like anything, except that Hawaiian pizza, that's just sinful.'' Peyton interrupts Jon and continues to eat the chicken.

''You are not staying,'' I tell her reaching for her arm and tug her to my direction. Her feet fumble and she almost falls on me, but I catch her by the waist and push her up. ''You have no decency do you?''

''Audrey came to visit me the other day.'' I stop once she said that. Still holding on her arm I get closer.

''Did you tell her something?'' Maybe that's why she wasn't there when I was released or hasn't answered any of my calls.

''She's the one that told me things. Can we go up to your room, it's kind of private.'' She whispers tugging at my hand. I notice Emery looking over at us, his eyes asking for an explanation. I nod to Peyton and she leads me away.

''I came to apologize for my poor behavior and to explain myself.'' She says and I look up at her shoulder to see a date written in ink. She's never been the type to get a tattoo of something insignificant, even when I told her we should get matching ones, she said no.

''Why the tattoo?'' I asked as soon as we reached my room. Turning on the light I realize the mess, clothes everywhere and my drawers all open. I tighten my fist and start to clean up Jon and Emery's mess.

''Oh well my grandmother actually passed away a few weeks ago.'' She says it so calmly it almost feels fake. But once I get up from the floor with a pile of clothes, and turn to see her eyes, maybe she is saying the truth.

''What was wrong with her? She looked fine last time I saw her.''

Her head shakes to the side before taking a seat on my bed. ''You really don't pay any attention, do you? Remember how I told you the doctors had found a hole in her heart and at first they said it wasn't something to worry about, well for the past few years it got worst. Started with small pains then these headaches.''

I do recall her sitting around the living room. She would just sketch random doodles with her charcoal and never missed a beat to direct her attention to anyone. I guess the nurse was also a clue, but I just thought she was her caretaker since Peyton's family was too lazy to care for their own grandmother. ''You don't look like you just lost someone.'' I tell her.