Cut To Pieces [Complete]

Plans

It had been two since the boys had left for America and I had retuned to Manchester. The goodbye had been short and awkward between myself, Luke and Calum, but when it came to Ashton and Michael things took a little more time. I started with Ashton, desperately hoping that no one would ask any questions.

"I'm going to miss you." Ashton whispered against the side of my neck as he pulled me in for a hug. I pulled away and gave Ashton a weak smile as I noticed Michael looking at us strangely. Ashton seemed to notice too as he took my phone off me and quickly types something in. "I'll call you when I'm alone, okay?" I nodded slowly as Michael started to whisper to Calum. "Look, I know it's fast, but when we talk we talk about real things and I have no intention of losing you because we're leaving the country."

"You promise you'll call me?" I asked under my breath, aware that three sets of eyes were now boring into the back of Ashton's head.

"We'll talk about this soon. I promise." I let out a small laugh at the oddity of the situation and how fast our friendship had exploded, almost as fast as Michael and I's. "They're staring, aren't they?" I nodded and let out a small giggle as Ashton pulled me in for yet another embrace. "I promise I'll see you soon. You're one of my best friends now, Allie." A small kiss was placed on top of my head before he turned and headed back to the other boys. Michael exchanged a few tense words with him before he stalked over to me, grabbing my shoulder and guiding me a little bit further away.

"What was that about?" His tone was harsh but by the look on his face he didn't mean the words to come out like that. "Since when are you and Ashton so close?" I shrugged gently before running a thumb over Michael's cheek.

"We're just friends." I giggled as Michael visibly relaxed. "We've been speaking a lot backstage, especially in the last couple of days. But we're just friends." Michael nodded slowly before pulling me in for a hug.

"I just can't stand the thought of losing you." Michael sighed and I raised an eyebrow, pulling away from him slightly so I could see his face.

"Even if I was with Ashton, which I'm not," I reassured him, even though half of me was ready to be like 'hell yes, he's one hell of a kisser an I'd happily run away with him'. "you're in the same band, you'd still see me just as much as you already do." Michael pulled me back into the hug and I wrapped my arms around his torso. "I'm going to miss you, Mikey."

"I'm going to miss you, too, Allie." We pulled away but locked our hands together as my train pulled into the platform. I grabbed my bags and gave the boys one last goodbye each, blushing as Ashton placed a sly kiss on my temple. "If I'm paying for that phone you better fucking call me!" Michael yelled as I stepped into the train and I flipped him off, laughing, as I sat in the nearest window seat and waved goodbye to my new friends.

I sat on the armchair in the corner of the tiny bookstore and flicked through a volume of Emma. I had read this book a thousand times and could practically recite the words as I read it. So much so that I could finish it in approximately an hour. I slammed it down on the coffee table, bored with the lack of customers and the fact that I had by now read most of the books in this store. I got bored of books easily after I had read them twice. I would still love them, but I would never be able to read them cover to cover again. Emma was a rare exception to that rule. I jumped as a loud buzz came from under the counter and hurried over to the cashier to pull my phone out from the drawer.

“Hello?” I answered, noticing my voice sounded overly polite as it echoed on the other end. I was on speaker.

“Allie?” I grinned at the Australian accent and made my way back to the arm chair I had claimed.