Falling Down Under

Chapter Thirty-Seven ~ Arianna

~Arianna's POV~

"It just breaks my heart, you know? She's my best friend in the entire world and to see her hurting like that hurts me too." I mumbled into my phone that was pressed between my pillow and my face. I heard Luke sigh on the other end.

"I know what you mean. Ashton may kind of be in the wrong here but he's torn up about what happened. It hurts to see." My boyfriend responded in a sleepy voice. I had offered to let him go sleep atleast a dozen times but he didn't seem to care that he sounded like he was about to doze off.

You see, it was about three in the morning. Why were we up and talking to eachother at three in the morning you may ask? Neither of us could fall asleep. I had gotten so used to him laying with me until I fell asleep and cuddling me through the night that I physically wasn't able to fall asleep without him. I had called him around midnight and it had progressed from there.

"I wish they would both just swallow their pride and have a full conversation without one of them walking away before the other person can explain." I sighed. Luke made a sound of agreement and it was quiet for a moment. It was like this whenever he was with me as well. No more words spoken than totally necessary, because we both just knew how the other felt. "Lukey, you're gonna come over and cuddle me tomorrow night right? Or I guess it would be tonight since it's already tomorrow." I giggled.

"Ofcourse I am." He said, a smile in his voice.

"Good. I don't think I can survive going to sleep without you." I giggled once more. The sudden silence on his side of the phone was odd. "Luke, you there?"

"Yeah kitten, ofcourse I am." He replied, but his voice was different. It was....strained? Maybe that was the wrong word. He sounded like he was distracted, thinking about something.

"Luke? What's wrong?" No point in acting as if I didn't know something was wrong. I knew when something was up with Luke. It was usually pretty obvious.

"Nothing's wrong really.... I just... I don't know if now is the best time to tell you. It wasn't exactly the best time for us to hear the news either at the moment." He responded in a small voice.

"News? What news?" I raised my eyebrow even though he couldn't see it.

"You know how you said you can't survive without me with you?" He questioned instead. I hit my forehead with my palm.

"Aw Luke I'm sorry if that made me sound like some clingy annoying girlfriend." I shook my head at myself. I was trying so hard not to be THAT girlfriend.

"No, it's not that. It's just.... you may have to get a little used to it. The lads and I... we've just been told that we've actually leaving pretty soon. We're going on tour." My entire brain basically shut down at that. One part of me wanted to be so happy for him. That part wanted to congratulate him and say how proud I was that he was being so successful at doing what he loved. The other part of me wanted to cry. He was leaving and I wouldn't get to be with him all the time the way I was used to. "Kitten? Ari? Arianna please say something you have me really worried here."

"I'm sorry Luke. That's great! I'm so proud of you! You're going to be amazing!" I answered a bit too late with a voice that was a bit too laced with sadness to be believed.

"I'm sorry Ari, we just found out a couple hours ago after we dropped you and Leather off at your apartment." I tried my hardest not to sound as sad when I replied.

"When do you guys leave?" I inquired, my voice sounding much happier than the last time I had used it.

"A couple weeks. April nineteenth I think." He still had a hint of apology in his tone. That date sounded so familiar.

"That's so close." I moved so my legs were curled up to my chest underneath Luke's massive Nirvana tshirt.

"Please don't be sad Ari. I knew I shouldn't have told you tonight. I should have thought about what to say and..." I cut him off.

"Lukey, it's fine. I'm glad I know." I shrugged, once more realizing he couldn't see my actions because we were only on the phone.

"I wish I could cuddle you right now." Came his reply. I sighed.

"Yeah.......... me too." I said quietly. There was more silence. "Lukey, I'm actually pretty tired now so I'm going to go to sleep, okay?"

"Before you go just know that I love you more than anything in the universe and you're the love of my life, okay?" I felt tears start to sting my eyes at his little confession.

"I love you so much Lucas." I whispered, trying not to cry while on the phone with him.

"Have an amazing nights sleep. I'll see you when you wake up. We'll go out and cause mayhem and I'll buy you awful food that you'll say is great because you love me and then we'll sit in some random place talking about random things because that's what we do and we're going to be okay, aren't we Ari?" Luke rambled and then cut himself off in a hurry. I let out a strangled laugh.

"Yeah sweetie, we're gonna be fine." I responded, a tear sliding down my cheek.

"Goodnight Arianna. I love you." Luke said in such a small voice I nearly didn't hear him.

"I love you too Lucas. Goodnight." I clicked the end call button and basically threw my phone to the end of my bed. I couldn't believe he would be leaving so soon. How was I even supposed to process that? I sniffled as I stood up and walked out of my bedroom. I stopped outside of Leather's door and cracked it open. She was finally asleep with tear strains on her face. I sighed once more and closed her door. This night sucked.

I made my way into the kitchen fully intending to basically devourer the rest of Leather's cake but paused. On the side of our fridge, tacked to the wall, was a calendar. I moved toward it and changed the months to April. There it was in bright red ink. That's why April NINETEENTH sounded familiar. April eighteenth was mine and Leather's final day of classes. On the date of April twenty third, written in blue ink with a crying face next to it read "Flying Back Home". My heart basically constricted in my chest. I didn't want to believe mine and Leather's time here would ever come to an end. I guess I had just been pushing off the fact that we were leaving so soon.

"If he wasn't leaving... I would be..." I muttered to myself before sinking to the floor in the corner of the kitchen and crying my eyes out. What was I supposed to do now?

Alrighty y'all, that was emotional right? Can't believe they're going on tour. Well I mean, I can believe it because I wrote it but you get the point! Lots of love and cuddles for you Xx Anne