Strung (Rock & Romance I.)

Chapter 39. - Night Changes

A/N: Welcome back! This chapter is fueled by the mimosas T & I have been pounding all afternoon & for dinner because we skipped out on a wine tasting so I could write. Best. Husband. Ever.

This chapter is dedicated to traplineblings ! I appreciate the love for the story and the shared hate for Erika!

***

*London*

Five. The exact number of days I've had left with Lukas LaBelle before he left for tour. He would be gone for three whole months, leaving me to deal with this mess of a situation.

Listening to Callie, who was the closest thing I've had to a social media expert, I've stayed off of all platforms. Lukas didn't post about me either, although, I wasn't sure if that was due to what my blonde best friend said, or if he just wasn't ready to publicly claim me as his.

Aside from the song, of course - which was surprisingly the solid chart-topper in fifty countries since it was released. Despite the fandom not liking me, they were all in love with the song. And who could blame them?!

I've been listening to it on repeat since that night.

Sighing, I rolled over, positioning my sketch pad under me as I held myself up by my elbows. I found myself drawing not one, but two figures now - entangled in each others' arms. And while the bodies were naked, I did my best to bring out the passion and love in there, and not focus on the sexual aspect.

A low whistle sounded from behind me, snapping me out of my daze. I glanced up, spotting Jesse's dark head peeking over my shoulder. "I hope that's not supposed to be you and me there, Londie." He said, shaking his head. "I have a good friend who would be very upset if it turned out you were daydreaming about me this whole time!"

Despite my current situation, I smiled. "What are you doing here?!"

Jesse helped me get on my feet and gathered me into a tight hug. I sunk into his chest, enjoying the feel of his strong arms around me. For the last few weeks, all I've seen were my parents and my two best friends - with the occasional visit from Lukas here and there.

But despite their best efforts of keeping me entertained, the getaway home started to feel like my own personal little prison.

"I came to take you out!" Jesse winked down at me as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Get dressed, baby. We're going to hit the city!"

I lifted a brow, skeptical that he really meant that. "Are you sure you want to be seen with me? Apparently, I'm cursed."

He dismissed me with a small chuckle. "Please! Don't think so highly of yourself." He walked over to my closet, which contained all my belongings now that the apartment I shared with Callie was on the market. Callie found a posh, stylish loft, in a much better neighborhood, that had a doorman and security around the clock - so she didn't need to worry about what could happen while she was traveling for work.

Jesse picked out a mahogany colored, simple dress, and some heeled, black boots to go with it, and tossed them on the bed next to me before heading to the door. "Twenty minutes, London. I'm going to help you mom write a kick-ass rockstar romance novel, and then we're leaving."

***

Thirty minutes later, I walked down the stairs of my parents' house. Unlike in the movies, my entire family didn't wait for me at the bottom, while staring at me in awe and complimenting my beauty. Instead, I found my father in front of the television, while my mom and Jesse chatted in the sitting room just next door to it.