Fixing Us || l.h

Chapter Twenty-Four**

I didn't want to leave. My week with the Hemmings had ended, and I didn't want to leave. Luke and I spent a few days being tourists, stopping at some places where he used to hang out. Then, we hung out with his family, playing games, making food, and getting to know each other better. 

Ben eventually showed me all of Luke's baby pictures, but Luke still managed to glare at me even 3 days later. I throw his shirt over to him as we pack, shaking my head at him. "What do I have to do to get you to delete those pictures?" He tries again, and I laugh. "I will never delete these. We're going to be old and grey and I'll still pull them out just to spite you." He frowns, going back to packing.

Liz walks in, looking between us. "Is he still pouting?" She asks me with a laugh. I nod, zipping my suitcase. "Well, I'm ready to take you both to the airport, are you ready?" She asks, Luke zipping up his suitcase. "I think so, I don't see anything we might have missed." "I'll mail it if you did, let's hit the road." Luke carries my suitcase out to the car and I get in the back seat, Liz driving us back to the private airstrip. We both give her big hugs before boarding Blake's plane, both of us slumping into our seats. "Back to the real world," I mutter, Luke nodding. "I forgot how nice an actual break is." He adds, shimmying down in his seat to get comfortable, and closing his eyes.

"Gonna take a nap?" I ask, pulling out my notebook. He nods, his eyes still closed. I keep working on the song I had started a few days ago, an hour or so into the flight before I decide to nap like Luke.

- 

I unlock the hotel door, and the room is quiet as we walk in. Ashton is asleep on the couch, his head leaned back, and Kiera asleep in his lap, her mascara around her eyes, with tear tracks down her cheeks. Luke glances over at me, furrowing his brows. "How do you think it went?" He asks me in a whisper, looking back at them. "Not good, her mascara is everywhere, she's probably been crying a lot." I sigh, putting my suitcase at the foot of a bed, Luke putting his next to it. The adjoining door opens, and Calum peeks his head in. "Oh, you're back." He mumbles, grabbing a water bottle. His eyes are bloodshot and puffy. 

My heart sinks further, and I wonder what we missed while gone. Luke follows him back into the room, and I check my phone to see if my brother texted me. He knows we got back, but I haven't heard from him yet. I wonder if he's rehearsing. Luke comes back in, shaking his head. "Nothing." "I'll try." I offer, going into the room.

"Hey, bud, what's going on?" I ask, sitting on the bed next to Calum, who has his face burrowed in the pillow. "Weren't you supposed to see Katie?" I ask, hearing a sniffle come from the pillow. "Did something happen?" He nods, still not looking up. "I'm here to listen; we all are whenever you're ready," I offer, trying one last time. He finally sits up, his eyes wet.

"She cheated." I try not to let my shock show, but the way the tears welled up in his eyes tells me I did not do a good job of hiding that. I will never make it in acting. "I'm so sorry Cal, that's so shitty of her." I finally say, wrapping my arm around his shoulders. "Is there anything I can do?" I ask, and he lays his head on my shoulder. "I just, I should have known." "Hey, no, this is not your fault. You did absolutely nothing wrong. She chose to cheat, she's the one who is in the wrong." He nods, sniffling again. 

"Do you want some ice cream? That always helps me feel better." I offer when he doesn't say anything. He slowly lifts his head from my shoulder, nodding. "Can you go get it, I don't have it in me to go back out in the public right now." He asks, turning to me. "Yes, oh my gosh, of course, we'll be back in like half an hour, tops," I promise him, getting out of his bed. I go back into the other room and grab Luke and my bag, running into Michael in the hall. 

"Ice cream run?" I ask him, the confusion on Luke's face dissolving. "Sure." Michael shrugs, turning around. We take the elevator to the lobby, asking the front desk if there are any ice cream places around. They tell us there is one about 2 blocks down the street and we start walking, the cold wind blowing straight at us. "This walk back with ice cream is going to be brutal," I mumble, and stuff my hands into my pockets. 

"Oh, I forgot to ask, why are we the only ones opening tomorrow?" Michael asks, looking down at me. I sigh, refraining from rolling my eyes. "I have my annual physical tomorrow. I fly to New York around eight and then get back around seven. It's too tight to risk it so I decided to skip one more show." He scrunches his nose up, shaking his head. "I hate physicals." "You're telling me," I mutter, waiting for the light to change. We get the walk signal and cross the street, going into the ice cream shop.

"She's being a big girl and going all by herself tomorrow." Luke chimes in, wrapping an arm around my shoulders as we step into the line, a few people in front of us. "You try going to the place that can throw you back in a mental hospital and not dread the visit." I snap and cross my arms over my chest. "You're getting better, Dylan, anyone can see that. They won't send you back unless you feel you need it." "I'm still nervous," I admit, Luke squeezing me. We step up to order, and the girl taking the order stares at us with wide eyes. 

"Hi." I greet, smiling softly. "He-hello," she stutters, struggling to regain her composure. "What can I get you?" She asks, her hands shaking. "I'll have a chocolate milkshake and a peanut butter milkshake," I order, letting Michael and Luke order. She takes their orders, still starstruck. "Your total is $21.59," she gets out, and I grab a napkin while Luke pays, signing it and passing it to Michael, then Luke. "Thought you might like this." Luke smiles at her, passing her the signed napkin.

Tears well up in her eyes, all of our smiles falling. "Wait, no, we didn't mean to make you cry." Michael starts, but she shakes her head. "Your music has helped me so much, I left home a few months ago and everything has been such a struggle, but you guys saved my life. I never thought I'd get to see you live, much less meet you." She laughs, wiping away her tears. "Do you not have tickets for the show tonight?" Michael asks. She shakes her head, handing me my 2 milkshakes. "I couldn't afford it." "Well, what's your name? I'll have 2 tickets at the door waiting for you." Her jaw drops, her hand covering it. "Lilly, thank you so much." She writes down her name for Michael and he puts it in his pocket, opening his arms to her in a hug. 

She comes around the corner and hugs him, Luke and I joining a moment later. "Stay strong for us," Luke says, Lilly nodding. We get the last of the ice cream and we head back to the hotel and Calum is still in bed when we get back to the room. I hand him the peanut butter milkshake, climbing into the bed next to him. "Girls suck," I tell him, clinking my milkshake with his.