The City Comes Alive When We're Together (An Alex Gaskarth love story)

Chapter 26

Gwendolyn

I loved being here so much, it made me so happy. The energy that radiated off of everyone was just so positive and happy. It was definitely the best time. So when I said that I couldn't stay it hurt me. Unfortunately it was true. I couldn't deal with being around here at all. I looked into Jack's eyes and sighed.

"You can't!" He nearly yelled and made me jump. He muttered sorry before looking up at me again. He looked so hurt and vulnerable about me leaving and I didn't understand why.

"Give me one good reason to not leave here!" I said and stomped my foot. Yeah, acting like a child was probably not the way to go, but it was better than a breakdown.

"You can avoid Alex, i'll make sure of it." He said and held my shoulders. "Just please. Don't leave." He begged.

"Plus, it's only a couple more days and their driving us home, it'll all work out. I can't promise that he won't talk to you because he will I just know it, but please stay." Was all he said. I didn't necessarily mind if he talked to me. I was craving some sort of answer, but I had to tell myself and refrain from any kind of interaction with him.

"You really know how to convince people Jack." I said with a sigh. Then again, I was easily convinced. I opened the door and stepped into the bus with Jack following. I saw Alex sitting on the couch shaking his leg and fidgeting with his fingers looking forward. When he looked up and saw me he smiled. "I've been worried sick!" He said and hugged me. It was so difficult, so, so difficult to not hug him back and just forgive him like I wanted.

"I went to church with Jack." I whispered and stayed still not embracing him. I couldn't give him that satisfaction. Not until I knew the truth.

I saw the confused look he gave Jack and I stepped back. "I'm gonna go for a walk." I said and walked off the bus. I sighed in relief and walked faster. I noticed some wooded areas and walked through the trees running my hand across the bark every once in a while. I was deciding whether or not I wanted to actually hear the truth from Alex. I mean, you don't just wake up and find your boyfriend half naked with another girl and let it go, even if he was drunk.

I guess I could go a couple of more days sitting in my bunk reading books, scrolling through social media and such. I mean, it can't be that bad.

I was scared to go back, I didn't want to go back. I was perfectly ok with the idea of running off and ditching society. I found a little picnic bench and sat down on it peeling off old paint as I thought about things. I hated how much of a grip Alex had on my heart. I knew, I just knew that he would end up cheating. I didn't know why I put so much trust into him in the first place.

"Gwen?" I looked up and saw Vic. I had only ever met Vic once, and that was when Alex punched him in the face for being with Sadie, but otherwise he seemed like a nice dude.

"Oh hi Vic." I greeted and looked down and continued peeling paint. Yes ok I was wallowing in self pity and I shouldn't have been.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he sat down next to me with his elbow on the table.

"Nothing really just thinking." It wasn't a complete lie. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to share my thoughts with a technical stranger so I decided against talking anymore.

"What about you?" I said trying my best to make conversation without an awkward silence.

He shrugged and looked down "same." He seemed sad, and for some reason I felt the need to help him.

"You look kinda down, do you wanna talk about it?" I asked and looked down at my own lap. It wasn't night time, but the large amount of trees blocked out most of the sunlight making it pretty chilly.

"I broke up with Sadie." He said and looked up "man I should've listened to Alex." He said with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes at the mention and picked at my nails.

"What about you?" I wasn't expecting it, and the thought of it made me tear up so I wanted to change the subject.

"Oh nothing." I said and my voice cracked.

"That voice crack doesn't sound like nothing to me." He said and lifted my chin. Tears layered my eyes and I wanted to look away because crying in front of a person you hardly known is just plain embarrassing.

"I think Alex cheated on me." I whispered and started crying more. He had a look of sympathy on his face and pulled me into a hug.

"And I still love him." I whined and cried more into his shirt. He rocked me back and forth slowly and wiped my tears...with his shirt and just comforted me while my heart broke.

"You can stay with us for the last couple days if you'd like." He offered and I looked up "I can't intrude." He laughed and wiped a couple of tears that slipped while I was looking at him.

"Oh please, don't be silly. C'mon, you need serious away time from drama, and the only drama on our bus is fighting over which movie to watch." He said with a laugh. I considered it. And came to a choice of yes. Because although I wanted to leave, I knew I couldn't escape my problems, mostly because their my neighbors and I would be seeing them a lot. And two I can only run from my problems now.

"I guess so." I whispered. He smiled and pulled me up and dragged me through the woods back to the lot where I would be joining them for a couple of days.

"Guys we have a new guest!" Vic said as we walked on. I remembered all of their names, I even remembered Kellin who was sitting on the couch next to Tony who was totally lost in the movie, Mike who had a pout on his face and Jaime, eating food, but I was pretty sure they forgot mine.

"Oh yeah! You're that Gwen girl! Alex's girlfriend." Kellin said as he stood up. I teared up at the mention of being his girlfriend and looked down.

"Oh shit I didn't mean to make her cry! I'm sorry!" He said and hugged me

"By the way you smell good." He said as he pulled away. I heard knocking on the bus the next to ours and looked out the window. I recognized the bus as Of Mice & Men's and Alex standing outside of it flailing his arms. I saw the ginger shake his head and Alex walk away towards our bus.

I ran and Vic gave me a weird look. I put a finger to my lips and he nodded and there was a knock at the door.

"Hey man what's up?" I heard Vic greet.

"Have you seen Gwen? I need to talk to her!" He exclaimed.

"Nah man." Vic lied through his teeth. I was standing behind the door in the back lounge with my ear against the door.

"I smell her fucking perfume you liar." I heard foot steps coming closer to the back lounge and I locked the door. The knob jiggled and I stayed painfully still.

"Gwen please I just want to talk." He said. He sounded stressed. Sad even and I was trying my hardest to resist opening the door while he pleaded for me to open it.

"I can explain Gwen please open the," I unlocked it and swung it open and looked him in front of me. I hated that I gave in.

"Door." He finished. He stayed still until he asked that one question that made me want to cry "Can we talk?"