The Rhythm Of Our Broken Hearts

Chapter Eighteen: It's Been Watching You

Chapter Eighteen: It's Been Watching You

"Hey babe, look at this one," Matt said, shifting his laptop so Andy could see the listing.

Andy glanced at the page. It was for a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment in North Hollywood. It wasn't anything impressive, just the basics. Not worth the ridiculous rent listed, and that was before utilities.

" I think between the two of us we could afford that. Plus, it's close to the studio and downtown." The older man seemed quite content with his find. Scrolling through the listing.

"Yeah... but it's so tiny." Andy replied, wrinkling his nose. It wasn't much of an upgrade from Jake's apartment.

"It's just the two of us. We don't need anything that big, not with constantly being on tour." Matt was a little hurt that Andy didn't like it.

He'd shown the singer several different places over the past two days. Andy had rejected every one of them for some reason or another. He always had an excuse. Too small, too run down, bad neighborhood, too expensive. In less than seventy-two hours tour the tour would be over and they would be back in LA.

Matt figured it would take some time touring different places. Signing the lease and moving everything in. But he was hoping to at least have a list of options. Warped was only a little over a month away. He wanted to be moved in by then. Andy didn't seem concerned at all. In fact, it seemed like Andy was purposefully looking for reasons to stall.

"We're not going to be able to get a place that's perfect... at least not with our budget. But if we want to be moved in by the next tour we're going to have to pick somewhere." The older man said, looking at the singer.

Andy had his arms crossed; feet laid up on the hotel bed. He was chewing at his lip ring. A tell-tale sign that something was bothering him.

"Andy, if you're not ready to move in together it's okay... just let me know." Matt sighed, closing his laptop.

The younger man's eyes went wide, "No, no... that's not it at all. It's that... I don't know... I've never picked out an apartment before. I just moved in with Jake... whatever place you pick... it's fine." He stammered, trying to convince himself more than Matt.

Matt gave him a questioning look. Andy had been off the past few days, even during his set he seemed on edge. He'd almost gotten into a fight with some dude in the crowd the previous night. All because he was flipping him off. Andy had almost jumped in after the man as security drug him out.

It wasn't only at shows that he was acting strangely. Ever since they hooked up on the bus, Andy had been rejecting him. Even a simple kiss was met with hesitation. Matt was starting to worry that Andy wasn't only having second thoughts about moving in. But about them in general.

He knew he needed to have a serious talk with him, but he was afraid to. If he didn't like the answer then where did that leave them? His world would be crushed. He wouldn't just lose the man he loved; he'd lose his best friend too. There was no way their friendship would survive that.

"We can just go visit the ones I've found when we're back in Cali. I think once you see them in person you might like them better." The guitarist said.

"Yeah... you're probably right." Andy forced a smile.

The singer's phone buzzed in his pocket with an incoming text. Thankful for the distraction he pulled it out, checking who it was from. It was from Jake; he needed his approval on something for the record. It was the perfect excuse to get away.

He felt like he was about to crawl out of his skin. The shaky sick feeling in his stomach wouldn't go away. It was getting worse as the clock kept ticking. Closer and closer to the point of no return. Till he fell off the edge of the cliff. It wasn't that he didn't love Matt. He did, more than anything. That's what scared him.