Limelight || A Shourtney Story

.28 simple, really (shayne)

"I need to go," Shayne called out to Damien from the bathroom. After an unthinkable call with Courtney, the only logical explanation was one that he feared.

She was scared. And he had an inkling as to why, but he couldn't jump to conclusions just yet.

"Go where? We're supposed to be at our next interview in, like, an hour," Damien asked. He leaned against the headboard of his bed, eyes lifting up from his phone to watch Shayne scurry across the room.

Haphazard, disorganized hands threw countless toiletries into a bag. He hoped that his subpar packing job would safely take him through customs without any major delays.

At this point, he'd just ditch his luggage if it meant getting to Los Angeles faster.

"Dude?" Damien questioned, rising from his bed. He rubbed his eyes uncertainly as Shayne began to throw random articles of clothing into his carryon.

Worry furrowed Shayne's brow. His heart twinged at the thought of Courtney going through something alone. They were dating... emphasis on the were at the current moment. But hell if Shayne wasn't going to be there for her. To take care of her. To love her more than she could possibly imagine.

"It's Courtney," Shayne continued shuffling through his belongings. "I'm really worried about her."

Immediately, the brunette's brow wrinkled. The air in the room shifted. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," replied Shayne, rather helplessly. His tone remained weak. "She calls me out of nowhere and says she wants to break up with me. Something about not wanting to drag me into something even though I'm supposedly the best thing to happen to her."

His voice cracked, gentle tears welling in his eyes as he collapsed on the edge of his bed. His torso leaned over his knees, elbows precariously resting on his thighs as he buried his face in his hands.

Courtney. All he could do to stop himself from crying was to focus on his determination to get back to her and keep her safe.

Damien shuffled over from his bed. As he sat next to Shayne, he gently squeezed his shoulder for comfort.

"I'm sorry," Damien added, studying the hotel carpet thoughtfully.

"I just - I don't think I can do life without her, you know? It's only been a short time but... I mean, you know how it is for you and Kimmy," Shayne stuttered.

"I know what you mean," Damien nodded. "It's weird because I know for a fact that Court feels that way about you too. Unless..."

Damien's expression darkened to an alarming degree. His hands balled into tight fists. A scowl appeared on his face.

Shayne rarely saw Damien angry. The brunette had a natural disposition for conflict remediation and could get along with just about anyone. The exception would be if an individual severely hurt someone he cared about.

"You don't think..." Shayne raised his worried eyes to meet his friend's. The look he gave was confirmation enough.

Shayne stood up abruptly, continuing to shove his belongings into his suitcase at an alarmingly faster rate. His limbs trembled at the thought of a certain someone getting to her before he could protect her. Whatever the cost, he was willing to pay.

"I'll call Ian on the way. We need to go now," Damien urged.

He too began dropping his clothing into his own suitcase.

***

The pair hailed a ride to Heathrow immediately after vacating their room. As Shayne fumbled with his iPhone to check the departures for the day, Damien rang Kimmy. The line was put on speaker phone so the pair could speak with her.