Lived A Lie | Closed.

Ally shivered as she hurried down the road, wrapping her jacket tighter around her small frame. She was on the way to their local pub to meet up with her brother and his friends. She hadn't seen Max for years - they started touring when she was still in school, and then she moved away for university and as soon as she graduated, she was offered a job in California, and left immediately. But for the first time in years, both her and Max were at home at the same time, and it happened to be for Christmas. Their parents were ecstatic about it, and it made Ally feel kind of bad for being gone for so many years without returning the see them.

---

Matt was already on his second pint, the same with the rest of the guys. They'd been in there for about an hour, talking about the next tour they had coming up - but it wasn't for a few months yet. They were all going to be home for Christmas and New Year which he was relieved about. The guys met up a lot of the time while they were at home, even though they're together 24/7 on tour anyway. As much as he enjoyed being back home - it did bring back a lot of memories and not all of them were good. He tried to keep them off his mind as much as possible though.

Josh took downed some of his pint and let a soft sigh escape his lips. He took and noticed Matt downing his faster than anyone. Knowing it must had been hard for him being back here. Especially since the last Christmas everyone in their small group was home was when Matt and Emilia had gotten into a huge fight and she'd left. He frowned and continued downing his pint and sighing in relief a little.

---

Emilia took and walked through the streets smiling to herself. She couldn't believe how much it'd changed since she'd left. It'd been so long since she'd been home. She frowned a little and looked around and headed to the pub where Ally had told her to meet her at. She kept her purse tugged up onto her shoulder walking. She'd been in New York working at a high end hospital. She saw the pub come into view waiting on on Ally.

Ally walked a little faster, desperate to get out of the cold but also really excited to see Emilia. She hadn't seen her for almost a year. She'd flown out to New York when her friend first did, to help her settle in but they'd both been so busy with their careers that they hadn't seen each other since. When she spotted her friend, her eyes lit up and she ran over to her, pulling her into a hug. "I've missed you so much!" She exclaimed, still holding onto her. She pulled back after a few moments, looking at her with a grin. "How does it feel to be back home?" She asked, all excited.

---

Matt took another long drink of his beer, huffing out a little laugh at a joke that Max had made. He finished off his drink before standing and stretching his arms over his head, letting out a yawn. "Who wants more drinks?" He asked, nodding when Max, Dan and Chris said they wanted another beer. He looked at Joshua, waiting for the guy to give him an answer.

Emilia smiled at her best friend and grinned, "Very good." She replied softly pulling her coat closer to her. "I swear I thought winter was hard in New York but I forgot about how it was here." Emilia laughed softly and smiled at her. "My mother hasn't told Dan I am home either. My big brother is going to be happy, I hope." Emilia laughed and smiled at Ally. "Ready to go inside?" Emilia asked her.

---

"You know it." Josh laughed at Matt and got up to go help him out. "So what are you doing for Christmas? I mean you'er still welcomed at my place." He told Matt and gave him a light smile. He walked with Matt to get the drinks for the group.

[[Hope it's ok Emilia is Dan's sister?]]

[ Of course! ]

"He's going to be so excited!" Ally grinned, definitely ready to go and see her brother. She'd only gotten off the plane the night before and her brother was at his own place whereas Ally was staying at her parents' house. "Let's go," she said, before rushing off inside. She spotted the group of guys immediately, running straight over to her brother, letting out a little squeal. "Maxxie!" She said, practically throwing herself at him, giving him a huge hug. She hadn't told her brother about Emilia coming back either, they both agreed to keep it a surprise.

---

Matt shrugged a little in reply to Josh, when he asked what he was doing for Christmas. He usually spent it with Emilia, but over Christmas is when they split last year. He ended up selling the apartment they had together since his ex had just taken off without leaving any contact details. He didn't bother getting a new, smaller place since they were on tour a lot so he just stayed with his parents when he was actually back in town. "Thanks, man," he said with a little smile. He looked over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow when he heard a loud squeal, and he let out a little laugh as he watched Alice run at Max. God, he hadn't seen the girl for years. She'd definitely changed a lot - instead of Max's annoying little sister, she was actually kind of hot.

[ Ok]

Emilia watched Ally as she felt her chest tighten. Her heart began aching as she saw Matt get up. She bit her lip and heard Dan clearing his throat, "Em?" He asked her. Emilia nodded her head and heard Dan scream out like a girl. She giggled when he took her into his arms wrapping them around her. She laughed holding to her big brother and smiling ear to ear.

---

Josh turned around seeing Max hugging to what looked to be Alice. A cheeky grin formed into his lip. She sure wasn't that annoying sister anymore. She was fucking hot. Josh cleared his throat sitting down the drinks and saw Dan hugging a girl. He shook his head figuring it might been a hook up. He sat down and grinned at Alice, "Well look who's grown up." He said.

Ally pulled back from her hug with Max, saying hi to the rest of the guys before spotting Josh. A little sheepish smile appeared on her lips because Josh was definitely her little crush when she was growing up. It was nice to see he was still just as good looking. "Hey Joshy," she said with a playful grin before sitting down beside him. She shrugged off her coat because the pub was already warm enough. "Em's here as well," she said, taking a quick glace at Matt, before looking back at Josh.

---

Matt was on his way back to the tables when he heard Dan let out a girlish scream. He raised an eyebrow before looking at who he was hugging and then froze, his heart stopping for a few seconds. Why was Emilia standing in the middle of the pub? Last he heard of her she'd moved State side. He headed back to the tables with the last of the drinks, sitting down and keeping his head down. He couldn't even look at the girl who'd just upped and left him a year ago.

Josh gave her sheepish grin back and smiled at her. He took a sip off his pint ordering up two more since she'd mention about Emilia being here. He knew Matt was going to have a hard time with her being back. Josh grinned at Ally and smiled, "Well. look who's grown up since I last saw her." Josh wiggled his brows at her.

---

Emilia smiled hugging her big brother tightly and pulled back. "When did you get home?" He asked her. "Late last night. Dad wanted me to surprise you this morning." Emilia smiled at him before giving the rest of them smiles. She saw Matt and felt her heart sink into the pits of her stomach. She should've known that'd he be here. But she was hoping in some sens he hadn't.

Ally laughed quietly in reply to Josh, brushing her hair away from her face. "It's been a long time," she said, with a little shrug. "You look different too, Josh," she told him, a little grin on her lips. She couldn't believe how much all the guys had changed. "How's the famous life treating you?" She asked him, glancing over at Em quickly to see how she was handling being about Matt.

---

Matt listened in on his ex's conversation with Matt, looking up at her briefly, his stomach feeling like it was twisting in knots when they made eye contact. She hadn't changed much - she was still gorgeous and he still missed her just as much. He looked away from her after a few moments, taking a another long drink from his beer.

Josh smiled at her nodding his head, "It's been a very long time." He added to her and smiled at her. "Pretty good actually." He replied to her and smiled. "Hate being away from home for so long. But it's part of the job." He told her. "How's life been treating you?" He asked her with a smile.

---

Emilia frowned feeling the knots form into her stomach. She felt like she was going to barf. She sighed and walked with Dan putting a smile on her face to hide behind the pain. "So how's the whole doctoring thing going?" Dan asked her as she gave a light smile to him. "Good. I got a job here for a while anyways." She replied softly to him and glanced at Matt. She knew sooner or later she was going to have to talk to him. Regardless the fight they had the night she left.

Ally nodded, completely understanding what he meant. Sometimes she got really homesick and missed her family, wanting to return back to Surrey. "I'm glad everything is working out for you," she said, being completely honest. Her brother and his friends had worked hard for their success. "It's great actually, I'm living out in California at the moment." She told him, tucking her hair behind her ear.

---

Matt let out a little sigh, picking his jacket up and standing up. He told Max he was going to get some air and hurried outside, not making eye contact with Emilia again. Once he was outside, he leaned back against the wall, letting out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair. He wouldn't be able to stay long - not with her there. He felt guilty about everything that happened but also hurt that she just upped and left after an argument, without trying to fix it.

Josh smiled at her, "Well, that's kind of cool." He told her and admired her. "Ever think of moving back here?" Josh asked her and grinned.

---

Emilia sighed and hugged Dan one more time. She got up and walked outside seeing Matt. She bit down on her lip. "You look really great." She whispered trying to make small talk with him. She felt the knots get worse as she sighed. "I'm so sorry I up and left that night. I should've stayed and tried to work things out but..." Emilia frowned.

Ally nodded in agreement, because hell yeah it was cool. She shrugged her shoulders, picking up her drink and taking a small sip. "Sometimes I do, it can be hard being away from friends and family," she said, and then let out a little laugh. "You know that," she added. "But I don't really have a reason to move back, I've got a job and friends there." She admitted, before taking another sip of her drink.

---

Matt was about to take off and go home but then he saw Emilia walk outside and he bit down on his lower lip, wishing he was anywhere but there. He nodded when she said he looked great, shoving his hands in his jacket pocket. "Yeah, that was a shitty thing to do," Matt said, suddenly pretty angry. She didn't even know the full story about what happened and she had left anyway. "You didn't even let me explain, Em," he sighed.

Josh took and looked at her. "Maybe by the end of this you'll find something to keep you home..." Josh wiggled his brows at her. Josh took and grinned at her. He took and swig off his beer and looked at the doors. Matt and Emilia both had left as he sighed. "Wonder if their ok?" Josh asked.

---

Emilia sighed and looked down feeling guilty as she bot her lip. "I know." Emilia looked up at him. "Matt I am really sorry. I never meant to hurt you. That was last thing I wanted to do. But everything happened so fast that I took and...Freaked out." She frowned knowing it didn't make up for what she'd done.

Ally let out a little laugh in reply to Josh, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe, we'll have to see," she murmured in reply, a playful smirk on her features. The amusement on her face dropped though, when she noticed Matt leave and then Emilia following him. "Hopefully, I think they just need to talk. They never did before she left." She said softly.

---

Matt sighed quietly when Emilia spoke, shaking his head, a little frown on his features. "It was just a picture Em, nothing happened." He said, sounded more defeated than angry. "We had just moved in together, I wouldn't have done anything." He insisted. He didn't tell the girl to go away straight away once she'd sent the picture. He'd replied to her text, but nothing ever went further than that.

Josh nodded his head and looked at Ally. "Since you're in town, you wanna go out tomorrow night? Maybe some ice skating and dinner? Or a movie and dinner? Your choice." Josh smiled at her as he finished his pint off and smiled at her. He was hoping and praying silently that she said yes.

---

Emilia took and looked at him and frowned, "All I can say is that I am sorry I ran." She whispered and hugged to herself from the blistering cold. She looked up at him and frowned seeing his features.

Ally bit down on her lower lip to try and stop herself from grinning when Josh asked her out. She glanced over at her brother, who was giving the pair a funny look after hearing what Josh had said. It was kind of funny how he was still pretty protective even though they'd grown up. "I'd love to," she murmured, looking back at Josh with a smile. "Ice skating sounds good," she nodded. She'd only been once before when she was a kid.

---

Matt nodded, looking down at the floor for a few moments, before looking back at his ex girlfriend. He sighed when he saw how cold she looked, and then opened the door to the pub. "Come on, it's too cold out here." He said quietly, walking inside and holding the door open for her as well.

Josh grinned at her nodding his head. "How about I pick you up around six tomorrow evening then?" Josh smiled at her and admired her. He already had this planned out in his mind. This was going to be the best date he could give to any girl. Especially Ally. Seeing he had crush on her but always pestered her. Now he could finally show her how he felt.

---

Emilia stepped inside and saw Dan eying the two as she took and looked at Matt. She bit down on her lip nervously and shoved her hands into her small sweater jacket. "Do you want to join the guys?" She asked lightly not knowing what to do here. She was lost for her own words right now. Her goal was to get over the past move on with the future and try to make a mends with her ex.

Ally glanced down at her lap, trying to keep the blush from her features. She'd grown up a lot since she last saw him, but christ, he still made her nervous. "Sounds great," she nodded, looking back at him with a soft smile on her features. "Maybe we can meet the others afterwards and go for drinks." She added with a little shrug. She was enjoying hanging out with everyone and it had been so long since they had last done it that she wanted to make it last.

---

Matt nodded, giving his ex a small, tentative smile. "Yeah, let's go," he said, placing a hand on the small of her back, leading her back over to the guys before he sat down at the table. Max looked at him with a raised eyebrow, as if to ask if he was okay, and Matt nodded in reply. "So how long are you back in town?" He asked Emilia, knowing that he couldn't sit there an ignore her all night. He didn't want to anyway. He wanted to find out what she'd done after moving away.