waiting for you all night

Eliana had woken up alone and she knew what that meant. She always waited for Ashton to tell her, though, just in case she was wrong. For all she knew, he could have just been out with the guys all night and got talked into crashing at one of their houses. It was wishful thinking, she knew, but it was easier than thinking of the only other possibility, that he cheated again. Of course, they’d made a rule when they first got together, that if one of them cheated, the other got a free pass to cheat as well. It was always Ashton who cheated first, though, and Eliana usually ended up in bed with Luke as revenge. For now, all she could do was wait for Ashton to confirm her suspicions or to put her heart at ease. Sighing, she climbed off the bed to get ready for the day either way.

Michael leaned back on his bed, playing games on his phone while he waited. He knew it was only a matter of time before Cherry made some sort of contact to ask him to meet up with her for revenge sex. He’d seen Calum wander off with some girl the night before when all the guys had been out, having fun, and he was well aware of the arrangement between Calum and Cherry. And, really, he didn’t mind being the one she went to when she wanted to get back at Calum - Hell, he loved it, loved being able to share nights with her, loved enjoying her body, but he was also aware that it was growing to be more than that, for him. He was growing to actually love her, and he knew that wasn’t part of the arrangement, but he didn’t plan to say anything and hurt Calum; he would take what he could get.

Arabella sat with Nicole, listening with amusement as she took in their surroundings. She and her sister had always been close, and she knew that Nicole was one of the few people she could count on for anything. They had others in their lives, good friends like Luke and Michael, but her sister was who she was closest to. “You think the guys will throw a party soon?” she asked with curiosity, arching a brow as she leaned back in her seat, offering a small grin, “I’d love to see Luke and Mikey get shit-faced for once, instead of it always being us.” She laughed with her own words, hyper-aware of the antics she and her sister tended to get into at the guys’ parties, but she shook her head, leaning forward with a smile as she watched her sister. “Anything new going on for you?”

Calum groaned as he woke up, and he realized pretty quickly that it wasn’t his own bed that he was waking up in. It didn’t come as a surprise at all, though; he could vividly remember leaving with a girl who definitely wasn’t Cherry - she hadn’t even been with them - and he could remember what all he had done through the night. But he also knew what that meant. Scrubbing a hand across his face, he climbed off the bed, ignoring the sleeping girl who’d been sharing the bed with him, and he got dressed before heading out to his car. He pulled out his phone in the process, though, and sent Cherry a text. I did it again, babe, I’m sorry. And, he was, he really was; he never intended to cheat on her, but sometimes, he just couldn’t help himself. But, that was why they’d made this rule - and he knew what that meant, too, that she’d be going to Michael again to get back at him. Frowning with the thought, he climbed into his car to drive home to see her.

Celia was so tired of arguing, of listening to Ryan yell at her and demean her, but it got worse on the days that he would hit her. She tried to argue back, tried to get him to see reason, but those times usually ended in violence, and she was finding it harder and harder to argue against him when she didn’t want to get hit again. But, sometimes, she couldn’t stop herself; sometimes, he pushed too many buttons, pushed her too far, and she gave in to her desire to correct him, to yell at him in return, and, as always, each time ended with a new bruise or a busted lip. This was a time that she hadn’t argued back and he’d just stormed out, slamming the door so hard that she was surprised it didn’t bust off the hinges, and Celia could just feel herself crumbling as she sank to the couch to try to calm down.

Louis found himself outside of Ruby’s house, as he usually did when his girlfriend got to be too much - which tended to happen more often than not, so much so that it became miserable for him. But, Ruby was his best friend, and he knew he could rely on her and come to her when things got bad at home. He hated that Ruby had to deal with him so often, hated that he was sure he was a burden to her sometimes, but she was the person he trusted the most, and he was sure she knew that. Approaching the door, he knocked lightly on it before peering around a bit as he waited, frowning to himself. He was sure she would know exactly why he was here the moment she saw him, but he wished things were different, that he could come here to just hang out more often. It never came to that, though, because most days with his girlfriend were rough and it always came to him coming here because of the arguments first, rather than just because he wanted to - although he did want to be here. He wouldn’t come here if he didn’t. He just wished that, for once, that was the sole purpose of his visit.

Luke had grown a habit of waiting for Eliana's texts and calls whenever Ashton fell into bed with another woman - the instances were becoming more frequent recently, and Luke looked forward to each time he saw Eliana's name flash across his screen. Whenever she called for him, Luke was more than happy to oblige, because damn it, Eliana was beautiful and there was nothing more he enjoyed than getting to experience her in ways that should of only been for Ashton. Luke was certain his drummer was an idiot to ever cheat on Eliana, because Luke found it so incredibly easy to fall in love with her. Was it taboo to fall in love with your best friend's girlfriend? Yeah. Was that going to stop Luke from kissing Eliana a little longer, holding her a little tighter and relishing in the way she cried out his name just that little more? No. Biting his lip, Luke looked to his phone hopefully, knowing Ashton went out with Calum last night, knowing that there was a chance he could have Eliana for himself soon.

Cherry read and re-read the text she'd received from Calum, having woken up ages ago to feed Duke, and she exhaled heavily, scrubbing a hand over her face. He'd been doing this for so long that Cherry was certain she should of been used to it by now, but still, it hurt. She wondered what she'd done wrong for Calum to turn to anyone that wasn't her. The only comfort she got through it was that she could turn to the man that was beginning to steal her heart; Michael. Grabbing her phone, Cherry dialled Michael's number, wanting to get out of Calum's house before he returned so he would know that she was wrapped in Michael's sheets, crying out Michael's name instead of his. Holding the phone to her ear, Cherry bit her lip, finding herself excited to speak to Michael, finding herself falling for him each time.

Nicole leaned back to relax with her sister, feeling as though it had been too long since the Evans siblings had time to really gossip. "Oh, my god, I hope so." Nicole grinned to Arabella's question. "Calum always throws the best parties." Nicole grinned though. "Aw, c'mon, Az, we always get the most shitfaced. We could outdrink those boys and they're ashamed to admit it." Nicole poked her tongue out then, but thinking of Luke drunk had Nicole snorting with laughter. "Luke's too innocent, anyway. Ashton is the one to get shit-faced." Nicole pointed out with a cheeky grin. "Anything new?" Nicole raised her eyebrows. "I fucking wish. How about for you, have you heard from Mom and Dad on their cruise yet?"

Ashton had woken up in a different bed to another different woman, and he groaned internally, draping his arm over his eyes to protect himself from the sun that was seeping through the curtains. He would blame the alcohol, but damn it, he knew it was all past that point now that he could blame anything but himself. Carefully getting up to not disturb the woman, Ashton got dressed quietly, grabbing his phone from the nightstand to text Eliana. I'm so sorry, babe. And he was, but at the same time, he wasn't. He knew she would find her revenge with Luke, and he was certain Luke wouldn't mind being called on for some revenge sex, because it had become such a routine by now, the three of them had gotten used to it all by now. Ashton took a sip from the glass of water, pulling a face when he tasted vodka instead, and decided to not leave a note and just leave. Checking his car keys were in his pockets, Ashton left, Eliana not lingering on his mind for too long, and he wondered if perhaps the relationship would end soon. He loved Eliana, of course he did, but was this really fair for any of them? Climbing into his car, Ashton started the ignition and began towards the house he and Eliana shared, wondering if she'd already called Luke.

Harry heard every commotion that happened next door, hear the slaps, the cruel words, the silences that had him debating whether or not he should call the police because Celia's boyfriend had gone too far. This time was one of those times. Ryan had stormed out and Harry decided to do what he'd usually do - bring Celia to safety. Pulling his phone from the pocket of his sweatpants, Harry texted Celia easily, knowing that they could turn to each other when they needed to. So I have The Lion King and wine, are you in? Harry sent the text before standing to his feet to unlock the door, wanting Celia to know that whenever she was within the walls of his apartment, she was safe, protected, always. Scratching his cat, Lily, behind the ears; Harry grabbed two wine glasses and the loveliest red he owned, because Celia deserved only the best - he hoped one day she could see that, and see that Ryan wasn't the one that was good for her. Lily looks forward to her cuddles.

Ruby nursed her cup of tea as she made her way to the front door, certain that it was Louis Tomlinson that had knocked. Rubbing her tired eyes with her free hand, Ruby yawned as she unlocked the door, smiling softly as she pulled it open. "Good morning, Lou." She greeted, voice still heavy with sleep, pyjama shorts and an oversized t-shirt - that was probably Louis' from one of his many stays - still warm from the time spent in bed. "Elle being a bitch again?" Ruby asked with a knowing smile. The woman was a match for the devil himself, always patronising Louis in a way that Ruby couldn't stand. He deserved so much more. "Come on, let's get you a cup of tea and some breakfast. It's bloody freezing and I just woke up and oh, my god, you owe me one." Ruby laughed, clearly joking. "What happened this time, babe?"

Eliana looked at her phone when she got Ashton’s text, a deep frown settling on her features. She wasn’t even surprised at this point, but she was sure that if Ashton was actually sorry, he wouldn’t keep doing this to her. Shaking her head to rid herself of the thoughts, she didn’t bother to respond to Ashton and instead texted Luke. I’m coming over. She sent the text before heading to her car and climbing in, beginning the drive to Luke’s house. She was sure that, when Ashton got home, he’d know where she was, but she didn’t care. At this point, she just wanted to get to Luke’s and take solace in the comfort he brought her in a way she never could with Ashton. With that thought in mind, she got to Luke’s house and parked her car, getting out to go knock on the door.

Michael had been waiting a bit impatiently, though he knew that Cherry would be in contact with him before too long, because he knew Calum had screwed up again and it would only be a matter of time before Cherry found out about it. And, while he hated that Calum hurt Cherry like this, he could admit that he enjoyed being the person she ran to every time Calum pulled this shit. After all, Cherry could have any guy she wanted, but she kept choosing him to get her revenge with, and he couldn’t help but feel pretty damn lucky with that fact. Almost as soon as the thought ran through his mind, he heard his phone ringing and, looking over, he grinned when he saw Cherry’s name flashing across the screen. Reaching for it, he answered it quickly but tried not to seem too eager even though he was. “Cherry, hey,” he greeted.

Arabella offered an amused look and shook her head slightly as she leaned back in her seat. “You’re probably right,” she admitted, laughing to herself, finding the whole thing pretty hilarious, and likely true. Still, she leaned back in her seat, wondering how the boys were doing. They hadn’t seen them in a while, admittedly, but still. “Nothing new on my end, either. I heard from Mom and Dad last week, but I haven’t heard a peep from them since. I guess they must be having fun.”

Calum sighed out when he didn’t get any response from Cherry, but he wasn’t really all that surprised. He was pretty sure it was what he deserved, considering he had cheated on her again. A part of him was disappointed in himself for doing so, but he couldn’t really find the willpower within himself to stop himself from cheating on her. He loved Cherry, of course he did - she was a great person, beautiful and kind, and he knew she deserved better than him, but dammit, there was just something addictive about how forbidden it was to cheat on her and sleep with other women. Shaking his head, he ran a hand through his hair and focused on driving home, wondering if she was still there or if she’d already left for Michael’s. It wouldn’t surprise him if she’d already left, and he honestly couldn’t blame her, though he did wish that she wasn’t hooking up with Michael in the moments where Calum screwed up. But, he couldn’t really complain about it, he was the one who caused all of this, after all.

Celia looked at her phone when she got the text and she wiped her eyes so that she could read the message without it being blurred by her tears. Seeing that it was a text from Harry, though, she sniffled, certain he’d heard everything, and she hoped it hadn’t caused any trouble for him. Still, after she registered the text, she felt her heart lift a bit, and she chewed on her lip. I’ll be there soon. she promised, though a part of her wanted to thank him because she was sure he was inviting her over to cheer her up, but she didn’t want to attract attention to it. Standing, she tried to make herself look presentable before she headed over to Harry’s and knocked on the door gently.

Louis made a face with Ruby’s words, mildly amused. “Isn’t she always a bitch?” he asked easily, unable to help but joke about it, because honestly, his girlfriend tended to be more than he could handle sometimes. And Ruby was often the person he would come to, to complain about her to - it probably wasn’t fair to Ruby, having to listen to him complain about his girlfriend, but she was his best friend and he didn’t know who else to go to to talk to about it all. “She was just complaining about me being busy again, claiming that me being so busy and having no time for her means I don’t love her or some shit like that.” He shook his head slightly, snorting. “At least it means I get to spend some time with my best friend at least.” He offered a small grin but shifted to make his way inside. “That aside, what have I missed? What’s been happening in your life?”

Luke paused as the screen of his phone lightened, and seeing Eliana's name on the screen, he couldn't help but grin, unlocking the device with one quick swipe of the pad of his thumb, and sending back a see you in ten. message, Luke exhaled, unable to stop himself from getting giddy, despite how morally wrong he knew he was for lusting after his best friend's girlfriend, falling in love with her was a whole other level of wrong, but Luke doubted anyone would ever find out - standing to his feet and ushering Petunia into the kitchen, Luke went to the door as he heard a gentle, but determined, knock, pulling it open with ease. "Again?" Luke asked with distaste, allowing Eliana in - because their little arrangement completely depended on when Ashton decided to behave like a pig.

"Hey, Mikey," Cherry greeted easily, trying to hide the hurt in her voice - at least she could admit to herself that each time Calum went home with another woman, Cherry looked forward to going to Michael's; and not for the sex, but for him as a person. He was kind, and funny, a good cook with a great taste in wine... and Cherry could admit that slowly, she was falling for the guitarist. "Calum's been at it again, I'll be over in ten minutes, okay honey?" Cherry asked, grabbing her car keys without a second thought, slipping on her shoes and flicking her hair over her shoulder, because damn it, this would be the highlight of her week. "I'll see you soon." And hanging up, Cherry made her way to her car, having committed the way to Michael's to her memory.

Nicole grinned with her sister's admission. "I know I'm right," she laughed, leaning back in her seat, in sync with her sister without even thinking about it. "I miss those boys." Nicole sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Having fun?" Nicole's face scrunched up in disgust at what the phrase hinted to. "Az, they're way too old to be having any kind of fun, that's gross!" Nicole stuck out her tongue, bursting into laughter a moment later, unable to be that serious around her sister, the person she was most comfortable with. "But hey, I wonder if Calum is still taken..." Nicole hummed out.

Ashton couldn't help the jealousy that coursed through him when he didn't get any response from Eliana, and he knew that she'd probably already crawled into Luke's bed, and damn it, Ashton knew he had no fucking right to be jealous, because he was the one that started all of this by fucking up and sleeping with someone while he went out on a night on the town - but he couldn't stop himself. He loved Eliana, of course, but the taboo behaviour of cheating on your partner was what had reeled Ashton in; the different women, the different ways he could cause them to cry out his name, it was something he didn't want to stop, even if his own jealousy told him to. Not bothering to text Eliana again, Ashton kept his eyes on the road, seeing that his girlfriend's car was missing from its place in the driveway, and with gritted teeth, Ashton wondered what Luke had that he didn't.

Harry, upon hearing the gentle knocks, smiled gently, having lit a candle to keep the comfortable, calm ambience - calm being something Celia must of craved. "Come in, Celia." Harry called, having set out everything they could need, their filled wine glasses, a blanket, Lily curled up on the sofa, purring to herself with content. As the doorknob turned, Harry rushed to the door to pull Celia into his arms, kissing the side of her head and being as gentle as he could, determined to be her safe place. "Hello, you." Harry sighed into her hair. Ryan had never been a forgiving man, but Celia had never done anything wrong. She was a sweet person, kind and beautiful, and yet, Ryan wanted to keep his ego boosted by hitting a woman that would do anything to keep him around. "Get yourself comfortable, my darling. I've sorted everything."

Ruby scoffed as she heard Louis' explanation, shaking her head. "She's bloody nuts, Lou, honestly. You're releasing an album and you fund her new set of nails every week, surely that's enough to keep the she-devil quiet." Ruby frowned, going to put the kettle on as she tied up her hair, turning to look at the tall man as she leaned against the countertop, studying Louis steadily for any marks that Elle might of left. "But you're right, I love having your company here, more for me." Ruby grinned, turning to get two cups as she stifled a yawn, putting two spoonfuls of sugar into Louis' cup, just how he liked it. "But my life has been absolutely boring, my love." Ruby laughed. "You've not missed much." And picking up the cups, Ruby handed Louis his tea with a calm smile.