Heartaches Grow a Little Bit Stronger

What's going on between you and Kyle? My brother signed.

Nothing. I signed back.

Frowning slightly, Tomas looked to continue our conversation, but was forced to stop short when a group of teenage boys dropped by the booth. Glad that they were there to keep my brother from asking questions, I greeted them with a big smile. My smile seemed to give them the courage they needed to step up and strike up a conversation with me.

Happy to get away from my brothers questioning stare, I took a seat on the edge of the table and participated fully in the conversation. A few minutes later, after the boys had shared an entertaining story about their morning journey to Warped Tour, I saw Caleb, Jonathan, Austin, and Kyle picking through the crowd, making their way to the booth.

Smiling at them, I waved at them, causing the guys I had been talking to, to look over their shoulders. Seeing who it was, they exchanged a few incoherent words back and forth between themselves.

Ignoring them, I kept my eyes focused on Kyle, and didn't remove them from him until I felt someone press their lips to my cheek, kissing me softly. Glancing up, I saw a tuff of red hair out of the corner of my eye, and immediately felt my cheeks start to flush.

"Hey," I greeted Caleb quietly, "how'd your set go?"

He nodded his head as he pulled away. "it was good." He said simply as he took a seat beside me.

Seeing that he wasn’t going to say anything else, I turned my attention from him and then jumped slightly when I felt someone kiss the opposite cheek Caleb had kissed. I didn't have to look up to know who those lips belongs to. In the past week that Kyle and I have been messing around together (in the sense of kisses and hugs) I've grown use to his touch. It felt so familiar to me, as if I had been accustomed to his touch for the better part of my life.

Kyle's lips left my cheek, but he didn't automatically back away from me; I prayed that no on saw his hand resting comfortably on my thigh.

"What's this?" Austin asked, "Alyssa's giving away free kisses?"

Kyle squeezed my thigh tightly before he backed away, and laughed quietly as he turned to Austin. "Haven't you heard? Allie J decided to set up a kissing booth so she has some more pocket money."

Austin's eyebrows rose simultaneously, bringing them a considerable amount closer to his hairline. "Oh?" He asked. "Well, since you're feeling generous, maybe I should jump in on the action." He grinned before he leaned over, and placed a rather noisy kiss on my cheek, causing me to giggle quietly as he did so.

"Anybody else wanna get in on this?" I asked when Austin was done. "Jonathan, you want a turn too?" I joked.

Jonathan glanced over at me, and then stuck his tongue out at me before he turned back to the guys I had been talking to earlier, picking back up on their conversation.

"Fine then, jerk." I teased. Although he didn't reply, I saw the upper corner of his mouth raise in a smile.

Sighing softly, I pulled my gaze from Jonathan and turned back to the guys in front of me: Kyle, Caleb, Austin, and Tomas. Austin and my brother were deeply absorbed in a conversation about Lord knows what; they were using Tomas' Blackberry as a form of communication. Meanwhile, Caleb had slipped his hand into mine, which he then placed on his lap, while Kyle sighed impatiently at the sight of it every so often.

Since things between Kyle and I have ... "heated up" ... Caleb and I haven't really talked, or hung out. I didn't know how to tell him that we couldn't mess around any more; I didn't know how to explain that there was someone else. I didn't want to hurt Caleb because he really is a nice guy, but I knew either way that someone's feelings would get hurt.

Shifting slightly beside me, Caleb tugged on my hand lightly before he leaned over, and kissed my cheek again. "You wanna go walk around?" he asked softly as he pulled away.

Aware that Kyle was watching us, I felt my stomach clench into a nervous ball. Not knowing what to say, I forced a smile and shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know, Caleb, I gotta take care of the booth still. I mean, these past few days I've been slacking off, and avoiding my merch girl duties." I said. "I'm a horrible merch girl; I'm trying to be better at it though."

"You're an awesome merch girl though, Alyssa." Austin piped in. "You're not gone as much as you think you are; you must just have so much fun while you're away that it seems like you're gone forever."

"Hmm, maybe." I agreed, a small smile pulling across my lips as I thought about what it was I had done while I was out and away from the booth.

Seeing the smile on my lips, Austin raised an eyebrow in curiosity, a little smile of his own showing. "What are you doing whenever you disappear from the booth?" He asked.

"Nothing that concerns you." I smirked.

Beside me, I felt Kyle shift as he turned his head away from the guys; even out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small smirk on his face as well. Kyle knew perfectly well where I was, and what I did whenever I wasn't at the booth. I was with him, either strolling around the venues, or hiding underneath the shade somewhere, making out.

Its funny to think that just last week it was Caleb I was running off with, not Kyle.

"Ah, Alyssa Jane Parker, you're hiding some sort of secret." Austin teased. "And I intend to figure out what it is."

"Unless you're psychic, Bello, you're never going to find out what it is." I grinned.

Austin laughed loudly in response and signaled to me that he was keeping his eyes on me. "I'm gonna find out sooner or later, Parker." He grinned. "Trust me."

I rolled my eyes, and suppressed a smile before I turned to look at Kyle. Seeing that he was still adverting his gaze to the passing crowd, I leaned over and nudged him slightly, causing him to turn his attention back to me.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Why so quiet over there, Kyle?"

"I don't know," he sighed quietly, "I'm just thinking to myself."

"About?"

He gave me a cute smile, and then leaned over, whispering into my ear, "about how beautiful you are."

As I pulled away, he laughed at the sight of my lightly flushed cheeks before he reached up, and brushed my hair aside, tucking it behind my ear.

"What?" He asked with a small smile. "It's true."

"Shush." Was all I said in response, causing Kyle to laugh quietly to himself before he took my hand in his, placed a soft kiss on the back of it, and then let it rest on my lap before he turned his attention to Jonathan - who had since joined our little group - striking up a conversation with him.

I had planned to lean over, and eavesdrop on their conversation, but at that moment, I felt Caleb tug on my hand once more, reminding me that he and I were still indeed holding hands. Turning to him, I gave him a hesitant smile, which may or may not have been able to pass as a shy one, and then tilted my head to the side a bit, questioning him with my look.

"Come on," he insisted as he stood up. "Let's go for a walk."

I didn't have time to protest as Caleb pulled me to my feet as well, and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, steering me out of the booth. I didn't have time to turn around, and look at Kyle's reaction - if there was any - and before I knew it, Caleb and I were outside the venue, walking along the shaded sidewalk.

Neither of us spoke until we came to a stop in a small park, taking refuge underneath a large, shady maple tree. Caleb removed his arm from my shoulders, sat down, and then tugged on my hand, getting me to sit down beside him. Once I was rested comfortably in front of the tree with my back leaning against the trunk, Caleb snaked an arm around my waist, holding me there beside him.

"So, where have you been, when you're not at the booth?" Caleb asked curiously.

"Wandering around the venues." I said truthfully. "Hanging out with different people." I added, not so truthfully.

"Hmm, it just seems like we haven't hung out for a while." He said softly.

"Yeah." I agreed. "We haven't."

"Have I," Caleb paused, frowning as he thought to himself, "done something to make you mad at me?" He asked hesitantly.

"What? No, of course not." I said. "Why? Does it seem like I've been mad at you?"

"Well, I don't know." He sighed. "It just seems like you've been avoiding me." He muttered.

"Oh ... I'm sorry Caleb." I whispered. "I didn't mean to make you feel like that. And no, I haven't been avoiding you. I've just been ... hanging out with other people lately I guess."

"Oh." He said. "So ... everything's cool between us then?" He asked.

"Yeah," I said, giving him a soft smile, "we're cool."

"Alright," he said, returning a smile. "Cool."

I laughed quietly to myself, and then turning my gaze to the pair of birds that had landed on a nearby bench. With a smile, I listened as they sang their songs to one another, sounding as if they were serenading each other with their cheerful voices. I opened my mouth to point them out to Caleb, but instead I felt myself jump when Caleb placed his lips on the side of my neck, giving me soft, gentle kisses.

"Oh, sorry." There was a sound of a shy smile in Caleb's voice, and I had to fight the urge not to get up and run away from him on the spot. I knew where this was heading, and if I let it continue on in this general direction, things were going to get bad.

"Caleb, I-I." I stuttered idiotically, unable to piece together a proper sentence.

"Hmm?" Caleb mumbled, his lips continuing their way down my neck, and toward my collarbone.

"Caleb, I don't think that we should ... " I trailed off as he pushed my hair aside, and pulled the collar of my t-shirt down slightly, allowing himself a little better access.

I closed my eyes as Caleb stopped his kisses and pulled away from me. Knowing exactly what it was he had seen, I bit my lip, waiting for his reaction. When none came, I opened my eyes slowly and looked up at Caleb only to see the hurt scribbled across his handsome face. He didn't bring his eyes to mine, though; they never left the small hickey Kyle had given me on my collarbone, that had been hidden by my t-shirt.

"Caleb, I - "

"So that's what you meant when you said you were hanging out with different people." He muttered as he lowered his hand, and turned his gaze away from me altogether.

"Caleb, I'm sorry." I whispered. "I didn't know how to tell you."

"So instead you let me kiss you like that, and decided to let me stumble across it on my own?" He retorted angrily, turning his livid stare back to me.

"Caleb, I was trying to stop you." I protested.

"Who's that from?" He demanded to know. "Tell me Alyssa."

"I can't, Caleb." I mumbled.

"Tell me." He repeated.

"Caleb, don't make me do this." I cried quietly. "I ... He ... I can't tell you."

Caleb didn't say anything for a while, but rather stared at me with his brown eyes. For a while, I didn't think he was ever going to say anything, but he surprised me when he let out a sudden laugh of disbelief.

"I know who it is, Alyssa." He muttered. "I saw you and Kyle that day you fought with Tomas. I thought that it was just a one time thing, that he was just comforting you, his best friend who had just gotten into an intense fight with her brother. But then," he paused, shaking his head, "then you started disappearing, and you and I started hanging out less and less ... " he trailed off, muttering a few incoherent words under his breath.

"Caleb," I whispered, "I'm sorry. I was trying to find a way to tell you that there ... was somebody else, but ... I didn't know how. I didn't want to hurt you; I really do like you, but Kyle ... "

"Kyle is engaged." Caleb pointed out.

"Kyle said that he's going to break up with Madison at the end of tour." I whispered. "He said that they're as good as done anyway."

"Alyssa, I would think that a girl like you had a bit more class than that." Caleb mumbled. "All in all, Kyle is still engaged to Madison ... and he will be until he talks to her. You have no right to run around behind Madison's back like that, it's not fair to her, and it's not fair to me."

"Caleb, I'm sorry." I repeated. "I didn't mean for any of this to go this far."

"You didn't mean to make me fall for you?" He asked.

"No, I ... not like that. I just ... " I trailed off, simply at a loss for words.

Caleb climbed to his feet, dusted his pants off, and then held a finger up. "Hold that thought." Was all he said before he turned around, and made his way back to the street, leaving me there to wonder how I was going to straighten out this mess.

-|| Kyle's POV ||-
Laughing at Jonathan's lame joke, I glanced across the way and found Caleb to be making his way back toward the booth. The good mood I was in faded away as I thought about how he left with Alyssa, his arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders as if he had a right to do so. I frowned slightly and then turned back to Jonathan and Austin.

"Kyle, can I talk to you man?" Caleb asked from behind me.

Glancing over my shoulder at him, I knew by the look on his face that he wasn't in any mood to kid around with. "Yeah." I replied. "Sure."

Without another word to anyone else, I stood up and followed Caleb away from the booth, and toward the parking lot. Once we were a ways from the crowd, Caleb stopped and rounded on me, giving me a sour look.

"What the hell gives you the right to go off and cheat on your fiancé with someone like Alyssa?" He asked meanly. "Madison and Alyssa both deserve someone better than that. That's a shitty thing to do to them."

"Alyssa made her own choice too." I mumbled. "I didn't force her to do anything."

"Like hell you didn't." Caleb snapped. "I know Alyssa, and I know that she wouldn't have agreed to anything like that, unless you talked her into it."

"Caleb, I love her." I whispered. "I know it's wrong to run around behind Madison's back, but ... I love Alyssa."

"I can't fucking believe you!" Caleb yelled at me. "That's the most pathetic thing I've ever heard anybody say. If you love Alyssa, then break up with Madison, put that relationship to an end, so you can devote all your time to Alyssa. Don't insist on dragging her though all this drama. She deserves so much better than that, than you." He said.

"I'm going to break up with Madison at the end of tour - "

"Why wait?" Caleb asked angrily. "Why prolong this entire thing?"

"I ... I don't know." I answered truthfully.

Caleb shook his head and then ran a hand across his face. "You're one of my best friends, Kyle but this," he paused, shaking his head again, "this is too much. This stunt is honestly disgusting. Madison doesn't deserve this. And Alyssa doesn't deserve this. She deserves better than a jerk like you."

"And I suppose you think she's better off with you?" I asked angrily. "Ever since the start of tour, you've wanted nothing more than to get into Alyssa's pants."

Caleb looked at me, his mouth hanging slightly open in shock at my remark. "Do you seriously think that?" He asked slowly. "Kyle, I might be young but I'm not stupid. I know an amazing girl when I see one in front of me. Alyssa is amazing. You know that, and I know that. I may have made stupid decisions in my past, but using Alyssa for sex won't ever be one of them. If you're going to point the finger at someone, point it at yourself, Kyle. You're the only one around here that's using her."

When I didn't reply, Caleb continued on.

"For fucks sake, Kyle, you're cheating on your fiancé with her." He pointed out. "Alyssa shouldn't be used for anything like that. If you're going to be with her, then be with her. Get Madison out of the picture."

"I'll talk to her - "

"At the end of tour." Caleb finished for me. Sighing heavily, he gave me a disappointed look and then shook his head. "Tours not over for three more weeks, Kyle." He said. "Are you going to be able to keep Alyssa around for that long?"

Frowning at his question, I diverted my eyes to the ground and avoided an answer. After that Caleb didn't stick around for too long, and the sound of gravel crunching underneath his footsteps indicated that he had left me alone.

Biting my lip, I couldn't help but let my mind linger on his last question. Would I be able to keep Alyssa around for that long? Especially now that Caleb had pointed out he was in fact, more than willing and able to step up and be the boyfriend I couldn't be.