Into Your Arms

"So, Jasey, when do you have to go back?"

I looked over at the muscley boy, sighing sadly. "I have two more days, then I fly back to Chicago for some home games." The three looked down sadly. "When do you guys go to your next city?"

"Same time. So when you leave, we'll be leaving, too." Rian explained, causing everyone to be even sadder. Nobody wanted to think about us parting once again, but we had to face the reality of it. We were to be parted for months after these few days, and possibly won't be able to see each other for a long time.

"Let's not talk about that, okay? We'll save that sad of talking for the last day, yeah?" Jack smiled reassuringly, but the rest of us merely sighed. We couldn't get it off our minds. We were finally back together, and now we have to separate. Why can't it just be like high school back in Maryland? No partings or goodbyes to worry about, and we only bad to worry if we were caught doing something bad.

"So, I hear your season is doing really well this year." Zack said, trying to get the subject of our future departures to the back of our minds.

I smiled at his statement, nodding my head. For some reason, my team is practically unbeatable this year. "Yeah, we're doing great. I wish you could've seen us these last few days. They've been incredible."

"We wish we could've; we really wanted to. But we had shows to play and we couldn't back out of them." Rian said apologetically. I shrugged it off, telling him I understood and not to worry about it.

I looked around the hotel room, taking in it's tan colored walls and floral print furniture. Holiday Inn needs a redecorator. I finally decided to bring up the topic I barely wanted to think about, let alone speak about. "Where's Alex?"

An uncomfortable silence filled the room, and that made me frown. Clearly Alex told them what had happened last night in the kitchen. I sighed a few minutes later, frustrated. "Guys, it had to be said." They merely nodded, and they told me Alex was with Lisa today again. I only nodded once, and Zack changed the subject quickly, thank God.

"So, how's your boyfriend, Jase?" Zack asked, giving me a smile of encouragement. I smiled back gratefully.

"Destery is great actually; thanks for asking." I responded, something clicking in my head. I guess I should call him. "In fact, you just reminded me that I have to call him." I took out my phone, smiling instantly when I felt the soft butterflies return to my stomach. I can't wait to see him when I get home.

"Put it on speaker, Jasey! We want to talk to him!" Rian grinned, and the other two nodded quickly in agreement. Laughing lightly, I nodded. Couldn't hurt.

Destery picked up after the second ring, greeting me with a happy voice. "Hey, baby! What's up?"

"Hey, Desy. I'm just here with my friends. They want to talk to you." I smiled at the three boys around me. Jack had a peculiar look on his face, showing it in his dark brown eyes as well. I raised my eyebrow.

"Oh, okay. Uh, hey, guys." Destery chuckled awkwardly. I knew he was rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

I laughed softly. "Des, these are my best friends. If you don't make a good impression, the relationship is over."

I faintly heard him gulp. "O-Okay."

Grinning, I winked at the boys. "Okay, first up is Rian. He's the drummer of their band. Remember I td you about that? All Time Low?"

"Oh yeah! Hey, Rian." Destery said happily, and that made me smile from ear to ear. Des is always up for making new friends.

"Hey, Destery. You play an instrument?" Rian asked.

"Yeah, man. I play drums actually."

Rian quickly sent me one of his award winning smiles, telling me he approved of my boyfriend. I thanked him silently.

"Kay, Des. This next person is Zack; he plays bass. He's the real muscley one." I continued.

"Right, right. What's up, dude?" Destery said, and I knew he was tense. Not that I didn't think he could defend me, but him going against Zack was a lost cause.

"Hey. Do you lift weights?" I laughed at Zack's question. That's such a Zack question.

"Yeah, every now and then. Benching two ten right now." Des answered. Him and Zack would get along great; they both love the same things.

Zack gave me his smile of approval and I thanked him before looking over at Jack. I sighed, giving Jack a small smile. It was going to be hard trying to impress this boy. "And last we have Jack. He'll be the hardest to impress, Des, so choose your words wisely."

"O-Okay." He stammered, and I blushed, knowing he was so nervous. "H-Hey, Jack."

"Let's cut the formalities. Have you had girlfriends in the past?" Jack asked quickly, and I went wide eyed.

"Jack!" I hissed, smacking his knee. I would be fine with any other type of question, but asking about his personal life was wrong. And especially on the first day talking to him. "You have no right to ask him that!"

Jack gave me a shrug, leaning back in his seat as he waited for my boyfriend to give him an answer, as if what he had just asked was perfectly okay.

"No, Jasey, it's fine." I heard Destery say, and I looked at my phone in shock. He was going to talk about that with Jack? 'Course, he always does have a way of reversing the subject. Jack raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Yeah, I've had girlfriends. Three."

"You a virgin?" I smacked Jack's head hard, shouting out his name. "Jack!" Zack and Rian said in shock. I glared at the black haired boy. Not only does he not have the right to ask him about his personal life, but to ask that was just unacceptable.

Jack yelped, his hands going immediately to the place where I hit him. "Jasey!"

"Don't ask him that! That's way too personal for him to tell you! How could you even think that was acceptable to have that in the first conversation with someone you just met?" I snapped, ignoring his soft cries of pain. "You're lucky I didn't hit harder!" I sighed, running my hand through my hair as I turned to the phone. "Des, you don't have to answer that."

"It's cool, Jase." Destery said smoothly, his voice like honey. I blinked in shock. He wasn't mad? Hell, I would be if someone asked me that. "Jase, Jack and I are gonna talk, okay? He can ask me whatever he wants. Nah, Jack, I'm not. Lost it a year ago to my previous girlfriend."

"Ever cheat on them?" Jack glared at the phone. I could tell he was starting to not like my boyfriend. Why? I don't know.

"Nah, bro. I'm not like that." I could imagine Des shaking his head, his hair swifting back and forth softly; hair that I've run my fingers through so many times. Just the thought of it made my smile like a crazy person. Jack sighed angrily, telling Destery that was all he wanted to ask him, and crossed his arms over his chest.

I clenched my jaw angrily, hoping to at least try to calm down a little. Jack was way out of line. "Destery, I'm going to call you back, okay? I'm gonna go sleep."

Destery said his goodbye and I quickly hung up the phone. I glared fiercely at the boy sitting next to me. He just merely stared ahead of him, glaring at the television. He knew I was about to yell at him.

"Oh no. I sense a fight. Jasey, Jack, we're gonna go out for an hour. We don't wanna come back to fighting." Rian said, standing up with Zack and Matt before they walked out the door.

I sighed, my teeth tugging at my bottom lip as Jack stood up to get something out of the miniature refrigerator. "Jack, you were completely out of line asking him those questions! Seriously, what is your deal with Des? He's really nice and funny and you'd love him you just gave him the chance! What's your deal?"

He merely shrugged, taking a sip of water before sitting down on the couch opposite of me. "Nothing. It's not so much your boyfriend rather than you having a boyfriend."

I huffed, rolling my eyes. "And why is me having a boyfriend such a big problem?"

Again, he merely shrugged, "Nothing. I just figured that since you and Al just broke up-"

"Nearly six months ago." I glared, feeling my stomach drop. Even though it did happen almost six months ago, it's still a very touchy subject. "But so what? I'm not allowed to move on?"

"Well, to be honest, I don't think you should be dating right now. It's way too early and kissing boys isn't going to make you happy."

I pursed my lips, my mind replaying the kiss I ha placed on my best friend's lips the day I left for home. "If I remember correctly, which I am, I kissed you the day I left and you didn't seem to have a problem with it." He jaw clenched instantly and his eyes averted from mine to the floor in a second. I huffed. "Thought so."

I sighed softly, slowly walking over to Jack and sitting next to him. Putting my hand on top of his and pushing my fingers between his own, I felt him give my hand a little squeeze. "Come on, Jacky, what's the real reason you don't like Des?"

A long pause followed, and I wasn't sure if he was going to answer or not. But, finally, he took a long, deep breath and looked over at me. I smiled a small smile. His eyes were still the dark chocolate brown I always got lost in. "It's just...I don't know." He shrugged, looking down at our hands. He switched them so they were normal. His fingers interlocked with mine quickly. "I saw you come home that day Alex and you broke up. I was there. I saw all the...hurt you were going through. Jasey, you looked terrible." He said, shaking his head. I looked down sadly. I felt just as terrible. "You looked like someone told you you sucked at baseball and weren't allowed to play again. It was awful. And...you know what? The day me, you, Rian, and Zack hung out the last day, was amazing. You didn't cry once. And...and I know you don't want to admit it, but it was because of me." He took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "I just...all those times you and Alex fought, I was there for you and you were better."

"This isn't about me having a boyfriend anymore." I whispered inaudibly. I spoke a little louder, "It's about who my boyfriend is." Jack merely nodded, still looking at our hands. I sighed. This had to come up now?

"Jack-"

"Don't." He stood up, taking his hand roughly away from mine and walked to the other side of the room to get to the bedroom. I quickly got up and followed him.

"Jack, come on! Let's talk about this!"

"Oh! Don't say those words!" He said, throwing his hands up in frustration. Those were the dreaded words of relationships.

I groaned. "What do you want me to say, Jack? It's not like there's much else to say. You and I both knew nothing was going to happen."

He turned around, sighing angrily. "But something should have happened, Jasey!" He ran his fingers through his hair. "I thought...when you kissed me the day you left...."

"What could have happened, though, Jack? I was leaving for eight months." I said, taking a step back and running my own fingers through my hair. I let out a sigh. This isn't supposed to be happening. This isn't supposed to be said. Jack isn't supposed to like me still. We're not supposed to have feelings for each other after all these months. Why is this happening now when I have a great boyfriend waiting for me at home?

"Everything. Everything could have happened, Jasey." Jack said, stepping up to me and grabbing my hands softly. His face softened as he saw me giving him a despaired look. This is all so messed up. "You would've done it with Al; why couldn't you have done it with me?"

I looked down at my feet at the sound of his name. It still hurt. I sighed. Because I was completely in love with Alex, not Jack. But, still, I was a little in love with Jack. I would have done anything for Jack. "Because...I don't know. I...I guess it was because I didn't want to take the chance. I had just gotten my heart ripped out the day before by the boy I thought I was going to marry. I couldn't have just gone out with his best friend." I felt a tear roll down my cheek, and Jack untangled one of his hands from mine to softly wipe it away. My voice was hoarse when I spoke next. "Jack...he and I were in love - well, I thought we were."

Jack mumbled something under his breath that I couldn't understand, and let out a long breath through his nose. He ran a free hand delicately through the hair next to my ear, keeping his hand over my ear and rubbing my temple with his thumb softly. The action was very relaxing, and I found myself leaning into his warm hand.

Jack has always had this effect on me. Even when I'm so riled up and want to punch something, he always tends to have a way with making me calm with the simplest of actions. "You loved me, too, remember?" He asked quietly, and I bit my lip.

I merely nodded. There was no denying it. I was a little in love with Jack, too.

"And I loved you back." He continued on softly. "Jasey, I would...never hurt you like he did." I looked up at him, my eyes watery. "Look, I know he's my best friend, but, Jase, he hurt you badly. I saw what he did to you. That wasn't right at all, and I'll probably never forgive him for doing that to you. But, I could be so much better for you than him. I wouldn't ever take advantage of you. If you just give me a chance."

I felt him brush some more hair back, my chin quivering. "But I have a boyfriend-"

"Who's hundreds of miles away-"

"-that I like very much-"

"You're in love with me."

I sniffled softly. I hated how everything was so complicated. This was just like the life back in Maryland. Nothing was ever simple. Someone or something always had to make it difficult. Why couldn't my life ever be simple? Sometimes, I just wish I was a completely normal girl with a regular life. The kind of life where there wasn't any baseball in my future, my parents loved her to death, I hadn't been played by the boy I thought I was going to marry, and I wasn't in love with my best friend. "Jack-"

"Shh." He whispered, and I could feel his hot breath on my lips. Millions of thoughts were zipping through my mind as I felt the small gap between us close, Jack's lips pressing on mine. The kiss, like the first one, was special in its own way. It was filled to the brim with emotion, our lips moving in sync. It's still completely different than when I kissed Alex. My stomach dropped from the thought of my ex. I tried quickly to put him to the back of my mind, but the thought of the two of us when we kissed wouldn't let up. Sure, Jack was an amazing kisser; his lips were soft and quick, showing off love. But Alex's kisses were much different; they were slow and delicate, filled with an emotion disguised beautifully by fake love and passion; enough disguise to make a girl go wild and fall in love. As much as I hated to admit it, something always sparked when I kissed him; and I was sure that was never going to happen with anyone else, even my best friend.

When Jack pulled back a little, he copied his actions from the night we spent on the beach, rubbing his nose softly across my face, giving my lips butterfly kisses every few seconds. It was a cute moment, no doubt about that. And any stranger that passed by would say we were in love.

Looking down at my hands, I sighed heavily. Destery flashed through my mind, and my stomach dropped to the floor. Oh God, now I've cheated on him; he'd never do this to me. Why can't I ever get this right? This definitely didn't help straighten things out. "Jack, I love you. You know that. But," I looked up at him. My chin quivered a little from the heartbroken look on his face. No boy ever wanted to hear that 'But' in the conversation. It always meant one thing. "It's too complicated right now. I'm with Destery, Jack. I like him a lot, and he likes me too. And, yes, I know we love each other, but...," I sighed once more. Now I know why my mother said to stay away from band members are those years. I never should have doubted her. But who knew? Who knew this was all going to happen? "I think I just need to stay away for a little while." I whispered.

Jack raised his bushy eyebrow slightly. "What do you mean 'Stay away'?"

I bit my lip, trying desperately to find a way to explain this to him. "Do you remember the night I moved in with you?"

He nodded, giving me a confused look. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you remember why I couldn't be friends with you?" I asked softly, cringing at the memory. That night had changed everything.

Jack nodded slowly, realization evident in his expression. "Jasey, please don't-"

I shook my head, biting my tongue so I wouldn't cry do hard. A few tears slipped, adding to my already tear streaked cheeks. "I-I never told you why she began to h-hate band members." I wiped my cheeks roughly, looking out the window. It was beginning to thunderstorm. I smiled to myself, memories of two years ago filling my head. "They were older than me. Juniors when I was a freshman, when I was still going to school. I met the lead singer, Damian, when I was at a football game. He was friends with my friend, and she introduced us. And, much like us, we were inseparable." I smiled, Damian's gorgeous face running through my mind. "He was beautiful, to say the least. Blond hair and green eyes. And his personality matched perfectly. He was really amazing.

"Then, he invited me to his house. His friends were there, and he introduced us. We were instant best friends, too. I loved these guys to death. They were all I ever wanted in a friend: they were in a band, funny, great to be around, and they loved me as much as I loved them." I sighed, knowing the worst was yet to come. I haven't told this story in a very long time. "But, with every perfection comes a flaw. And what their flaws were drugs and cigarettes. I didn't care about the smoking part. That didn't bother me because they were eighteen; it was legal. But, the drugs were my problem. Complete addicts they were.

"Damian was the most addicted, though. Sadly, he will never be able to stop unless he lives in the desert for five years. Anyways, Mother found out about their little...flaw. Instantly demanded I give back their friendship. Of course I told her I wasn't; but she wouldn't have it. She wasn't going to have her daughter be friends with 'crack heads'. I fought and fought, but I never won. She demanded I tell them I couldn't be their friend or I wasn't allowed to play baseball anymore. At the time, that was huge to me. So, after a whole lot of thinking, I decided to pick baseball." I played with the string of my hoodie, biting at the plastic tip lightly before speaking.

"Long story short, there were a lot of tears, a lot of screaming, and a lot of drinking alone that night." I sighed, wrapping up the story. I wiped the tear that fell. I really missed Damian and the boys. "My mom never forgot that. And now refuses to let me be friends with any band members. The only reason I'm friends with you is because I moved out." I took a shaky breath. "Every day I wonder what would have happened if I chose Damian instead of baseball...." Well, nothing with Jack and the rest would have happened.I concluded.

Jack stared at me, his jaw clenching tightly. He knew what was coming up. Anyone in their right mind would see what I was about to say.

"J-Jack, m-maybe it's best if I...stay away for a while." I said slowly so my voice wouldn't crack. Maybe mother was right; band members only cause trouble. But how I love the trouble they cause...

"But you will be away! You'll be away for the rest of the season!" Jack pleaded. I bit my lip to keep myself from breaking down. I hated this. Why couldn't my mom just let me be friends with Damian? Everything would be so much simpler.

I shook my head, whispering, "That's not what I mean.... Jack, maybe we all should just...lose contact for a while."

Jack sat back in his seat, shocked. I was shocked myself. Did I really just suggest that all four of us shouldn't talk for a while? These guys were my best friends. His could I possibly go without talking to them for months? 'Course, I did it with Alex, why not them?

I looked at my shaking hands. It felt like I was breaking up with them. In a sense, I was. "Maybe, tomorrow, we'll, uh, just wait until the season's over and your tour is over to start talking a little."

A sound of the door opening caused Jack and I to look over. Rian, Zack, Matt, and even Alex walked through the door. Jack sighed angrily, standing up and walking into the other room. I ran my fingers through my hair sadly. Shit.

"What happened?" I heard Rian ask, softly shutting the door behind him. I hung my head between my knees, my hand rubbing the back of my neck. I let a few years slip, shaking my head.

"Jasey, come on, tell us what's wrong." Zack said softly. "What happened when we were gone?"

I looked up at them, cringing a little. Three faces were staring back at me; three boys I would do anything for. One broke my heart, and the other two were amazing friends. And now I wasn't going to talk to any of them after I left. "Nothing." I said quietly, standing up. I grabbed my phone off the end table, avoiding eye contact. I thought of a quick lie to get myself out of there. "I should go. I'm, uh, I'm tired."

"Bullshit." I heard someone mumble, and I cringed. I knew that voice. It was a voice I melted just at the sound of it.

"Anyways, I'll come over tomorrow. Just call me when you want me over." I mumbled and bolted out of there, choking on a few sobs. Why do I always mess everything