Disconnected
8
“Luke, stop!” I called after Luke as he walked outside to the front of the building. I had to walk double time just to keep up with his long legs. Finally I caught up and stopped him from moving, grabbing his arm.
He spun around, one hand clutching his phone tightly, and the other arm vibrating from anger. I shook my head, gently reaching over to pull his phone out of his hand. I put it in my pocket. I didn’t want to read whatever made him mad, I just wanted to protect it from his angry grip. No need for us to ruin two phones in the course of two days.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked quietly, hand still firmly gripped on his arm.
Luke ran a shaky hand through his hair and I waited patiently for him to talk.
He took a deep breath and grabbed the hand that was holding his arm, moving it to hold his hand, lacing my fingers through his.
“Your ex boyfriend went on a little twitter rampage this morning.” I winced, and he continued. “He called you a slut, Abby. He… he said all these nasty things and that girl he’s with got in on it and they brought me into it too and that’s not even important it’s just… it’s not fair to you. You don’t deserve any of this and I don’t know how to make it stop.”
“Hey, hey.” I muttered, wrapping my arms instinctively around his torso to try to stop his body from shaking. “There’s nothing you can do, Luke. I really appreciate that you care so much to even try, but listen. We just have to ride this out. Yeah, I’m upset too, but there’s nothing I can do if he’s being a dick.”
Luke’s arms finally went around me and I squeezed him tightly to my body, anything to calm him down.
“It’s just not fair that you’re taking this so well and you’re always so positive about everything and you deserve so much better than this and I just…”
“Luke, it’s okay. It’s all going to be okay. I’m positive because life’s too short to be negative about things, okay? Focus on me, look at me, and breathe. It’s all going to be fine.”
I don’t know how long we stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, until his ragged breathing evened out, and there was a coughing from behind us.
I whipped around, and Ashton was standing there.
“You saw twitter, didn’t you?” He asked.
Wordlessly, Luke and I nodded, and I ran a thumb over his hand to keep him calm.
“Well, I have two good things to say.” Ashton announced.
I motioned for him to continue.
“The fans found out what they were saying about you because they were involving Luke.” I felt Luke growl from beside me and I wrapped an arm around his middle.
“How is that good, Ash?” He snapped.
“Because they rallied behind the two of you.” I felt my lip curling up into a smile. “They really told him who’s boss, and not to mess with either of you, because a lot of people have your backs.”
I could feel Luke relax under my arm.
“Also, I got you something, Abs.” He then pulled a brand new iphone out of his pocket, a purple case on the outside. “Luke told me you broke yours, and you can’t be without a phone.” I grinned at my cousin and reached out to take the phone. “This is like a peace offering. I’m honestly really sorry for this morning, Abby. I didn’t know what had happened, and I acted like a jerk.”
I rolled my eyes and detached my arm from Luke, pulling Ashton into a hug.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re good.” I told him. “Thank you for the phone.”
We pulled apart and Ashton grinned.
“So, did you meet our surprise guest?”
I nodded vigorously.
“Like, holy shit, Alex Gaskarth is in there. Let’s go write.” I demanded, linking my arm through both Luke and Ashton’s as we walked back inside.
As we sat down to write some songs, I couldn’t help but send a quick tweet.
Never going to let negative comments break my spirit. Thank you to everyone who has had my back today. You’re all superstars. xo.
He spun around, one hand clutching his phone tightly, and the other arm vibrating from anger. I shook my head, gently reaching over to pull his phone out of his hand. I put it in my pocket. I didn’t want to read whatever made him mad, I just wanted to protect it from his angry grip. No need for us to ruin two phones in the course of two days.
“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked quietly, hand still firmly gripped on his arm.
Luke ran a shaky hand through his hair and I waited patiently for him to talk.
He took a deep breath and grabbed the hand that was holding his arm, moving it to hold his hand, lacing my fingers through his.
“Your ex boyfriend went on a little twitter rampage this morning.” I winced, and he continued. “He called you a slut, Abby. He… he said all these nasty things and that girl he’s with got in on it and they brought me into it too and that’s not even important it’s just… it’s not fair to you. You don’t deserve any of this and I don’t know how to make it stop.”
“Hey, hey.” I muttered, wrapping my arms instinctively around his torso to try to stop his body from shaking. “There’s nothing you can do, Luke. I really appreciate that you care so much to even try, but listen. We just have to ride this out. Yeah, I’m upset too, but there’s nothing I can do if he’s being a dick.”
Luke’s arms finally went around me and I squeezed him tightly to my body, anything to calm him down.
“It’s just not fair that you’re taking this so well and you’re always so positive about everything and you deserve so much better than this and I just…”
“Luke, it’s okay. It’s all going to be okay. I’m positive because life’s too short to be negative about things, okay? Focus on me, look at me, and breathe. It’s all going to be fine.”
I don’t know how long we stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, until his ragged breathing evened out, and there was a coughing from behind us.
I whipped around, and Ashton was standing there.
“You saw twitter, didn’t you?” He asked.
Wordlessly, Luke and I nodded, and I ran a thumb over his hand to keep him calm.
“Well, I have two good things to say.” Ashton announced.
I motioned for him to continue.
“The fans found out what they were saying about you because they were involving Luke.” I felt Luke growl from beside me and I wrapped an arm around his middle.
“How is that good, Ash?” He snapped.
“Because they rallied behind the two of you.” I felt my lip curling up into a smile. “They really told him who’s boss, and not to mess with either of you, because a lot of people have your backs.”
I could feel Luke relax under my arm.
“Also, I got you something, Abs.” He then pulled a brand new iphone out of his pocket, a purple case on the outside. “Luke told me you broke yours, and you can’t be without a phone.” I grinned at my cousin and reached out to take the phone. “This is like a peace offering. I’m honestly really sorry for this morning, Abby. I didn’t know what had happened, and I acted like a jerk.”
I rolled my eyes and detached my arm from Luke, pulling Ashton into a hug.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re good.” I told him. “Thank you for the phone.”
We pulled apart and Ashton grinned.
“So, did you meet our surprise guest?”
I nodded vigorously.
“Like, holy shit, Alex Gaskarth is in there. Let’s go write.” I demanded, linking my arm through both Luke and Ashton’s as we walked back inside.
As we sat down to write some songs, I couldn’t help but send a quick tweet.
Never going to let negative comments break my spirit. Thank you to everyone who has had my back today. You’re all superstars. xo.