Disconnected
9
I woke up the next morning to a day off, hearing Cal and Mikey playing video games and yelling at each other from the living room.
I rolled my eyes and grabbed my phone, going downstairs to the living room and laying down on the couch, plopping my head on Cal’s lap.
“Morning, Abs.” Cal muttered, focusing all of his attention on beating Mikey at the game they were playing.
“Morning.” I replied groggily, not fully awake yet.
I closed my eyes, about to go back to sleep, when Luke and Ashton came into the room, talking loudly.
I groaned and opened my eyes, looking at them.
Luke’s eyes met mine for a second and then he looked away looking… angry. I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but before I could ask, Ashton started talking.
“I want to go to the beach!” He announced.
Their house was within walking distance of the beach, but we hadn’t been there since I arrived, so I perked up at the idea.
“Good idea!” I replied, Mikey groaned and I laughed.
“C’mon, Mikey, it’ll be good to get some sun!” Cal urged, turning off the game.
I sighed, not wanting to actually get up. Instead, I stretched my arms up and waited.
Cal laughed.
“Are you serious, Abs?”
I nodded once as everyone started getting up to go get ready.
“Okay, whatever you say, spoiled princess.” Cal joked as I put my arms around his neck and he easily lifted me off the couch, carrying me bridal style towards my bedroom.
He put me down on the bed and I kissed his cheek in thank you before he disappeared to his own room.
I quickly put a bathing suit on and went into the bathroom to get a hair tie for me hair when I saw Luke standing there staring in the mirror, still looking mad.
“You okay, Luke?” I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. He instantly shrugged my hand off and nodded, leaving the room.
I sighed, not knowing what was wrong with him, but not wanting it to spoil my day. The beach was my favorite place and I knew Luke would eventually tell me what was up when he was ready.
I put my hair up and then bounded down the stairs where the boys were waiting for me.
I grinned and looped my arm through Ashton’s, who knew how much I loved the beach. We grew up going to the beach with our family.
I sighed at the memories as we walked down the street toward the beach.
I laid out on the sand between Ash and Luke while Cal and Mikey ran for the water.
I was just getting comfortable when my phone vibrated with a text.
I’m sorry, babe, I still love you. Please call me.
I closed my eyes and let out a frustrated sigh, putting the phone back down.
“You alright, Abby?” Ashton asked from next to me.
I nodded once, not meeting his eyes. I didn’t want him to know what was happening.
I knew he didn’t buy it because he could read me like a book, but he didn’t push the issue.
Just then, Cal and Mikey came running up to us.
“Okay, so we’re going to have to cut our beach adventure short.” Mikey announced.
“What? Why?” Ashton asked, sitting up.
Cal gestured over to where we walked onto the beach, and that’s when I noticed the large group of people congregating there, cameras out, taking pictures.
Ashton cursed under his breath.
“A fan must have seen us and tweeted out our location.” He sighed. “We have to go before it gets even bigger and more out of hand.”
All four of the boys started getting up and getting ready to go, but I was frozen in my spot, staring at the group of fans.
It was a large group, and we would have to walk directly through it to get off the beach. I closed my eyes. Large crowds were not my thing. At all. I couldn’t be in them, I couldn’t deal with them. Just the thought of walking through that group was giving me anxiety, and I was not able to move.
I felt ridiculous, but I couldn’t stop it, my body starting to shake.
“Abby.” Luke crouched down in front of me as the other boys started to walk toward the crowd. “Abby, look at me.”
I couldn’t look at him, I couldn’t. I was so embarrassed as tears started to fall from my eyes.
“Abby, honey, that is the only way off this beach.” Luke sighed. “We need to go now.”
I understood what he was saying. My mind understood, but my body physically could not get up.
I shook my head, trying to make him understand.
“I can’t” I finally stuttered out. I looked over to the ever growing group of people, and I couldn’t see the other boys anymore, my heart tightening.
“Hey, focus on me, Abby.” Luke directed my attention back to his face. “I’m going to pick you up, okay?”
I nodded once, feeling pathetic and Luke scooped me up in his arms.
“It’s all going to be okay, Abby, I’ve got you.” He said quietly. “We won’t stop, we’ll just get out of here, okay?”
I nodded again and buried my face in his chest, inhaling his familiar scent to hopefully help ground me in reality.
As we made our way through the group of screaming fans, I swear I felt him kiss the top of my head.
I rolled my eyes and grabbed my phone, going downstairs to the living room and laying down on the couch, plopping my head on Cal’s lap.
“Morning, Abs.” Cal muttered, focusing all of his attention on beating Mikey at the game they were playing.
“Morning.” I replied groggily, not fully awake yet.
I closed my eyes, about to go back to sleep, when Luke and Ashton came into the room, talking loudly.
I groaned and opened my eyes, looking at them.
Luke’s eyes met mine for a second and then he looked away looking… angry. I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but before I could ask, Ashton started talking.
“I want to go to the beach!” He announced.
Their house was within walking distance of the beach, but we hadn’t been there since I arrived, so I perked up at the idea.
“Good idea!” I replied, Mikey groaned and I laughed.
“C’mon, Mikey, it’ll be good to get some sun!” Cal urged, turning off the game.
I sighed, not wanting to actually get up. Instead, I stretched my arms up and waited.
Cal laughed.
“Are you serious, Abs?”
I nodded once as everyone started getting up to go get ready.
“Okay, whatever you say, spoiled princess.” Cal joked as I put my arms around his neck and he easily lifted me off the couch, carrying me bridal style towards my bedroom.
He put me down on the bed and I kissed his cheek in thank you before he disappeared to his own room.
I quickly put a bathing suit on and went into the bathroom to get a hair tie for me hair when I saw Luke standing there staring in the mirror, still looking mad.
“You okay, Luke?” I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. He instantly shrugged my hand off and nodded, leaving the room.
I sighed, not knowing what was wrong with him, but not wanting it to spoil my day. The beach was my favorite place and I knew Luke would eventually tell me what was up when he was ready.
I put my hair up and then bounded down the stairs where the boys were waiting for me.
I grinned and looped my arm through Ashton’s, who knew how much I loved the beach. We grew up going to the beach with our family.
I sighed at the memories as we walked down the street toward the beach.
I laid out on the sand between Ash and Luke while Cal and Mikey ran for the water.
I was just getting comfortable when my phone vibrated with a text.
I’m sorry, babe, I still love you. Please call me.
I closed my eyes and let out a frustrated sigh, putting the phone back down.
“You alright, Abby?” Ashton asked from next to me.
I nodded once, not meeting his eyes. I didn’t want him to know what was happening.
I knew he didn’t buy it because he could read me like a book, but he didn’t push the issue.
Just then, Cal and Mikey came running up to us.
“Okay, so we’re going to have to cut our beach adventure short.” Mikey announced.
“What? Why?” Ashton asked, sitting up.
Cal gestured over to where we walked onto the beach, and that’s when I noticed the large group of people congregating there, cameras out, taking pictures.
Ashton cursed under his breath.
“A fan must have seen us and tweeted out our location.” He sighed. “We have to go before it gets even bigger and more out of hand.”
All four of the boys started getting up and getting ready to go, but I was frozen in my spot, staring at the group of fans.
It was a large group, and we would have to walk directly through it to get off the beach. I closed my eyes. Large crowds were not my thing. At all. I couldn’t be in them, I couldn’t deal with them. Just the thought of walking through that group was giving me anxiety, and I was not able to move.
I felt ridiculous, but I couldn’t stop it, my body starting to shake.
“Abby.” Luke crouched down in front of me as the other boys started to walk toward the crowd. “Abby, look at me.”
I couldn’t look at him, I couldn’t. I was so embarrassed as tears started to fall from my eyes.
“Abby, honey, that is the only way off this beach.” Luke sighed. “We need to go now.”
I understood what he was saying. My mind understood, but my body physically could not get up.
I shook my head, trying to make him understand.
“I can’t” I finally stuttered out. I looked over to the ever growing group of people, and I couldn’t see the other boys anymore, my heart tightening.
“Hey, focus on me, Abby.” Luke directed my attention back to his face. “I’m going to pick you up, okay?”
I nodded once, feeling pathetic and Luke scooped me up in his arms.
“It’s all going to be okay, Abby, I’ve got you.” He said quietly. “We won’t stop, we’ll just get out of here, okay?”
I nodded again and buried my face in his chest, inhaling his familiar scent to hopefully help ground me in reality.
As we made our way through the group of screaming fans, I swear I felt him kiss the top of my head.