minionOFcowgirl, thankyouthankyouthankyou so much for the banner! It's outrageously gorgeous and I love it.
"Are you going to move back into your apartment?" Ryan asked. Despite the fact he assured me everything was covered, I knew all too well Ryan couldn't keep up with his own bills, much less my own.
"I'm sure they've kicked me out by now," I groaned.
"There's nothing Ryan Ross can't fix," he said triumphantly, pointing to himself with his thumb. I scoffed and finished unloading my small amount of luggage from the bus.
It felt good returning to Vegas; I had missed the considerable amounts of Vitamin D and the crisp, dry air. Most of all I missed the memories I knew would always come back to me here. It washed away the nostalgia that tugged at my heartstrings.
"Ry," I beckoned.
"Mmm?"
"Why...did you bring me with you?" After spending a little over a month on tour with them, it still hadn't occurred to me, and I'd never had the courage to ask before.
He sat down the luggage that he had in his hand to turn his attention to me, his expression blank.
"It isn't obvious?" I shook my head and he continued, "I didn't want you to be out of my life again," he shrugged, as if it were no big deal, and went back to hauling off the luggage in front of him.
I stopped him, hugging him from behind, pressing my face into his back. He turned around in my arms. He stroked the side of my face lightly with his long, calloused fingers and smiled. When I released him, he continued his work, walking off without another word. I stood there, staring after him.
I felt a hand land in the small of my back and I stiffened as Brendon's face popped up beside me.
"There's a party tonight," he said quickly, making the sentence seem to be cut off short. He hesitantly removed his hand and stared at me with an apologetic expression a mouthed a slow "sorry."
"It's fine," I assured him. "What were you saying about the party?" I asked, desperate to have a change of subject.
"Oh, yeah!" He exclaimed, his mood changing at the drop of a hat, visibly displaying his excitement. A ghost of a smile couldn't help but make its way onto my face as I noticed the familiar sparkle in his eyes. I realized how much I missed seeing it.
It's selfish - Still thinking that way. I knew that.
I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind and continued to listen to him.
"Well, it's at The Palms Casino. We rented a little party room, and I was hoping you'd come!"
"Uhm, Bren, well...Yeah, maybe." I tried to smile, but the one thing that was on my mind kept it from being enthusiastic.
Ryan would be at that party.
Ryan would be drinking at that party.
He smiled wildly, clapping his hands together, then walked off, grabbing his suitcases.
I sighed heavily as I walked into the apartment complex, Ryan at my side. I smiled half-heartedly at the elderly woman in front of us. My landlord; My bitter, controlling, forever-frowning landlord.
Gosh, how I hoped she had a grandchild who loved Panic at the Disco.
"H-hi," I stuttered, struggling to build up courageousness.
However, Ryan stepped up beside me, and adding a self-assured "hello" to make up for my failed attempt. He flashed a bright, toothy grin before continuing.
"Due to recent events, that were inevitable, my friend," he gestured to me with one quick flick of his wrist, "hasn't been able to pay her bills. I was wondering if she could redeem her apartment."
He really knew how to kiss ass.
She really knew how to steam-roll right over someone's confidence.
"Your stuff's out back," She said simply in her thick Jersey accent, nodding toward the door behind her. My jaw dropped.
"Outside?!" I yelled, outraged. She nodded once again, and I couldn't help but notice the twitch of her upper lip. I sneered at her before storming out the door.
Sure enough, there sat my small couch, television, mini-fridge, and a couple of other small appliances stacked on top of those.
"Some of your other junk is still up stairs," she said, standing in the doorway. I pushed past her, running to my former apartment. I opened the door and gawked at the mess I saw.
I felt Ryan's arm drape around my waist, but I paid it no mind as I looked to all of the ripped posters still drooping from the walls.
"How?...How could this happen?" I dropped to my knees and put my face in my hands, tears spilling from my eyes.
"Hadley, we'll fix this," Ryan cooed, kneeling down beside of me. He wrapped his arms softly around me for a moment before lifting me up and setting me on my twin-sized bed that had been left in here. I fell limply into his arms and he held me as I cried.
"Had, I promise...We'll fix this."
"Where the hell am I supposed to put all of this?!" I yelled, kicking at my dresser, as I finished gathering all my things together outside.
"My place," Ryan said coolly.
"No."
"Yes."
"No!"
"Why not!?" He threw his arms in the air.
"Because, it would be too much trouble for you."
"I dragged you into all of this."
"You have a point, but I'm still not moving into your apartment. What about Keltie?" I placed my hands on my hips and turned to him. His face went blank for a moment.
"We won't worry about her for now," he replied coldly. "I'll have a truck come by and take it all there.
We have a party to be going to."
As Ryan and I arrived (fashionably late,) an already hammered Brendon came up to us, putting his arm around both of our waists', pulling us toward the bar clumsily.
"Uhm, Bren, I don't think I'm going to be drinking," I said slipping out of his grasp. He only smiled and kept dragging Ryan, who did not object.
My face fell as he kept pulling him into the crowd, until he was out of sight.
I didn't know what to do, what to think, how to act.
He had promised me. He had promised me so many things...
Right then, I didn't know how to trust him.
I stood there, hoping he'd reappear, and after countless minutes of staring and being pushed around
I conjured up enough courage to walk forward to the bar, fury and rage welling up inside of me.
I was ready to lay the smackdown to his ass.
When I reached it, an irrelevant twinge of fear pulsed through my body.
Or maybe it was happiness.
Ryan wasn't with the drunk Brendon, Spencer, and Jon.
I looked around to see a very sober Ryan, sitting in a couch by himself in the corner of the room.
In that very moment, I knew I loved him. I knew I'd sacrifice everything I had for him.
A familiar ache welled up in my throat, only I knew it wasn't the bad kind I was used to.
I went and sat down next him him and shot him a genuine smile. I touched his hand lightly, because it was the closest I knew I could get to him now.
And it makes me miss him,
and it's a little bit pathetic.
You finally find you and I collide.
This chapter was sorta' kinda' long(er than normal.)
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