Carmen:

"Ok you need to get up now." I whispered into his ear, enjoying the warmth of his breath on my neck.

"I don't want to."

"You said you were going to let me spoil you."

"You already are."

"If you don't get up I'm not going to..." I whispered the last part discreetly in his ear, feeling incredibly daring.

"Ok ok, I'm getting up."

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

"The beach huh?" He leaned his head against the seat, letting his arm dangle out the window.

"You're in California, you have to go to the beach. Fulfill the stereotype."

"I guess so. I'm not wearing the appropriate clothing though." He motioned to his jeans and long sleeved shirt.

"It's fine." I parked the car, shutting off the engine. "Come on!"

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

"This is quite nice actually."

"Thought you were going to hate it?"

"As you can tell from what I wear, I'm more suited in other climates." He bent down and rolled his jeans up to his ankles, pushing the sleeves of his shirt up when he straightened forward.

"I love the beach, but I also love cold weather as well." I slipped my flats off and held them in one hand, slipping my other hand into Van's. The sounds of volleyball game died behind us as we walked forward, the crowd of people thinning out.

"Did I tell you my best mate's coming?"

"Oh yeah?"

"I'd love for you to meet him. He'd like you. As long as he doesn't you know, fall in love with you or something. Then I'd have to fight him a bit."

"Stop." I shoved him lightly, stumbling a bit myself due to being weighted down by the sand.

"Easy there." He laughed, pushing his sunglasses up. Both of his hands wrapped around my waist. "To keep ya steady. Safety reasons." He said somberly.

"Oh yes, of course."

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Three days later:

"Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?"

"No, but thank you."

Bondy groaned into the pillow. "Van you are the cheesiest man alive mate."

"Ay."Van glared and I laughed.

Katherine was practically entwined around Benji, both of them laughing about something. She caught my eye across the room and grinned.

I don't know how I felt about Katherine being with Benji. If they fell out I hoped it wouldn't make things awkward for all of us.

Bob was sitting on one of the easy chairs, fiddling with his phone. From what Van had told me, he and Angie had broken up. But he was talking to some girl he'd met at their last gig, and I hoped he felt better soon.

Van pressed his lips gently against my forehead, checking his phone. "So should we get to the airport now?"

"Yeah I think so, unless you're going to recite a couple of sonnets to Carmen here." Bondy rolled his eyes and straightened up from the couch.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

"Where is he?" Van stood on his tiptoes to see across the crowd of people spilling from the gate. His face lit up and he put his arms up to signal excitedly. "Mate! Larry!"

"Larry!" All the guys quickly covered him up in a group hug. Katherine and I awkwardly waited to the side, until Van broke away to introduce us.

"Larry, this is my girlfriend Carmen."

"Hey Carmen, nice to meet ya." Larry smiled hugely. He was shorter than Van but about my height, and his face just seemed like he always smiled.

"Hi Larry, good to meet you too. This is my friend Katherine." I stepped to the side to let Katherine say hi to Larry.

"Nice to meet you." Was it just me or had his eyes lingered on her? I hope it was just me.

"It's good to be back in the states, and it's good to be with you lads again! Van, your mum told me to bother you for not calling her."

"Ay, everytime I call her she sends me straight to voicemail."

"That's between you both." Larry looked around. "I should probably get my bags."

"That would be smart Larry." Bondy cracked.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Van:

"She's cute." Larry said simply while we were waiting to eat. He said it so only I could hear. I socked him gently in the arm.

"Thanks mate, but she's mine."

"I know I know. What about her friend?"

"Katherine? Ay mate I think she and Benji got something going on." Something about Katherine rubbed me the wrong way, but I held back because she was Carmen's friend, and I guess Benji's girl now.

"Damn."

"I've got loads of news to tell you Larry. Couldn't have come at the best time."

"Tell me then."

"We got signed."

"You got signed."

"We got signed."

"Van bro, that's massive! I knew you'd get it!"

"Thanks, I was wonderin"-

"Your table's ready."

"I'll tell ya later."

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

"Larry I need you to be our manager."

"You're kidding."

"Do I look it?" I rolled my eyes and glanced at him. I'd volunteered to drop him off at the hotel he was staying, even though it was just a couple of streets down from us. "You should've gotten a room where we were."

"It was booked. And besides, is that any way to talk to your manager?"

"You'll do it then?" I got excited.

"Yes!"

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

"We got another call and voicemail from Communion I think. So did Larry agree to be our manager?"

"Yes." I moved out of my jacket.

"I'm glad. I feel like I could trust Larry with pretty much anything. I don't know about my life though." Bob pushed his afro back.

"Are we gonna listen to this message then?" I hovered over the phone, feeling my heart lodge up to my throat. Hopefully they hadn't decided to take back their offer or something.

"Hi! This is Alicia from Communion. We're so glad you'll be working with us, and we'd like to meet with you all next week. We know you're in the states, so we'll fix you up with a flight here. Just need you to call me back and provide an email I could send these tickets too. Thanks!"

"That's fast." Bob stepped towards the couch, letting himself drop on it.

"Yeah." I felt funny in my stomach, this prospect of going from playing gigs at small pubs to getting flight tickets sent to us by our label. Our label. And then I thought about Carmen. "Do you think it'll just be a quick meeting or something?"

"What do you think? I think it's for a right while." Bob flicked the television on.

"Oh."

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

I was happy, don't get me wrong. Ecstatic, on top of the world. But when I thought about what I was leaving behind, who I was leaving behind, I felt something press against my chest.

"Hello?"

"Hey babe."

"Hi." Her voice instantly changed, I'm sure mine did too. It always seemed that way.

"Can I come over?"

"Now?"

"Unless you don't want me to."

"Don't be like that." She laughed, causing my heartbeat to quicken. It's funny how someone's laugh can do that to you. "You can come over whenever you want."

"See you in a bit."

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Carmen:

"Hiya." He was leaning against the doorway, tucking his phone into his jacket.

"Hello. Come in." I stepped to the side to let him through. He brushed past me, taking his jacket off.

"Is your roommate home?"

"No."

"Oh thank god." He turned around and wrapped his hands around my face, pulling me to him. "I just wanna have you to myself for a bit."

His lips pressed against mine roughly.

"At least let me close the door." Came my muffled voice from under his mouth.

"Ay alright." He barely let the door slide closed before grabbing onto me again. I closed my hands around him, sighing as I felt the tenderness of his mouth around mine. "I have to talk to you." He said abruptly, breaking away and leaving me breathless.

"What is it?"

"We're going to London next week."

"Next week." I repeated, then tried to stretch my lips into a smile. "That's great, babe."

"Thank you darling. We just got the call a couple of hours ago. And I don't know how long we'll be gone for, but my god I'm gonna be thinking of you always."

"Me too." I tried to keep my voice from sounding teary, hopefully my eyes weren't wet.

"I'm not leaving today." He reminded me, pressing his hands against my face. His lips looked extra pink and his eyes were practically excruciating to look at. He was handsome, but he was also beautiful. I'd never tell him that in case he took it the wrong way, but he was. And he was mine.

"I'm gonna miss you so much baby." I buried my face into his neck, inhaling deeply.

"Come with me."

I laughed. "I have school. And you'll be busy with the album and whatever else you've got going with the label. But we'll talk, and maybe I can visit for summer break. Do you think you'll be gone until then?"

"When is that?"

"Like in two months."

"Maybe, probably." He looked lost in thought for a bit, then snapped out of his trance and tapped a finger against my lips. "Definitely come to visit me. And I'll come when I have a break."

"So where are you going to stay?"

"We'll rent a flat out or something. I've got some friends in Leeds we could crash with if they let us." He laughed and then pushed his hair back. "I can't lie I'm kind of excited to go back. I haven't seen my family in a while."

"I know. I'm glad you're going to catch up with them." I felt so guilty for wanting to keep him here with me when there was so much more for him to go back to.

"Me too. But I wish you'd be there with me. I'm sure my mum would love ya." He brushed my hair back softly. "We could walk around the cities, go to a couple of pubs, and take a visit to Wales too."

"Don't tempt me, I have school." I groaned.

"I know, and you need to stay in it. So you can graduate and quit that job you hate so much."

"Yes sir."

"You've never called me sir before. It's hot."

"Stop." I laughed, shoving him back and moving towards the couch. He suddenly wrapped around me from behind, burying his face in my neck. "Van!" I jerked quickly, but his hands stayed around me, his light laughter sounding in my ear.

"Can I tell you something? Don't get mad." He spoke softly.

"What is it?"

"I think I love you." His voice got deeper and his breath tickled my ear as he said it.

I think my heart honestly stopped for a second. I thought I'd imagined it, but I knew I didn't because he was smiling at me and his hands were still wrapped around me and there was so much I wanted to say back to him but there was only the concrete reassurance of-

"I think I love you too Van McCann."

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

A week later:

"Are you ready?" I asked Van as I pulled to a stop. Everyone chatted behind us, so we were allowed to speak one on one at the front.

"Yes, although I've never been patient to endure a long flight. I think I get antsy." The van lurched to a stop as I braked. I wasn't used to driving such a large vehicle, but I promised the boys I'd see after what happened to the van. Van had told me to just sell it, but he refused having me wire the money.

"Van, about selling this, are you sure"-

"Yes, I'm sure. Don't send the money or I'll send it right back." He repeated what he'd said the first time too.

"Fine, I'll just get you a gift with it."

He didn't say anything, but I glanced over to see him shaking his head and smiling. "You're impossible."

I smiled as I accelerated, glancing through the signs for the airport. Driving at the airport really made me anxious, but I wasn't going to chicken out on the boys.

"So no time to stop at Hollywood then?" Larry called from the back.

"No Larry." Van said sternly.

"You're such a dad with him." I pulled to a stop.

"Ay he's older than me!"

Katherine had said goodbye the night before cause she hadn't been able to get out of work. She hugged all the guys, and then had disappeared with Benji for a while afterwards. We of course, had instantly began berating them when they'd stepped back out of the bedroom.

I weaved through the lanes at the airport slowly, holding my breath as a car sped past me.

"You alright babe?" Van asked suddenly.

"Yeah, I just haven't driven here in a long time."

I successfully made it into the parking structure and parked the massive van. The guys stepped out and unloaded their stuff from the back.

I swallowed dryly as I walked next to Van towards the airport, scratching my cheek and taking in the crowded gates.

I stayed with them as long as I could. Finally the guard at the gate said that only passengers could come through.

"Great meeting you Carmen. See ya soon."

"You too Larry." I accepted his brief hug, along with the other guys. Van hugged me last and tightly, pressing his lips against every part of my face. I tried to do the same, but we could only do so much.

"I love you. Get back safely. I'll call you." He spoke between kisses.

"I love you. Have a safe flight. Don't get too impatient. I'll talk to you later Van." I pressed my lips against his nose and stepped back, trying not to tear up. It was practically impossible. They began walking back to the gate, and then Van stopped and turned back to me, breaking out into a sprint.

"Wait, I just want to tell you I love you."

"I love you too. Now go on, you're gonna miss your flight."

I watched him go with the guys, until they all disappeared behind the gate.

I'm emo lol.