"Eighteen, failed dream

Attracted to a bad scene

What I wouldn't do to get you out this hole

For tonight I gotta let go

But tonight you gotta let me let go"

✰

Arlo was awoken by a series of taps on her window.

The girl was half asleep, the revenants of her dream still clinging to the front of her mind as her brows scrunched up at the intrusion. The annoying, rhythmic tapping sound had yet to cease and she was beginning to think that it wasn't just a figment of her imagination.

She sits up with a groan, her eyes squinting as she tries to adjust to the pitch-black lighting of her bedroom. Clumsily, she feels around for the lamp on her bedside table until she's able to flip on the switch.

Warm lighting fills the room, aiding in waking the girl out of her sleepy haze as she registers that the taps were coming from her window. Arlo's heart drops. She was home alone after all, what if the cause of the noise was there to cause her harm?

There were no trees by her window that had branches long enough to tap on the glass so, she wasn't sure what else it could be.

Luke Hemmings was really regretting being a nerd growing up. His brothers were always the ones to participate in sports while Luke spent his time curled up in his room with a book or his math homework.

Maybe, if he had invested in playing sports he might have had better luck in his current task.

Luke bends down, scooping another handful of pebbles out of her front garden. If she doesn't come to the window by the time these run out, I'll go home, he promises himself. Luke throws another pebble, a string of curses leaving his lips as it misses her window and bounces off of the gutter of the roof.

Just as he raises his hand to throw another, the light in her room flicks on. He pauses, his heart rising to his throat. Despite the fact that he was literally throwing rocks at her window at midnight of all times, he didn't plan for her actually answering.

Luke wasn't quite sure why he was standing in Arlo Abbott's yard.

In fact, he'd planned on going to Calum's only to pause in the middle of the street between the two houses. His feet carried him to Arlo's side of the street and he didn't dare question it- not tonight at least.

All he knew was that he'd felt like he was suffocating for the entire night and he needed to get out of that damn bookstore before he ended up burning it to the ground.

After he finished writing with the band, Luke went home prepared for a much-needed afternoon nap only to find his father standing at the door. The man lectured Luke on the lack of sales and effort he had been putting into the shop until he was red in the face and Luke, ready to deck him.

That was fine, he'd heard it all before.

But, when his father brought up that the shop's only other employee- "the pretty brunette"- was missing, Luke lost it.

He screamed in his father's face to get the fuck out and to never mention Arlo again. Luke didn't know why he did what he did or why the mere mention of Arlo lit a fire in him, but it did. And he didn't regret it either.

The only thing Luke regretted was that he may have lost the only thing he had left of his grandfather. He'd find out in the coming days if his father was mad enough to sell the shop.

Luke spent hours pacing the shop, anxiety coursing through his veins so severely that he ended up doubled over with his hand clutching his chest. He was exhausted mentally. Not only was he dealing with an onslaught of genuine feelings for a girl that he couldn't explain, but he was also drowning in anger and fear from his father.

He needed a break- an escape of sorts.

Arlo pulls herself out of bed, goosebumps littering her skin as soon as her very warm, very comfortable blanket is thrown off of her. It wouldn't be much use, but the girl decides to grab the can of pepper spray her father insists she have from her nightstand.

Armed with a can of pepper spray and a little bit of fear-based adrenaline pumping through her veins, the girl tiptoes over to the window. The noises had stopped, but she had a feeling the source was still there.

She holds her breath before throwing open her window, her eyes looking frantically around the dark expanse of the night.

"Is that pepper spray?"

A yelp leaves the girl's lips as she jumps back in a startle. Her eyes find no other than Luke Hemmings standing on her lawn armed with a handful of pebbles and that familiar leather notebook.

"Luke?" She gasps, her hand placed over her racing heart. "What are you doing? What time is it?"

"Midnight." Luke shrugs nonchalantly. "Can I come up?"

Arlo's head is spinning as her still lethargic mind tries to process that Luke is standing on her front lawn asking to come up to her room. Oh, God, She groans mentally. Arlo was sure her hair was a mess and she probably even had a string of drool on her chin.

Nevertheless, she wraps her arms around herself to combat the cool air flooding in through the window as she nods. "Yeah, sure. I'll be right down to let you in."

"Am I not climbing up?" Luke asks in confusion.

If Arlo wasn't on the verge of falling asleep standing up she might have laughed. "Why would you do that?" She furrows her brows, leaning her head out of the window to glance at the side of her house. "Is that even possible?"

"I'd figure it out." Luke says simply. "Are your parents not home?"

Arlo shakes her head, her stomach stirring as she realizes that Luke would be in her room with her alone in the middle of the night. "On a business trip." Faintly, she can see a shiver wrack through Luke's body. "I'll be right down." She informs him before closing her window, not wanting to leave him out in the cool air any longer.

The night air was chilly but Luke's hoodie kept him warm. What Arlo didn't know was the chill that ran through his body was because he too, was thinking of the fact that they'd be alone.

They'd been alone before- in the bookstore and in the park. But somehow both of them were thinking the same thing. This felt different already, more daring, more intimate, more nerve-wracking.

Arlo practically sprints down the stairs, not wanting to keep him waiting. She doesn't bother flipping on any of the lights and ends up running into the coffee table in the living room in her rush. She blows out a harsh breath, wincing as she continues on towards the door.

Her hip bone aches from where she'd run into the hard edge of the wood table but she pays the pain no mind as she throws open her front door. Luke stands on her porch, his hands shoved into the pocket of his jacket.

"Hey." Luke smiles softly.

"Hi, Luke." Arlo's voice is breathless as she steps aside, allowing him to come inside. She shuts the door behind him, locking the deadbolt.

"Your parents really leave you here alone?" Luke asks, his voice barely above a whisper despite the fact they're alone. "No security system or nothing?"

Arlo shrugs, gesturing for Luke to follow her through the house. "Yeah, they've been doing it since I was sixteen."

"And you're..." Luke's eyes dart all around the house, finding the layout similar to Calum's. Although her house seemed to be less decorated- less homey.

"I turned eighteen a couple of weeks ago." Arlo explains, beginning to lead them up the stairs. She pauses as soon as her foot hits the first step, turning to Luke. "Do you want anything to drink? Or eat? And we don't have to go to my room if you don't want-"

"I'm fine." Luke swallows thickly. She cared so much about the little things. Luke had never experienced that before. "Your room is fine." She nods, continuing back up the stairs.

"We met a couple of weeks ago." He points out suddenly.

"Yeah." Arlo says in slight surprise, not having realized so much time had passed since she found herself in Hemmings Bookstore for the first time. "When Calum took me to your store I was looking to spend my birthday money. It was a few days beforehand." She explains. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen." Luke responds simply, his heart steadily climbing up his throat as they stop in front of a door. It was obviously her room judging by the warm glow of the lamp pouring out from the crack of the door.

Arlo pushes open the door, and Luke's eyes instantly find her unmade bed, the sheets still wrinkled from where she'd been sleeping. "Shit." He curses, shaking his head "I woke you up- fuck, I wasn't even thinking."

Arlo frowns at his tone, turning to face the boy. "I don't mind." She says honestly.

"You need your sleep." Luke points out, unrelenting. He really, really didn't want to leave, for he'd felt a certain serene feeling wash over him from the second he step foot in her room but if she wanted him gone he would go without a word.

"What about you?" Arlo asks stubbornly.

It's now that Luke registers just how close they are- so close in fact that she has to crane her neck in order to look him in the eye. The warm lighting illuminating the room highlights her features in the softest ways making her skin look smooth and inviting.

Luke takes in her attire for the first time, though as soon as he allows himself the privilege, he wishes he hadn't. Her pajamas consist of a very tiny pair of cotton shorts that hug her thighs in just the right way and a thin cropped tank top. It's obvious that she's not wearing anything underneath that tank top, casing Luke to clench his jaw.

Cut it out. He scolds himself.

Arlo watches his face change, going from neutral to stern in a matter of seconds. She'd also noticed the way his eyes had skimmed very slowly down the length of her body. It made her stomach twist.

As Luke bites his lip harshly, his lip ring glints in the low lighting, drawing her eyes to his lips. He notices. It's almost enough to drive him fucking mad. Slowly, as if not to startle her he begins unzipping the loose jacket he wears.

Arlo swallows thickly, her heartbeat thumping in her ears as she watches Luke's skilled hands work at the zipper of his jacket. His eyes never leave her own as he slides the jacket off his shoulders.

As if the tension in the room wasn't already thick enough, Arlo's knees nearly give out altogether when Luke wordlessly holds his jacket out for her, signaling for her to slide her arms through the sleeves. She obeys- how could she not when he's looking down at her like that?

A gasp catches in her throat as Luke brings his hands in between them, his knuckles brushing the bare strip of her stomach. He fights back a groan as he quickly zips the jacket up, the last of his resolve begging to crack.

He had her alone and the look on her face practically begged him to do something. But he couldn't. Not yet.

"You should get back in bed." Luke mutters lowly, his arms returning to his side. He flexes his jaw, the sight of her standing before him in his jacket, practically shaking from his touch was enough to make him dizzy.

"You just got here." Arlo frowns. She knew she probably sounded juvenile, but her mind was still reeling from the electricity that ran through her body at his touch. She missed that contact already, even if her skin was still buzzing from it.

"Arlo." He narrows his eyes in warning.

A shiver wracks through her body at his tone, causing him to tug the collar of his jacket up on her shoulders. "What?" She pouts.

Luke sucks in a breath, closing his eyes momentarily in a sad attempt to compose himself. "Don't do that."

Arlo tilts her head to the side in confusion, an innocent look in her eyes that causes Luke to subtly flex his hands into a fist. "That." He says pointedly, eyes narrowing on her lips.

"I don't-"

"Arlo." He cuts her off once more. "Do me a favor and get in bed, okay?" Luke swallows thickly, willing to calm his racing heart- and maybe even his dick- down. "Please."

She exhales, her lips pouting out. "Will you stay?"

Luke double-takes, not able to believe the words coming out of the girl's mouth. "What?"

Arlo's cheeks flush and her insecurities sneak in one by one. Are you stupid? Of course he doesn't want to stay. She shakes her head, prepared to walk him down stairs and drown in embarrassment for the rest of her life. "Never mind, you don't have to."

Luke swallows, willing his nerves to dissipate. "What if I want to?"

Arlo's eyes go wide in shock. "You want to stay?"

He nods, not trusting his voice. This girl made him so goddamn nervous- he was so out of his fucking element that he didn't quite know what to do with himself. Never before had Luke Hemmings stood in a girls room with pure intentions- especially not one he was so undeniably attracted to.

"If that's alright."

Arlo allows the ghost of a smile to grace her lips, though she turns her back to him before he can catch it. As she climbs into her bed, sitting crosslegged amongst a mound of blankets, Luke can't help but be rooted in place in shock.

There was something so undeniably mind-fucking about seeing her at an hour like this, in this state with sleep still visible in her eyes. As she sits perched in the middle of her bed with his jacket hanging off of her small frame, Luke finds himself struggling to slow his breathing to a normal pace.

"Are you coming?" Her voice breaks him out of his trance.

Luke nearly chokes on his breath. "You mean...?"

Arlo rolls her eyes, enjoying that for once she seems to be the one making him nervous. "Well, duh. I'm not going to make you stand there."

Luke inhales shakily, slipping off his shoes. God help me. Arlo scoots over as he approaches, patting the space next to her. Carefully and very slowly, Luke lowers himself onto the bed. He clears his throat, dragging the comforter up over her shoulders. "There, go to sleep."

They lay on their sides facing each other, though Luke props himself up on his arm while her head rests on the pillow. The position unintentionally stirs something in Arlo's stomach because even though their bodies weren't close enough to touch, he was hovering over her.

Arlo frowns, noticing how he hadn't tucked himself under the blankets. "Are you not cold? Here." She begins pulling back the blankets only for her moves to be halted by Luke. His hand gently circles her wrist.

"M'fine." He says gruffly. "Go to sleep." He was worried that if he slipped under the blankets and felt the warmth of her body against his own that he might never want to leave.

Arlo closes her eyes for only a moment before they open again. "Luke?"

Luke exhales shakily, doing his best to ignore the stutter in his chest at the sound of his name falling from her lips- when he was in her fucking bed, no less. "Yeah?"

"Why-" Arlo twists her lips to the side like she can't find the right words. "Why did you come here? So late at night, I mean."

Luke's eyes widen slightly, not having expected her question. Hell, he didn't even know the answer. Why was he here? He knew he really fucking liked being around her and that worried him enough in itself.

"I like how you make me feel." Luke blurts before he can process what he's doing. Something about the nature in which her eyes gazed widely up at him made him feel safe- like he could tell her anything.

"You do?"

Luke's brows furrow, not quite understanding why she sounds so shocked. "Is that so hard to believe?" He still wondered what she thought of him. If she knew about his past endeavors, she didn't comment on them and that kept Luke up at night more than he'd like to admit.

"No it's just-" Arlo's eyes fall to her sheets, her fingertip tracing a pattern on the space of blanket between them. "I like how you make me feel too."

Luke's entire being freezes, his heart stuttering in his chest as his eyes go wide. He feels as though a bucket of ice water has just been dumped over his head, though before he can process her words, she's talking again.

"I've never heard you sing." Arlo mumbles, her eyes drooping already. "I think it's my job as a manager to know those things."

Luke narrows his eyes playfully at the girl, biting back a smile. His heart was still racing, but he managed to keep his cocky demeanor. "Is that so, sweetheart?"

The name falling lowly from his lips doesn't fail to send a shiver through her body. "Yup." She pops her lips, her voice drowsy. "In fact, I don't think I can sleep until I know the band is in good hands. Good lead singers are hard to come by, after all."

Luke almost lets a laugh slip past his lips, but bites the noise back in fear of startling the half-asleep girl awake. "I think you're bullshitting me."

"Nu-huh." Arlo says simply, her eyes struggling to stay open. "I take my job very seriously."

Luke shakes his head at the girl, taking his lip ring between his teeth in order to suppress a smile. Fuck, what is she doing to me? He clears his throat. "Okay, but you have to close your eyes."

"Okay." Arlo grins, snapping her eyes shut.

"And if it's shit you can't get mad at me.

Arlo's eyes pop open, her lips parting as an offended look takes over her face. "I would never-"

Before Luke can think about what he's doing, he reaches out, his large hand smoothing over her face. "Shh." He says mockingly, his hand coaxing the girl's eyes shut. "You're breaking the rules already."

Arlo huffs, though she's not annoyed in the slightest. "I'm sleeping." She murmurs, willing her heart rate to return to normal after feeling Luke's skin against her own again.

As much as he enjoys looking at her, Luke feels as though if he had to deal with the irregularly fast rhythm of his heart and sing things might go downhill fast. So, he rolls on his back, folding his arms behind his head as he looks around her room in need of a distraction.

Arlo has a couple of vinyls displayed on her wall that catch his eyes instantly. He recognized almost every one of the bands, luckily enough.

Luke clears his throat, his heartbeat thumping in his chest as he prepares to sing. "Seen you from afar, Wondered who you are..."

Arlo has to fight off a gasp at the sound of his voice. It's low and raspy and due to their proximity he barely sings above a whisper but it's perfect- almost too perfect and she can't even imagine how he must sound when he's performing.

"Wondered what you're like, Think you're just my type"

If that weren't enough, he'd chosen to sing her favorite Cigarettes After Sex song. She wasn't too sure how he managed to make such a good choice, let alone how he'd chosen her favorite song from the band but she certainly wasn't complaining.

"And now I'm dreaming, dreaming, dreaming, dreaming, dreaming of you"

Luke dares to sneak a glance at the girl as he sings, finding her eyes peacefully fluttered shut. The sight of her looking so at peace causes his stomach to twist. More importantly, he couldn't believe he was lucky enough to see- let alone lay next to her at her most vulnerable. She trusted him.

"Want you, yes, I do, Bet you never knew it, Think you'd suit me fine, Want you all the time"