"You couldn't have, you couldn't have

Stuck your tongue down the throat of somebody

Who loves you more

So I will wait for the next time you want me

Like a dog with a bird at your door"

✰

"Do you want me to buy you a desk?"

Arlo furrows her brows, pausing the movement of her mascara wand before it can drag across her eyelashes again. "Why would I need a desk?"

Luke frowns as he looks up at her from his place on the floor. "You're sitting on the floor to do your makeup, baby." He points out, his pointer finger poking her back. "Doesn't that hurt your back?"

"I'm not old." Arlo rolls her eyes playfully, sticking her tongue out at him. "And I like doing my makeup on the floor." She says matter of factly.

Arlo had gotten really good at pretending. She thought she could land an acting role in a shitty indie film with the how good she'd gotten at acting like nothing was wrong. Even now, as she playfully goes back and forth with Luke, she feels like she's not even herself.

They were getting ready in some hotel room right across the street from the nightclub where the album release party would be held. She didn't really know how that was going to work considering none of them were of legal drinking age, but that was the beauty of fame.

Luke had finished getting ready a while ago. He had on a white button-up that made Arlo's mouth run dry and his black skinny jeans, his usually messy hair lightly styled with gel that he ran through the strands.

As soon as Luke was done getting ready he made his way over to where his girl sat on the floor in front of the large floor-length mirror. He grabbed a pillow off of one of the beds and rested his head on it right beside where she sat, watching her intently. Watching her do her makeup was one of his favorite things to do.

In fact, Luke had spent so much time watching her do her makeup over the last few months that he had her routine memorized and could probably copy it perfectly, down to the particular brushes she used for each step.

"Done." Arlo declares, her brown eyes scanning over her reflection in the mirror, her hands quickly ruffling her hair to give it a little volume and complete the look.

Luke sits up, a small yawn leaving his lips. "Lemme see."

Arlo turns to him, allowing him to see her completed makeup as she takes the opportunity to look at his hair. It looked different but in a good way. The blond strands had grown out, brushing the bottom of his neck and it almost looked like the waves were trying to curl up, especially with the help of the gel.

He pulls her eyes away from his hair by leaning in to place a kiss on her newly glossed lips, not at all caring that the color may transfer to his own. "Perfect as always, sweetheart. Seriously, I think we should just stay here." Luke mumbles, looking dazedly down at her. "You can look pretty for me, nobody else. I don't think anyone else deserves to see how fuckin' good you look right now."

Arlo's cheeks flush and she looks away quickly. "Luke." She says his name with conviction, ignoring the smirk that tugs at his face. "You're not skipping your own album release party."

Luke stands from the floor with a groan, holding his hands out to take her with him once he's standing. "You're lucky I like you so much." He says, ignoring how sour the word 'like' tastes on his tongue. "My back fuckin' hurts."

The blond walks over to the bed, flopping down face first with a pronounced groan as he sinks into the mattress. Arlo merely rolls her eyes, watching as Luke peeks one eye open to shoot her a pleading look, pouting his lips. "Arlo, baby-"

"I have to get dressed." Arlo says firmly, already beginning to walk towards the small closet by the door where her dress is hanging. "We're going to be late if I spend an hour massaging your back."

Luke groans loudly, pressing his face into the pillow. He was being utterly needy, maybe even a slight bit juvenile but Arlo would be lying if she said it wasn't charming. Luke was forced to be so serious all the time that she enjoyed it whenever he let himself be a normal teenage boy.

With a sigh, she gives in. Arlo narrows her eyes as her boy smirks as she approaches, clearly happy to have gotten his way. His smirk only deepens as Arlo climbs onto the bed and straddles his waist, her small hands bracing herself on his back.

"Better already." Luke hums, his voice muffled by the blanket. "The stress is rolling off of me in waves."

Arlo bites down on her bottom lip so she doesn't give him the satisfaction of letting a giggle escape. "I bet you are." She says sarcastically, her hands slipping under the fabric of his button-up to begin loosening the tension in his spine.

"Fuuuck." Luke drawls, a sigh leaving him at the feeling of her hands on his skin. The longer he laid on the bed, especially with her presence, the more he wanted to say fuck it and ditch the party.

Arlo has a perfect view of his pretty blond hair as she runs her hands up and down his spine and she pauses her movements to run her hands briefly through the waves. "Your hair is getting long, Lu."

"I know." Luke mumbles. "I have an appointment to get it cut in a few days."

"I've never seen your hair long." Arlo muses, a small smile stretching across her lips as a shiver goes down Luke's spine, goosebumps appearing on his skin.

"Because it gets all curly and I look like I don't shower." Luke hums simply. "I used to straighten my hair when I was younger because I hated the curls so much.

Arlo frowns at this, suddenly wishing more than anything that she knew what his curly hair looked like. "I think curls would look pretty on you." She says, her fingers twisting a wavy section of his hair between them and eliciting a pleased groan from his lips.

"Maybe one day." Luke declares. "I've already lost the lip ring. This might be a new era of my life."

Arlo gulps, her facade faltering and making her glad that Luke can't see her face. Her boy had no idea how different his life would be in only a matter of hours. He was making it so hard to leave him and she knows she has to distance herself before she gives in.

Arlo didn't want to break his heart. She thought she might love him and it hurt her just to think about hurting him. Arlo had been sick to her stomach for days with guilt, so much so that she didn't even have time to feel her own heartbreak, though she assumed that would come when she was alone.

To put it simply, she was a shy, slightly insecure eighteen-year-old girl from a small town. In a matter of months, her boy's name was one of the most well-known in the world. Arlo didn't think she was allowed to stand up to his management- what young girl would after being threatened and having her personality attacked? They told her that she wasn't good enough, that she was too boring and would hurt the band's success.

Arlo's intentions are pure, no matter how much she may hurt him in the end.

As the guilt hits her all at once, Arlo quickly climbs off of Luke and places a kiss on his forehead, just so he doesn't question the movement. She forces a small smile as he whines at the loss of contact. "I'm gonna go get dressed and then we can leave." She calls over her shoulder. "I know how long you take to put your shoes on."

Luke laughs lightly, simply enjoying the fact that she knew him so well. No one had ever bothered to pick up on his mannerisms, not even his annoying ones. "The laces are always too tight." Luke calls after her, watching as his girl grabs her dress from the closet before disappearing to the bathroom.

He was practically being eaten alive with curiosity, for his girl hadn't let him see the dress she'd picked out. Luke assumed he was going to have a field day sitting in the dressing room, but she didn't even show him the options. Instead, the boy was forced to pass the time trying to imagine what the dress might look like.

Luke does as she said, slipping on his tattered converse even though they didn't match his outfit in the slightest. If he was going to be forced to wear a button-up, he might as well be able to wear his favorite pair of shoes.

He leaves them untied. They didn't feel the same when he tied them himself and they always came undone. Plus, when Arlo tied his shoes in the unique way she did, it felt like he was carrying a piece of her around with him. Just as he did when he was on stage with her scribbled drawing printed on his guitar pics.

Luke was excited to show her the album cover which would be unveiled at the party tonight. They got a huge say in the design of it so of course, he included a little piece of them in it. The 'o' in the word 'sounds' had her drawing in the middle of it- the two pieces of a broken heart safety-pinned together.

While she gets dressed, Luke rolls off of the bed and makes his way over to his suitcase. I'm going to tell her tonight. He promises himself over and over to steadily build his courage as he grabs two things from his suitcase.

Quickly, his beloved moleskin notebook and the poetry book he finished annotating in London are slipped into her suitcase. He didn't care that he was saying goodbye to the notebook he'd had for nearly a year, for the words inside were more for her anyway.

Arlo stares at herself in the brightly lit hotel bathroom, knowing for a fact she wouldn't be coming back to the room to spend the night like Luke thought. She feels almost claustrophobic in the tight black mini dress on her body, her arms braced on the counter as she focuses on her breathing.

Just get it over with. She scolds herself, plastering a fake smile on her face as she promptly turns on her heel and heads for the door. She just needed to get out of their hotel room- the club lighting would be dark and the music would be loud enough for her to hide behind.

Arlo wishes she could feel as giddy as Luke looks when he sees her. The way his blue eyes widen and his pretty lips part as he stands immediately, making his way over is enough to make her want to throw up.

Luke whispers a million different compliments in her ear, his hands wandering from her waist to her cheeks, to tangling in her hair. The look in his eyes is far too much and the smile on his face only intensifies her guilt.

Arlo waves him off with a blush, urging him to sit down on the edge of the bed so she can tie his shoes and ensure he doesn't trip over the laces. She forces herself to feel normal for a few more moments as she playfully scolds him for staring at the low-cut top of her dress.

"You're everything I've ever wanted, Lo." Luke confesses, kissing her softly, "I... I just-" He stumbles over his words, his eyes trailing over her figure. "I don't know what I would do without you, you keep me sane."

Another stab to her heart. "I don't deserve you." She mumbles, resting her head in the crook of his neck.

✰

The music inside of the club is so loud that Arlo can feel the vibrations in her feet. She's almost having trouble breathing properly and she doesn't know if it's due to the thick smoke in the air from all of the drugs people are smoking or if it's due to her own anxiety.

Probably a mixture of both.

Luke had been attached to her side all night and if he had to leave to talk to someone from the industry, he made sure one of the other boys were right by her side to take his place. Arlo hadn't had a moment to take a break from pretending all night.

But, the end of the night was nearing and the album had already been unveiled, so she couldn't put the inevitable off any longer.

Luke's touch feels burning as his chest is pressed against her back, his hands clasped in front of them as they rest on her waist. Blond waves brush her skin, tickling her as he places lazy kisses on her neck, swaying them both gently.

It may have been a lapse in judgment, but Arlo is well on her way to being drunk. It started off with a light drink to take off the edge of her nerves and it ended with Ashton convincing her to take shots with him.

Luke was tipsy, but he was the soberest out of their entire group by far. He didn't feel the need to be drunk or high when he was around his girl- he wanted to remember every single moment with her.

Arlo spins around in his grasp, her arms looping around his neck, fingertips playing with the strands of blond hair at the base of his neck. "I'm going to the bathroom."

"Let me walk you." Luke murmurs in response, his lips brushing her cheek.

Arlo swallows thickly, her head spinning as she tries to think of something to convince him otherwise. "It's not that far, I'll be back in a few minutes."

"I don't know half of the people here, baby." Luke says, his eyes darting around the room. "You're drunk and I really don't feel comfortable with you being alone-"

"I'm not drunk." Arlo assures him. She wasn't necessarily lying for she wasn't drunk yet, but she had a feeling if she had even a drop more of alcohol she would be. "I have my phone on me. I'll be fine."

Hesitantly, Luke nods and removes his hands from her waist. He places one last kiss on her lips, shock running through his veins as Arlo kisses him back desperately. Her fingertips thread in his hair and she holds him close.

Luke had no idea that would be their last kiss.

"You okay, Lo?" He pulls back with concern. Luke could have sworn that he felt her hands shaking.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Arlo nods, biting down harshly on her bottom lip.

Luke nods, though there's skepticism shining in his blue eyes. "Okay, baby." He hums, having to lean down to speak in her ear to be heard over the club music. "I'll be at the bar with the boys. If you're not back in five, I'm coming to look for you."

Arlo forces a smile, her eyes lingering on him as she takes in the look on his face when he doesn't hate her. The next time he looked at her his expression would most likely be filled with disgust. Before she can change her mind, she quickly disappears into the crowd of the club.

As soon as she's out of Luke's sight, her eyes search the crowd. She was looking for someone specific and it doesn't take long to find them. A guy looking to be just a few years older than her sitting by himself with a beer in his hand.

Arlo looks around to make sure no one she knows is watching as she approaches him. Her hands shake with nerves and a sick feeling is planted in her stomach. But, she manages to smile. "Hi."

The guy with the beer raises his brow in surprise, his eyes quickly scanning over the girl. Her dress looked expensive and there were fading marks on her neck and chest. "Hey." He eventually responds.

"I hate to ask... but can you do me a favor?" Arlo's voice wavers, her resolve quickly crumbling. She had to do this and fast. Luke would be looking for her in five minutes, after all. "I'm Arlo, by the way."

As the girl extends out her hand, the guy takes it with a smile on his face. She was pretty and she seemed different than the rest of the girls crowding the party. He was no stranger to parties for celebrities, especially musicians. "Beckham." He introduces. "But, I guess Beck is easier."

"Beck." Arlo echoes, glancing nervously over her shoulder.

His brows furrow in concern and he follows her eyes. "Are you trying to get away from someone?" Beck asks. "You look like you're being followed or something."

"No." Arlo shakes her head instantly, fiddling with her fingers nervously as she takes a deep breath. "My ex won't leave me alone... he can't accept that things are over. I really hate to do this but could you-"

"Make him jealous?" Beck asks, the ghost of a smirk tugging at his lips. He was going through a breakup himself and making some prick jealous sounded better than continuing to wallow in the corner by himself. "Sure."

"Okay." Arlo exhales, her hands shaking as she nods her head towards the bathroom. "Thank you for doing this."

As Beck follows her to the club bathroom, he notices how the girl is practically trembling. He waits until they're secluded in the bathroom, the music no longer drowning out their words. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah." Arlo nods, wringing her hands together. "I just don't really know what I'm doing. I'm not experienced in the whole making your ex jealous thing." She tries to laugh, but she fails miserably. Her heart is pounding far too hard for the sound to come out.

"Just follow my lead." Beck reassures her. "I'm assuming he's gonna walk in here any minute?" Carefully, he holds out his hands to her to show he means no harm before carefully backing her up again the wall of the bathroom.

Arlo nods, her chest heaving. It feels so incredibly wrong to have Beck this close, no matter how nice he was. His cologne didn't smell like Luke's and his green eyes are nowhere near as entrancing. He guides her hands to loop around his neck.

"I know you're nervous, but you're going to have to meet me halfway." Beck tries to give her a comforting smile. "I don't want it to look like I'm taking advantage of you."

Arlo leans forward until their lips are barely inches apart and his hand finds her thigh, hiking it up until her black heel is dangling delicately from his waist. Beck angles his head away from the door so that anyone on the outside would think that they're kissing.

"You okay still?" Beck asks, his own chest beginning to heave, though he doesn't know why. He figures that's bound to happen when in the presence of a pretty girl.

Just as Arlo opens her mouth to respond, the door swings open and an eerily familiar voice echoes tauntingly through the bathroom in a way that she knows will haunt her nightmares. "Arlo, baby, it's been five-"

Luke's voice dies in his throat as he takes in the sight in front of him. Arlo, his Lo, pressed up against the wall of the club bathroom with some older guy in between her legs, making his way under her dress- the dress he bought for her.