Back at the studio on Monday, there was still definitely tension between Luke and Michael, but I could tell Luke was trying. Luke made it clear to everyone that we were, as George has put it, over our 'petty arguments' by coming straight up to me when I arrived and pulling me into a tight hug as well as giving me a quick kiss. I wasn't really one for PDA but when it came to Luke, well, maybe I was. There were no surprised faces at this gesture, not even a raised eyebrow. I guessed that everyone had realized it was only a matter of time before Luke and I had realized how stupid we were being and actually got together. It was true, we had been stupid, and I wish I'd realized it earlier, because now it felt like we'd wasted a lot of time by being mad at each other. John and Kate had kept looking like they wanted to say something about the tension, but then they clearly decided that it was not worth their time to get involved in whatever was going on. I couldn't blame them.

Meanwhile, I was berating Ashton for not telling me about Bryana. "I can't believe you never told me you had a girlfriend. How did I not know?"

"I knew," Fran said helpfully, but she wasn't really paying attention to us. Calum was teaching her how to play guitar, but she was mostly just watching him.

"How did you know?" I asked. "How did everyone know but me?"

"Well, Noelle, I think you were probably too preoccupied with Luke most of the time– ow!" Ashton complained when Michael pinched him.

"I was not that preoccupied," I muttered, and Luke gave me a sly look.

"You definitely were. I'm very preoccupying."

"Fuck off. So why doesn't she ever come to the studio?" I grumbled.

"She probably doesn't like the rest of us," Michael offered, and Luke nodded in agreement.

"We're very intimidating."

"I was thinking more annoying," Michael said, shooting a small smile at Luke. Ashton and I exchanged looks. That was definitely an improvement.

"Well, tell her to come. Fran and I could definitely use another girl around to balance out the testosterone."

"Agreed," Fran called.

Ashton just rolled his eyes. "Well, at least you two got on well."

"She's so much fun! How did you even get a girl like that?"

Ashton and Luke laughed, and Luke said, "Right? She's completely out of his league."

"Luke and Noelle?" John suddenly appeared, looking at something on his phone. "Got a minute?"

Luke and I glanced at each other but followed John out in to the corridor. His eyebrows were furrowed in a concerned way, and I thought to myself that something had to go wrong just as Luke and I were in a good place.

"So," he started, handing the phone to Luke. "You should take a look at this."

Whatever Luke was reading, it made his expression harden, and he bit on his lip ring tensely.

"Noelle," John said, turning to me. "I'm really hoping you're not using Luke for fame."

"What?" I said in alarm. "Is that–" I took the phone from Luke, my eyes scanning the article in front of me. The headline read, 'Noelle Torres, UCLA Student – Using Boyfriend Luke Hemmings For Fame?' My mouth dropped open as I read through it. It was all just a load of bullshit, but something caught my eye. Most of the article consisted of the author quoting a 'close source to Noelle'.

"What the fuck," was all I said when I finished reading it. I looked up and was glad to see that Luke didn't look like he believed it at all. He just looked a little exasperated, like this was normal to him or something. I turned to John. "You don't believe this, right?"

"I don't," he confirmed, but he still looked worried. "I'm just thinking about who that 'close source' is."

I waved a hand dismissively. "They're making that up."

"They're probably not," John countered. "They're pieces of shit, but I don't think they'd randomly create a story like that out of nothing. They wouldn't get anything out of it. This, people might read and believe, just because the article says it spoke with a close source."

I bit my lip. "Okay, so what do we do?"

"Nothing," Luke suddenly said. He'd obviously been thinking while John and I had been talking. "We're not going to do anything. We're just going to ignore it."

John seemingly ignored Luke. "Any idea who the close source might be?"

"Who cares?" Luke said irritably. "What's the point in trying to find out?"

"Noelle might want to know," John stated.

Luke looked at me. "Do you?"

"Uh..." I pressed my lips together, thinking to myself. Did I want to find out? "I don't know how I'd be able to find out."

"Could be Norman," Luke said abruptly. "He hates me."

John raised an eyebrow. "Norman?"

"My ex," I muttered, not bothering to tell him Nathan's actual name. "I don't know, I can't really see him doing something like that. He's too lazy."

Luke gave a short laugh. "Maybe, but I swear, he's obsessed with you. He could have done it, maybe because he thought it would break us up, or something."

"Well, if it was him, then he thought wrong," I said firmly. "But I've decided I don't particularly care who it was, or why they did it. I just want to forget about it. Making a big deal out of some stupid article isn't going to help anyone."

"Fine," John said, nodding. "Just... be careful." I handed him his phone back and as he was leaving, he said something quietly in Luke's ear. I didn't hear it, but whatever it was, it clearly pissed Luke off. I watched Luke as his eyes followed John back inside, his jaw clenched and a hand clenched into a fist by his side.

"Luke?" I said tentatively. "You okay?"

He glanced back at me as if he'd forgotten I was there. "What? Oh. Yeah, I'm fine." Luke rubbed the back of his neck, sighing heavily before stepping towards me and resting his forehead against mine. "I just really wish we weren't here right now."

"Where would you like to be?" I breathed, my lips so temptingly close to Luke's.

"Right now, I just really want to be in that tiny-ass bed of yours," he mumbled, and I let out a faint laugh.

"That's really where you'd choose to be?"

"Mm." Luke's lips ghosted over mine. "Not on my own, obviously, because that would be kind of weird."

"Jess would definitely be surprised," I murmured, grinning. "Why can't we be in your bed instead? It's so much bigger."

Luke raised an eyebrow at me, a smirk growing on his face. "You want to be in my bed snowflake?"

"Well, yeah– oh." I suddenly realized how that sounded, and I blushed. "That wasn't what I, like, meant. I mean I want to sleep in it. Well, you know, not just, I mean..." I trailed off, aware that I was rambling and just digging myself a deeper hole. I could see Luke grinning slyly at me. "Oh, stop looking at me like that. You know what I meant."

"Sure thing, snowflake." His lips brushed mine ever so lightly. "Whatever you say."

I was really starting to lose my restraint. "You know what? I'm coming over tonight."

"And I thought I was the one with absolutely no self control."

Jesus Christ. "You seriously need to stop with all your... flirting. We're literally right by the studio, and people could walk past, and..." I paused, not sure what I was getting at.

"And?" Luke prompted, mischief in his eyes.

I sighed to myself. "And nothing, really."

"Thank god." Luke finally kissed me, his hands gripping my waist and pressing me against him. Every thought of everyone else in the studio or someone walking past went straight out of my head as everything Luke overpowered me, his scent, his taste, his touch, I just wanted to keep kissing him and never stop.

"Fuck," Luke muttered when we broke apart. "Tonight really seems like a long way away."

"Have a bit of self control, Luke," I said slyly, reaching up and smoothing his t-shirt over his broad shoulders. I ran my fingers through his hair, messing it up slightly. "You'll be able to get rid of the others tonight, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Good." I pressed my lips against his again in a short kiss. "Because we're going to need that whole apartment to ourselves."

Luke groaned slightly. "Sometimes I really, really hate you."

I grinned up at him but we were suddenly interrupted by a loud, "Oh, thank god. You guys made up." We both turned to see Bryana standing there with her hand on her hip. "If you guys hadn't made up I was honestly going to lock you two in a room for a good few hours so that you did."

"Bryana," I said in surprise. "What are you–"

"I would say I came in because Ashton forgot his bandana," she waved up a red bandana in the air, "but then I'd be lying, because really I came in to see if you two were back together."

I started laughing. "Well, either way, it's good to see you."

"Come give me a hug, girl," she said with a smile and I did. She squeezed me tightly. "Honestly, I'm also glad to see you both alive after Saturday night. That was wild. You both just kind of disappeared at one point and then I never saw you again."

"I just went home," I told her. "Then Luke showed up at my dorm after a good few hours of just wandering around."

"Let me guess," Bryana said, turning to Luke. "You were smashed so you went to Noelle and proclaimed your love for her?"

"Pretty much," Luke just said dryly, but he was smiling.

"You are psychic," I concluded. "And I'm glad you're here. You should really come more often."

"I should," she agreed. "I like to think I'm good at breaking up tension, but maybe I just make too many bad jokes."

"There's no tension," I said quickly, and Luke gave a little huff of amusement beside me. "Okay, there's less tension. We're all maturing."

"Speak for yourself," Luke muttered, but there was a teasing tone in his voice.

"Well, either way, I'm here. Oh, and I ordered pizza for us all, which is gonna be here in, like, fifteen minutes," Bryana told us. "Thought we could all do with some unhealthy junk food."

"You're a legend," I stated wisely. "How much was it? I can–"

"Nope. It's on me. Now why don't stop hanging about in this corridor and get inside?" She waved the bandana again. "I do actually have to give this to Ashton."

When the pizza arrived, we all just pretty much stopped working and lay on either the couches or the floor, stuffing our faces. Even John and Kate took a break and joined us, looking more relaxed than usual. Ashton looked so happy to see Bryana, giving her a massive bear hug where she squirmed and pretended she was being suffocated, to which Ashton responded by squeezing her tighter.

By the time we finished eating the pizza it was past six in the evening and everyone was starting to head off. John and Kate left us to our own devices, making us promise we'd clean up after ourselves. Ashton and Bryana left next, telling us they were going out for dinner, Bryana promising that she'd come to the studio more often. Michael left next, saying he was meeting friends, to which Calum replied, "You actually have friends other than us?"

"No. They're imaginary friends," Michael said flatly. Calum merely stuck up a middle finger at him. Michael grinned and nodded at us, leaving the room, which left Calum, Fran, Luke and I.

"We'll probably head off too," Fran said, yawning as she put a pizza box in the bin.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you guys going on a daaaate?"

Calum chucked a cushion at me, ruffling Fran's hair. "Maybe. But we're not making a big deal out of this. Okay?"

"If you say so," I sang, throwing the cushion back. "I know you guys hooked up at the party."

"Wait, what?" Luke suddenly said, obviously completely out of the loop. "You two are, like, a thing?"

"See? I am not that oblivious," I said proudly.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked, his eyes flickering accusatorily between the two of them. "How did I not know?"

"Because it's not like, a thing," Fran said, not even looking embarrassed. If that was me, I would be completely red in the face and stuttering and rambling away. Instead, Fran looked cool and composed. "I don't even like Calum. I'm just using him for his fame. Obviously."

"Me too, apparently," I muttered, but they heard. "Oh, I mean, not using Calum, I mean, using Luke. But I'm not." What the actual fuck was wrong with me? "I'm gonna stop talking."

Luke laughed. "That's probably a good idea. Otherwise I'm going to start thinking Calum's actually the one you want."

I knew I was going red, but I still grinned mischievously. "That's actually true. Calum and I have been secretly seeing each other for weeks. Right, Calum?"

Calum winked at me. "Way to keep the secret, Noelle. Sorry, Luke, I guess I'm just better than you."

"Alright, come on," Fran said, rolling her eyes. She took hold of Calum's hand and started to drag him out of the room. "You guys can compare egos some other time. We've got to go."

"Coming, coming." Just before they left, Calum turned back to us with a smirk. "You guys try not to break anything in the apartment tonight, yeah?"

"Goodbye, Calum," I said loudly, while Luke just laughed. Calum grinned and finally disappeared.

Luke poked my cheek. "You're all red."

"Fuck off."

"It's cute."

"It is not cute," I grumbled. "I look like a fucking tomato."

"A cute tomato," Luke commented, twirling a strand of my hair around his finger. "Now let's go. I need to get out of here. Ever since you kissed me earlier I've been pretty much dying."

"You are so dramatic," I mumbled. "And you kissed me."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Are you complaining?" He took a step closer to me. "Are you saying you don't want me to kiss you?"

"No, I mean, that's not..." I trailed off as a smirk played on Luke's lips. Right. Time to take charge. I took a step towards him, going on tiptoe and putting my lips barely a centimeter from his, but not touching them. "I'm saying, that that kiss, was just a taster of tonight." I let my lips brush over Luke's over so lightly, running my hands across his broad chest. Luke's hands suddenly seized my wrists, stopping me in my movements. I looked up at him, meeting his blue gaze, seeing his eyes become stormy and intense.

"You," Luke started, his voice low, "are doing things to me, Noelle."

I merely smiled at him deviously, taking his hand and leading him out of the studio.