a/n: this is the longest chapter so far, but I needed to connect things. Please don't get mad at me!! word count: 4000+
Enjoy!!

*Luke's P.O.V*
After we land on the LAX there's a black car ready to take us home. Paparazzi are waiting outside the airport and, as usual, take hundreds of photos to sell to magazines and get money to feed their families. Although that's extremely annoying, I had a conversation with Laurel once that made me change my mind about those guys, and I began to understand paparazzi; it's their way of getting along with life, it's just a profession, like mine. What really pisses me off are the magazines that hire them. Can't they, like, talk about shit that truly matters? For example Guess who were the winners of the Nobel Prize!, or simply about artists' professional life, not doing things such as Oh Em Gee, 5sos arrive at the LAX and - dramatic pause - they left it walking! Girls, they walk just like us!

As soon as the car drops me at my place, Calum gets out of the car with me because he lives fifty steps away.

"I would invite you to come in" I tell him "but I'm too tired to stand still. See you soon?"

"Sure man. Night." We say goodbye and he heads to his house.

I unlock the door and disarm the alarm, turning the lights on to drop my luggage at whatever. I look around for a moment, deeply breathing in. God, I can finally rest in peace. Before going to bed I search on my phone one last time for texts from A. Surprisingly she sent one at when the pilot asked us to turn off all the electronic devices and my phone didn't notify me after I turned it on again.

"Can't wait to see u x"

I smirk. I can't wait to see her either.

"wanna hang out tonight?" I ask her.

Since it's two in the morning I don't think she's replying it at anytime soon, so I go to my room upstairs and take off my pants, shoes, shirt and boxers. That's right, I'm gonna sleep in the way I came to this world. I always felt like pants were a waste of time anyway; I love being without them.

When I finally lay in bed and close my eyes, my phone rings. I groan and grab it looking at the locked screen.

Laurel: I hope the rest of ur flight is okay and that u enjoy ur break. Goodnight to u all! 😘

I find it weird that she sent it at that time, but then when I unlock my phone and go to the messages I see she sent it also back when I had to turn off my phone, which is extremely weird because I didn't get notified about A's text but did about Laurel's. I lock my phone again and go to sleep; the best sleep I had in ages.

When I open my eyes again the birds are joining one damn musical because Jeez, they won't shut up! I check the time; 12:34pm. Yeah, I had enough sleep. Also, there's a text from A saying I could pick her up at 8:00pm. I get up and go directly take a shower, flooding the bathroom as I always do - thank goodness I've got Mary to clean up three times a week. I put on one of my black jeans and a white shirt and go downstairs to eat something. I think about swimming later but I'm too lazy for that. How I miss surfing back home. I would wake up early and rush to the beach to get the finest waves with the dudes. Didn't get the chance for that often here in Cali yet.

I finish eating and put all dirty dishes on the dishwasher. Then I head to the bathroom again to brush my teeth. It's a warm day in Los Angeles, so I decide to go out a little and maybe go shopping, but before that I wait a few hours to FaceTime my mom. Luckily, when I call her the whole family is there too.

"We miss you so much, honey!" She tells me.

"I miss you guys too. When are you coming to visit me here in LA?"

"Actually I think you're the one coming home." Jack tells me. "Remember when I asked you about Christmas?"

"Yeah."

"So. Remember aunt Cassidy? She's getting married in December."

"But I thought aunt Cassidy was already married" I raise my eyebrows.

"She got divorced and now she's getting married again." My dad tells me. "You know how much she cares about you, so we thought you should make an effort to come. And besides, it's been a while since our last Christmas as a family."

"I know..." I run my fingers through my hair. "It's fine. I think I can make it, but can't decide anything now. If the label needs us here in December I'm just gonna have to stay, you know that."

"Yeah we do but you can try, right?" Ben tells me. "You can even bring your girlfriend!"

"What girlfriend?" My mom says, excited. "Luke, you didn't tell me about a girlfriend!"

"It's because I don't have a girlfriend mom" I laugh. "Ben is thinking about this girl I dated last year, but we broke up."

"Oh, that's bad." My father tells me. "Wait, how come you didn't tell us about her either?"

"I don't know, dad! I think I did tell you but never got you guys introduced. Anyway, I'm gonna solve everything and let you know. Gotta go now, talk to you soon."

"All right, son. We love you!" My father says.

"I love you guys too."

I get my car and drive until Beverly Hills to look for new shirts; I'm running out of black tees and my flannels are almost all ripped up somewhere. So I walk around a few stores and find two or three different shirts. Everything is so calm in the city today; even the paparazzi decided to keep a distance to take photos. I finish my shopping with five new shirts and a pair of black boots and blue jeans. When I look at my watch it's already 6pm, so I rush back home to take another shower before texting A.

"i'm ready when u are"

About ten minutes later, she replies.

"Im ready babe 💋"

And there I go, looking forward to finally seeing A and her flawless figure. I know this is gonna be a night to remember. While I'm driving, my phone buzzes: it's Calum.

"I know ur out w A tonight... Dont forget protection bro lol"

I silently laugh and throw my phone on the passenger seat.

"I won't, mate. I definitely won't."

*Laurel's P.O.V*
"... And I told him to back off cause you know how I can be when I'm on my period." I hear Megan talk about this crazy story of how she got in trouble with her neighbor because of a wrong delivered newspaper.

We are at Cake&Coffee, enjoying the afternoon off. I can barely pay attention to what she says; can't help myself but look around and remember the day I met Luke. I gaze into the table he was sitting back then and sigh, feeling a smile form in my face. I look to the cashier and, as always, she looks grumpy. I giggle while imagining her reaction when she realized Luke wasn't there anymore, being glad she didn't even notice I helped him out.

"Earth to Laurel!" Megan elbows my arm. "What is wrong with you today?"

"Nothing! I'm just wandering." I say, smiling.

"You are thinking about Austin, aren't you?" Megan smirks, maliciously. "He's a hottie and he's so into you!"

"What are you talking about, Meg?" I laugh. "We're just friends! And besides, I've known him for only a week!"

"So what? Laurel, he's always in front of the lab, and you know that's not his area. He texts you the whole damn time - actually I don't know why he hasn't texted yet." And as if he had heard us, Austin sends a text and my phone buzzes. Megan raises one of her eyebrows. "Speaking of the devil. And also, didn't you notice the way he acted at the party? Touching you all the time, kissing your neck and making sure to grab your waist whenever a guy made his way towards you!"

"He was just protecting me! And he didn't kiss my neck" I twist my nose.

"Then what was his face doing buried between it and your hair multiple times while he kept you leaned against the wall?"

"Well, he did act like he was going to" I stutter, blushing. "But I didn't let him. That would be weird."

"Weird?! Laurel, for God's sake! He's gorgeous! I would kiss him in a whim if he wanted me! What are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of anything!" I roll my eyes. "I don't know, I don't think he really does want me. Did you see how many girls he was talking to? Did you see the way they were looking at him? I don't want to be just another bitch he hooked up."

"Give me a break. It's not like you're dating him! You just need to have some fun, come on! He is hot, funny and he's definitely got a thing for you. Why don't you give him a shot?"

My phone buzzes again, notifying me about Austin's text for the second time. I grab it, unlock it and open our conversation.

"hi there! how r u doing today? ☺️"

"Hi you! I'm good, just chillin w Meg before heading back home. How r u?"

"Promise me you'll give him a shot. We could hang out together: me, you, Austin and Tyler." Megan places her hand on my arm, looking into my eyes.

"His friend that looks like a surfer?"

"Yeah! He was totally hitting on me that day so I gave him my number and now he just asked me out. Please...?"

"He didn't ask me out!"

"He may or may not have mentioned that Austin is dying to ask you out but is afraid of doing it."

"What?" I can't believe this.

"Just think about it. Would you go out with him?"

"I don't know, Meg!"

"Then find out. I gotta go home now. You call me when you decide, okay?" She stands up and I sigh before standing up as well and giving her a hug.

"Okay, whatever."

When I get home I try to avoid thinking about going out with Austin. Granted, he is a sweetheart and a Greek god, but I'm not sure if I do want to go on a date with him, especially when I spend most of my time thinking about someone else. So, to free my mind from those thoughts I turn on my computer and start scrolling on tabloids to see if there is any news from Luke's arrival.

After reading some shitty article about Kim Kardashian's diet revealed I scroll down a little more to this headline:

Luke Hemmings goes out with ex girlfriend!

I feel my heart pound way more than it should while I click to see the rest of the article.

"Seems like Luke Hemmings from 5sos is still not over his ex girlfriend, who he went out with three days ago. They were spotted leaving a nightclub on east LA and then heading to his place. According to a source, the couple (?) was dancing together all the time and didn't spare making out in front of everyone. Check out the exclusive pictures!"

Three different pictures on different angles of Luke and his ex appear on my screen. They're holding hands. She's beautiful. He's taking her to this car but before she goes inside she places a kiss on his mouth. She's gorgeous. I feel sick at the moment I see the last picture. My heartbeat begins to hurt in my chest, and I find it hard to swallow. What the hell is this?!

Even not wanting to, I catch myself staring at the pictures over and over again; the more I look the more my stomach twists and contracts. I'm feeling extremely sick now.

My phone buzzes. It's Austin.

"I wanted to ask u smth.. would u like to hang out? Tyler asked Megan out and she told him I should invite u.. 😳"

I'm so annoyed with the whole Luke thing right now but getting that text from Austin simply feels right to the moment. So, after I text him my reply I call Megan.

"Hey, Meg? Remember what you asked me? Although you didn't wait for my answer, I'm in."

The week goes by and I don't talk to Luke. I don't feel like texting him because he's probably busy. When Friday finally comes, Megan shows up at my place three hours before the guys, to get ready with me. She showers and puts on a red sexy dress.

"I didn't know we were attending Victoria's Secret Fashion Show" I joke.

"We're going to a nightclub, silly!" Megan tells me, applying her mascara. "You better dress like a hottie too, so Austin doesn't escape!"

"I already am a hottie, duh" I mock, looking for a dress to wear. I end up putting on an old strapless black one I got when I was 18; luckily it still fits me. Megan and I finish our makeup and then I ask her to help me fix my natural curls. She straightens her hair and puts on her heels.

"We look sassy!" She says when we stop in front of the mirror.

"Stop trying to make sassy happen with me!" I giggle, wrapping my arm around hers and leaning my head on her shoulder.

"We need a picture. Come on, smile! That's surely gonna be posted on Instagram!" She says, excited.

About twenty minutes later Tyler calls Megan, saying they are outside my building.

"Doesn't college have rules about hanging out?" I ask Megan while we are carefully going down the stairs.

"Not really. And even if it did, they wouldn't even know we left. Come on. You can sleep over at my place if anything happens." She replies.

When we open the front door, the boys are waiting with their hands on their pockets. Austin raises his head at the sound of the door handle and checks me out, with his jaw dropped.

"Wow" He sighs, a little awkward. "You look amazing."

Austin is wearing jeans and a blue shirt, and he's extremely hot. I give him a hug and feel the incredible smell of his cologne. I love men's fragrances.

"Well thank you." I smile timidly. "You don't look bad yourself."

"Hey, you two!" Megan calls our attention, pointing at her dress and Tyler's red shirt. "We match!"

"Oh my goodness, that's fate!" I joke and feel Austin's hand pressed tighter against my skin, pulling me closer to him as he chuckles.

"Come on, guys, the party awaits!" Tyler says, and so we head to a black Ford Fusion. Tyler is the driver, so Megan screams shotgun and opens the passenger door. Austin looks at me amused and I giggle.

"I guess the backseat is all we have left." I elbow his arm.

"That's okay." He laughs. "It's not like it's uncomfortable, actually there's plenty of space!"

We go inside and Tyler pulls out. When we are in I feel Austin hold my hand and squeeze it lightly. I like the way his touch feels on my skin, so I get closer to him and wrap my other hand against ours already enlaced.

"Do you guys want anything?" Megan asks us. "Tyler and I will grab a beer at the bar."

"I'm good for now, thanks." I tell her, and then look at Austin.

"Can you get me Jameson, please?" He asks her and she nods before leaving us alone.

"Whoa. You're into strong drinks." I tell Austin, giggling. "Just know I'm not going to carry you out of here if you pass out!"

Austin laughs and pulls me until the corner so we don't get on people's way.

"Rule number one: if you want to drink Jameson, don't make a fool out of yourself! Learned that in the worst way possible." He tells me with a smile. "So don't worry, I'm not even getting drunk, you'll see."

"What about Tyler? He's drinking, you're drinking, then who's driving us back?"

"I can if I need to. But that's a matter for a couple hours from now."

Megan arrives with Tyler and they bring Austin's drink. The four of us talk for some time and Austin finishes his Jameson faster than I thought he would.

"We need a picture together, guys!" Megan says, grabbing her phone and handing it to this girl who is next to us. She and Tyler strike a pose, but Austin and I simply stay side by side, his hand on my lower back and mine on his chest.

"That's also going to Instagram!" She yells so we could hear her. We talk for a few more minutes and then Boneless by Steve Aoki begins to play and I look at Megan, who's already looking at me.

"Oh. My. God!" She screams, pulling my by the hand to the dance floor.

"That's our song!" I explain to the boys, who are looking at us with a questioning look. "We'll be right back!"

Megan is running to get to the dance floor before the beat drops and I almost fall trying to keep her pace. When we are in the middle of it she suddenly stops, spilling a little bit of beer. We raise our hands, waiting for the beat and when it comes we start to dance. I'm pretty good at shuffling even with my heels, and I once taught Megan how to do it. Even though she's not a terrible dancer she looks funny while doing the shuffle, and I can't help but laugh. I grab her glass and take a huge sip of her beer, and she laughs at me. If there's something Megan and I are good at, it's dancing together, and we're not exactly ashamed of doing it, so I'd say we rock. When the song is finally over we leave the dance floor and go back to meet Tyler and Austin.

"Sorry, but we had to do that!" Megan apologizes, mostly for Tyler, placing her hand on his chest.

Austin is leaning against the wall next to Tyler, looking directly at me.

"You're a little sweaty" He smirks, running his fingers through my hair.

"I'm sorry. I look like a mess now but it was worth it!" I joke, adjusting my dress.

"It was so worth it! That was quite a view. And for the record, you don't look like a mess, you're still beautiful." He winks at me and I feel my cheeks burn, causing him to chuckle. "Look at you! You're so cute when you blush!"

Austin grabs my waist and holds my body tight against his, and I feel my heart beating faster. I look to the side and Tyler is sliding his tongue inside my friend's mouth. I twist my nose.

"Yuk! Look at them!" I tell Austin, pointing.

"Stop looking, Laurel, that's weird!" He laughs grabbing my face so I look to the other side. At this moment the DJ plays Hesher and I feel my hips unwittingly moving from one side to the other.

"I love this song!" I say, and before I'm aware Austin's body is moving with mine and I feel his breath on my skin, but I don't mind; I actually wrap my hands around his neck and lightly pull his hair. After that, Austin swiftly moves so I am leaning against the wall and his body is pressed against mine. He gazes into my eyes before slowly leaning down, attaching our lips. I close my eyes and allow myself to be filled with that feeling. Then Austin quickly pulls away, awkwardly giggling.

"I've wanted to do this since I first saw you" He tells me, lightly passing the back of his hand on my cheek and looking deep into my eyes with his bright green ones. I let out a small laugh and place a peck on his lips.

"Then why did you stop?" I ask.

With that he holds my face and attacks my lips with his once more before grabbing my hand and guiding me through the club. He gets to those "cabins", covered with red curtains. Austin carefully sneaks his head inside one of them and then, hurried, pulls me in. When I'm inside he ties a knot to close the curtains and then turns his attention back at me again.

"Way better." He smirks, kissing me again. He starts walking backwards until he gets to the red couch and sits down, bringing me to his lap, and without thinking too much, I let him.

He kisses me hard and I bite his lip, causing him to groan. He then wraps his hands around my waist and starts kissing my neck. I let out a light moan and a name unwittingly goes out of my mouth.

Luke.

I wide open my eyes when I realize what I just said, afraid Austin might have heard it, but fortunately he didn't, because he keeps sucking gently on the skin of my neck.

Okay, Laurel. That was truly weird. It's Austin. AUSTIN. Don't you dare saying that other name again. He's with his "ex", remember?

We make out for quite some time and then he stands up.

"Don't you want to get out of here?" He asks me, a little out of breath.

"Sure" I say, walking behind him out of the cabin. We try to find Tyler and Megan but they seem to have disappeared, so Austin calls Tyler.

"Hey man, where are you?" Austin asks him when he finally picks up. "You are not okay to drive, so I'll take the car, okay? I'm leaving now with Laurel, you get a cab with Megan. See you, bro!"

And with that Austin and I take the car's keys with the valet parking and pull out.

"My place or yours?" He asks me with his right hand on my thigh.

"It can be mine." I shrug, a little shy. During the whole way back he traces small circles on my skin, causing me to shiver. His touch is extremely electric and sends adrenaline to my whole body. When we get back to campus, he parks in front of my building and we go upstairs. As soon as I lock the door his lips are already connected to mine and I feel his hands on my ass, squeezing gently. I then wrap my legs around his waist and he lifts me up, keeping me leaned on the door and kissing me deeply.

Austin's hands then travel to the hem of my dress, slowly pulling it up.

"Whoa there, slow down." I say, awkwardly chuckling, still out of breath. "We can't do this."

"Why not?" He asks, curling my hair with his fingers.

"We just can't." I say simply, stuttering.

Austin looks at me confused but nods with a sexy smirk.

"Can I still kiss you, at least?" He questions. I smile at him, running my hand through his dark soft hair.

"You can, indeed."

Some minutes later he leaves, placing small kisses all over my face and promising to call tomorrow so we can go out again soon.

"I had the time of my life today." He tells me, smiling.

"So did I, Austin." I agree. "It was great hanging out with you."

"Will I get another date with you or was this one a complete disaster?" He asks, grabbing my hand and kissing the back of it.

"You'll know soon. Call me tomorrow!" I wink at him, giggling.

When he leaves I jump on my bed and face the ceiling, smiling like a child. Before I know it I'm already sleeping, dreaming about a kiss, but it's not exactly Austin that I'm kissing.

------
If you read this until the end, I LOVE YOU!!
That is finally the end of chapter 7! I was too inspired to let go of my ideas so I decided to put them all together. Don't worry, I'll make chapter 8 smaller.
If you like it please don't forget to vote, and I would LOLOLOVE to get some feedback! Let me know what you think of the storyline so far, if there's anything I should change or idk, this book is yours too!
Stay beautiful xx