Ghouls

Days had passed, receiving constant texts from both Zacky and the unknown number; Zack kept asking whether I was alright and asked to talk whereas the unknown number kept asking whether we could hang out.

I was so sick of getting the texts, one night I left my phone downstairs to keep it away from me. I wandered down the stairs the next morning to find Cam already up scrolling on his phone as he lent on the counter.

“Oh, morning! You’re phone’s been going off, by the way; looks like you’re quite popular with a certain guitar duo,” he told me, winking at me, “not too happy Zack’s texting you; have you seen him, or?” he asked, only looking up from his phone to say morning to return to scrolling.

“Yeah, Zack maybe; I doubt I’m very popular with Brian though... and yeah, I let him take me out for a coffee to apologize,” I told him, getting some biscuits out of the draw.

“Lauren, what are you doing seeing him? After everything he did to you...” he told me, turning his phone off and looking at me worriedly.

“Because I felt kinda bad and thought I owed him so...” I told him, pushing the custard creams into my mouth.

“You don’t owe him a thing. It’s just my opinion but...I think you’re better of replying to Brian and hanging out with him; he cares about you, L; he’s a genuine guy, I mean, I know you think he’s been a bit of a creep but, y’know, he’s one of my best buddies in the band. Him and Matt have practically been my mentors and, if I’m honest, I’d be much happier you being with him... I mean, you don’t have to; of course it’s your choice I just need you to know what my take on it all is...” he told me, love and care in his eyes.

It took me a while to let what he’d said sink in; I understood where he was coming from but Brian? Creepy Brian? From what other people had told me, he did like me but he made it really fucking difficult to believe with him being so distant and cold; the only times he’d shown that he had cared or did like me was after the night with Zacky and after I’d accidentally woken up in bed with him.

“Wait, you said reply to Brian, what do you mean? I haven’t spoken to him for weeks,” I shot him a confused look.

“Oh,” his own confused look on his face, “he’s been texting you though; you haven’t saved his number but he keeps asking if you’d hang out with him,” he told me, picking up my phone and handing it to me.

Brian was the unknown number.

How did he get my number? Zacky maybe? Cam even? I wasn’t going to ask, I was just going to talk to Jade and get some more girly advice; there was no way I was going to be able to figure this one on my own, not after last time.

“Oh, thanks Cam,” I walked up to him, hugging him, “d’you have any idea when Jade’s going to be around?”

“Yeah, she only went shopping, she’ll be back,” there was the sound of a key hitting a lock, “now, I guess,” we both smiled.

I greeted Jade and asked to have that girly chat. Jade told Cam to leave, which he refused, so Jade grabbed a bottle of wine, my hand and the dog leads, dragging us all out to the beach; I guess we were going to walk and talk now.

“So, what’s up?” Jade asked, taking a swig from the bottle.

“First and foremost, Zack said he loved me,” I told her, snatching the bottle from her and taking my own long swig.

Jade immediately spat all of the wine in her mouth onto the white sand, shooting me a look of shock, “you fucking what?! When was this!?!”

“Eurgh, about a week ago; he came by the garage and asked to talk so I let him take me out to coffee, he apologized and blamed it on the booze,” we both rolled our eyes, not quite believing that, “but then he went on to say how much better Bri would be for me and how much he likes me,” Jade looked as if she was totally lost, as was I, “and then went on to say how sorry he was and how he knew he never had another chance but that he thinks he loves me..” I trailed off, taking another gulp of wine before handing the bottle back to a speechless Jade.

“What did you say to that?” she asked, taking another sip.

“I didn’t; I left before I said anything... that’s why he’s been texting and asking if I’m okay; I made quite the speedy exit after that,” I explained, taking a large sip of the bottle before handing it back to Jade.

“Aah, what are you going to do?” she asked, continuing to share the bottle
.
“I have no idea, that’s why I wanted to talk to you; you’re my only girly friend over here and as I seem to be having so many boy-troubles already, you’re the only one I can go to; I really like Brian and everyone seems to be saying he’s the better option but he can be such a dick whereas Zacky made one slip-up but in general is a really nice guy; he seems sorry enough and he so say loves me and I feel bad and...I don’t fucking know,” I told her, rubbing my face in frustration; my emotions really were everywhere.

“No. Don’t ever feel bad for what Zacky did; he may be sorry for doing what he did to you but he’s got a bit of history with that kind of thing, so don't go thinking you're the only ne that it's likely to be a one-time thing... already, I can’t help but think he’s telling you he loves you just to try and get with you again,” she told me, completely serious.

“What?! What do mean he’s got a history with...that?!” I was in shock; why the fuck didn’t she tell me this before I went out with him?! If Id’ve known I never would have gone out with him!

“Well, eurgh, I’m not really supposed to tell you but given the circumstances... just put it this way, he’s no stranger to being a bit...forceful, particularly when he’s drunk; I don’t think he means it but he has been with girls that have come away with...bruises and stuff. I’m not saying he raped them or nought I just think that maybe he can get a bit...full on, y’know? You didn’t hear that from me though; I’m not even supposed to know; Cam only told me so I could watch myself...just in case," she told me, watching her feet in the sand, "But Brian!" he head lifted up, smiling at the sky, "Brian is basically the opposite; he may seem distant and cold but...he has his reasons; he’s had a really rough time over the past few months with women and it’s hit him hard; before he met you he’d be going out with Zack to get drunk and sleep with chicks and shit but all that seemed to stop when you arrived; he really obviously likes you, L, you’ve just got to give him time! You’ve got to wait until he’s comfortable; it’s been hard on him, trying to find someone new, that isn’t just a one-night-stand; he’s just got his guard up around you because he likes you...a Hell of a lot but he doesn’t want to get hurt like last time. Honestly, Lau, he’s such a great guy once you get to know him; he was the same with me when I arrived, you know? He was cold and distant with me but once we started to hang out more, he warmed and now he’s definitely one of the best guys out of the lot and he’s definitely the best looking; you can’t deny him that! But, again, I didn’t say that; I’d get an earful from Cam and Brain!” she winked.

Now I understood why everyone was so dead-against me seeing Zack again; (I was still worried why no one told me this before we went out but I wasn’t going to ask; I didn’t want them to ask any questions about me) this wasn’t going to stop me from trying to be civil with him though; I didn’t want all this to stop us from being friends. It also explained why everyone advocated me and Brian hooking up so much now; maybe he really did like me and want to be closer, I just had to give him time.

“Well, I guess I know who I should’ve picked now, ay?” I smiled at Jade, pulling into a hug, the now empty wine bottle making me shiver as the cold glass hit the warm skin of my shoulder.

“Well, look at that pair of hot stuff!”

“Johnny?” I whispered to Jade.

“Yep.”

We pulled out of our embrace, turning to see all five of the A7X guys smiling at us as we approached. I say that, my heart sank as the only one that wasn’t smiling was Zack; he stood to the back of the group with some plastic blonde chick that was giving me and Jade an evil death-glare, his eyes at the floor, guilt smeared all over his face. I guess Jade was right; he didn’t really ‘love’ me at all.

I was pulled out of my own saddening thoughts as I was pulled into another hug with Jade and a figure that stood way above us; Jimmy.
“Hey, Jim!” I squealed.

“Hey, my favourite!” He squealed back.

“Aww, I’m your favourite?” I asked, putting my hand on my heart.

“Yeah! You’re one of the only girls that Bri’s liked that I’ve thought was really rad too!” He told me, a huge, warming grin on his face as Brian came to his side and whacked him; he obviously wasn’t allowed to be saying that, especially not to me.

I blushed as Brian began to speak, once Jade and Jimmy had excused themselves to let us talk, “sorry about him; he’s not supposed to be allowed to say that,” he told me, nervously scratching the back of his head, “oh, I’ve been meaning to apologize for that night on the beach a couple of weeks back as well; I realized I was being a dick, talking to you like that, and I’ve been trying to text you and stuff but you seem to be ignoring me and I thought you were really angry and, yeah, I’m sorry,” he trailed off, still rubbing the back of his neck as his face reddened with embarrassment; he was cute like that, his long hair busting out of the cap placed on his head as he messed it up further with his hand; he was obviously being sincere, unlike another certain male that was stood in the area..

My hands were sweating as I rubbed them from my own nerves, “no, God, Bri, it’s fine! I’ve kinda been meaning to talk to you too it’s just, I didn’t know it was you texting me until Cam told me this morning,” I laughed nervously, “and Jim? No worries, I guess your secret’s safe with me,” I winked at him, earning a smile. His smile really was infectious, almost as infectious as Jimmy’s, but it was perfect, particularly in the late afternoon sun.

“Yeah, he can be a little shit sometimes but he’s still my best friend, y’know?” he told me, stepping closer as his eyes trailed off to look at Jimmy, admiration in his eyes.

“Yeeeaah, I know,” I lied, I may have had good friends back in England but I was never as close or reliant to them as Brain and Jimmy were.

His eyes travelled back round, his gaze falling upon Zacky and his new bimbo heavily making out just a few yards away. Both our gazes had found the other guys huddled round talking, they too had seen Zack and his girl; they all looked at them then to me, sad, sorry looks plastered their faces.

“I want to apologize on behalf of him too; he’s not usually such a dick; if anything he’s the nicest one out of us all...I don’t get why he’s so disrespectful to you; you’re so much nicer than any of the other girls we tend to be around, I say that, I mean me and Zack; Matt, Johnny and Jimmy’s girlfriends are ace too, I mean, you’re nicer than them but you’re all nicer than who me and Zack-“

I cut him off; he was obviously getting a bit awkward, “Brian, shush!” I told him, holding his bicep to try and calm him; the same bicep that had held me in the bed all those weeks ago, the same bicep that held me when I needed to be held after the night with Zack; it was so protective and, if I’m honest, it made me a tad emotional just looking at it, “it’s fine,” I told him, rubbing his arm, my gaze returning to meet his, “I’m done falling for Zack; I’m not going to get played like before, I told you, I want to get to know you, for God’s sake..” I told him, blushing.

“Well then,” he said, flashing that perfect grin that I so wished to see all the time, “when are you free?” he asked, looking down at me, smirking.

“Now,” I told him, smirking back.

His face completely lit up, “okay then, let’s go,” he took me by the waist and began to walk across the beach towards the boardwalk. Everyone watched us, smirking at us to go on; I guess everyone agreed that Bri was the best for me, that was everyone besides Zacky; he'd stopped sucking the bimbos face off to watch us walk, disappointment and guilt evident in his face.

I stopped, “wait, let me just make sure Jade is okay to take Hud home,” I went to turn back around to talk with her when Brian put his arm around my waist in front of me, pulling me back around.

“Don’t worry; I know a little place along the front that’ll allow him,” the infamous Gates’ smirked lined his face, not even looking behind him. Turning back to walk towards the walk, Bri called for Pinkly and Hudson followed.

We walked all the way along to the opposite end of the boardwalk, Pinkly and Hudson in tow. The entire walk down, we joked and laughed, even flirted a bit. We learnt a lot about each other that night; he’d told me himself about the troubles he’d had in his previous relationship and how she’d cheated on him for several, long months without his knowing and how cautious he’d been with finding a serious relationship ever since (I guess me and Bri really weren’t that different.) He’d even got a bit emotional, making me lean in and hug his side as we walked. He hugged back and as I pulled away slightly, my arm stayed around his middle while his arm led over my shoulders. I’d continued to talk about some of the struggles I’d had in relationships; the cheaters and the users...I couldn’t tell him everything yet though; as much as I now loved being with Brain, I wasn’t completely ready to give him everything.

Before I knew it, we reached our destination. It completely took my breath away. It was on the very end of the boardwalk; it was a small, secluded, open bar; there were no real walls; just the one wall that held the glasses and alcohol that stood with its back against the sea. On top of this, the only lights were those of the hanging lanterns that were hung around the bar; over the roof and supports, and there were candles that stood on the few tables. It was unbelievably romantic; there were couples everywhere, their dogs at their feet. Some people had even taken candles onto the beach to sit and watch the setting sun; either to make out or to continue to play with their dogs together. Part of me wondered why Brian had taken me here; it wasn’t as if we were a couple, but maybe he wanted us to be? The thought made me smile, catching his attention.

“What do you think?” he asked, pulling me closer as we walked forward; he already knew the answer, that’s why there was such a big smile on his face.

“Bri, it’s beautiful, what the fuck?” I told him, smiling wildly.

“Yeah, I know, wait? What do you mean what the fuck? This is, like, the best place I know!” he joked.

“Yeah, I know, I’m just confused as to why you brought me here; it’s not like we’re really close or anything and it just seems a little too special for a first date..” I let it slip out, mentally cursing myself as we sat down at the bar.

“First date, ay? Well, I’m glad you see it that way; you’re special to me, Lauren; I know we haven’t really gotten to know each other a lot yet but I feel I’m beginning to like you a lot more than I first thought and I very rarely bring anyone here that I don’t feel like I love, shit, not even any of the guys know about this place; I’ve only brought a very small handful of girls here, all of which I regret..” he explained and my heart pinched a touch.

“Aw, Bri,” I looked at him, small tears beginning to form, “I feel like I kinda feel the same way, particularly after tonight,” his head shot up, surprised that I’d admitted it. For a second we were interrupted; the bartender came to take our orders.

“You serious?” he asked with a vague smile.

“Yeeaah, despite everything that’s happened, you’ve still been funnier, more charming and, I guess, generally nicer than Zack was...anyone I’ve ever been with, even. You’re really starting to grow on me, Bri; I didn’t think I liked you at first but after the fight and everything and this,” I looked around at the bar, “I’m starting to really...really like you,” I told him, small tears in both our eyes.
He leant forward. I thought he was going to kiss me when our drinks arrived. We both chuckled, adding a “probably best we don’t do that; I don’t want to take this too far too quickly,” Brain smiled as he handed me my drink. I agreed with him; if I liked him as much as my heart was telling me, I wanted this to last as long as possible and I didn't want to rush a thing.

The rest of the night was really, just...fun. We laughed and joked and talked about some of the fun times we’d had before we’d met; I explained some of the times I’d had back in England with my old friends while Brian described times on tour and the childhood he’d spent with the band; all the antics they’d got up to. He spoke mostly of the antics of him and Jimmy; they definitely were the best of friends. He went on to talk about how they’d played with Metallica and how big a pinnacle that was for the band which, naturally, led us to talking about our music tastes, many of which, were very similar.

We’d had a few drinks and decided to leave, saying goodbye to the few people around us we’d had conversations with (one couple even told us how great a couple we made which led to a somewhat awkward conversation of how we weren’t actually together, followed by the bartender telling us that we should be.)

We walked back down the front towards Cam’s place, singing a load of old rock and metal ballads as we went. We arrived at Cam’s door, slowly turning to each other.

“Well, thanks for walking me back, and for letting me borrow your jacket,” dragging the coat off my shoulders and handing it back; it had gotten fairly cold after the sun set and I’d borrowed his jacket due to not being able to pick up my own when Jade dragged me out.

“It’s no bother, I’ll, um, see you around,” he turned to leave.

“Wait, don’t you want to stay here? We haven’t got a spare bed or anything but I can take the couch or..you could, um, share my bed with me? I mean, not like that! It’s just I don’t know how safe it is for you to be walking home on your own in the dark with Pinkly and everything,” I asked him, concerned.

He stepped back to me, slowly pecking my cheek, making me gasp, “I’ll be fine,” he smiled, “goodnight, Lauren,” he let go of the hand he’d held when he’d kissed me and walked back down the drive to turn left back into town.

Breathless, I let myself in to find everyone had gone to sleep. I fed Hudson and put him to bed then made my way upstairs, not bothering with a shower but undressing myself to put on my oversized Avenged Sevenfold shirt, drifting to sleep with a smile on my face; finally happy. I'd never thought I'd feel the way I did about Brian, in fact, after the few years I'd had, I never thought I'd feel it with anyone; I thought I had with Zack but what I felt with him was nothing compared to Brian. He was just, so, unbelievably romantic; for a big, tough, rockstar guy, he really knew how to treat women, unlike Zack; all Zack seemed to do was flirt which, in some ways, was nice but after a while it was uncomfortable, whereas Bri had the best of both; he knew exactly when to flirt and exactly when not to. I couldn't doubt that I was falling for him a bit but I had to keep reminding myself that I thought the same about Zacky; despite all their defferences, I'd still found myself falling for them both. The only difference was, Zack fucked up...big time. I was still prepared to be friends but there was no way I was going back there; Brian had shown me how I was really supposed to be treated which was the oppsite to what I'd felt for all these years. The more I thought about it, the more I thought about being with Brian but I had to take this slow; I wanted this to last as long as possible.

Notes

Sorry it's been a few days, guys; I've been a tad caught up... I hope you enjoy anyway <3