Chapter 2

MCKINLEY P.O.V

I did my best to avoid Luke and his friends in every way possible. I left for work a lot earlier than I usually do and I usually stayed at work for a few extra minutes hoping that I wouldn't run into them in the lobby. I was mostly trying to avoid Luke but I also didn't want to deal with his friends.

I checked the lobby before walking in and heading into the elevator. The coast was clear and as soon as the doors to the elevator closed, I sighed and leaned against the bar. The elevator opened to my floor and I headed down the hallway unlocking the door.

I stopped as I caught the shadow of someone sitting on the couch. I grabbed an umbrella next to the door and slowly entered the living room. I swung the umbrella and hit whoever was in my apartment in the ribs.

"Ow! McKinley! What the fuck!" Luke shouted groaning as he held his ribs.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked. "How did you even get in?"

"I told the building manager that I was you cousin and couldn't get in. Only cost me 200 bucks." He rolled his eyes.

"You could have just waited until I got home." I commented taking my heels off and setting them beside the door. "What do you want?"

"To say sorry. I didn't realize that you were here for work. I thought you were following me." He stood up, gently pushing the cat off his lap.

"It's fine." I crossed my arms. Here he was standing in front of me and he looked beautiful. His hair was longer than ever, his eyes as blue as the sky and a beard growing on his face. He was wearing a red button down shirt with the first 3 buttons undone so that if he leaned forward I would be able to see down his belly button.

"I'm still bitter."

"What are you bitter about? You broke up with me. You left me, Luke. You don't get to be heartbroken."

"Yes I do." He pouted. "I still loved you just as much a you love me."

"Then let's get back together." I blurted without even thinking about it. I mentally cursed myself because I had no idea what his reaction was going to be and it made me anxious.

"I don't want to get back together." He commented. "I like my life here. I like being single." He commented. It was crazy how in a few short months he could just decide that he didn't want to be with me anymore. It got me wondering that if we were still in New York if we would still be together.

"But Ashton said you're with someone."

"Not in that way. Yeah we went on a few dates but we never made it official." He commented. I didn't real care about what he did with another women. "Never even brought her back to my place." He commented. "But I should go." He commented moving around me to the door. "If you need anything, you know where we live." He commented leaving and closing the door behind him.

I sighed heading to the kitchen to make dinner. While I was cooking I started working on a presentation for work. I had a huge meeting next week and I needed to make sure that this was perfect. We were trying to get new people to work for our company and we were trying to figure out how we could hire interns without paying them way too much money.

My phone started going crazy and when I finally picked it up, it was Liz.

"Hi, Liz." I smiled pressing the phone to my ear while I grabbed a bowl.

"Hi, honey. How is everything? Settled okay?" She questioned. I appreciated Liz always checking in on me because even though I wasn't in her sons life anything, she cared enough to make sure that I was still alive.

"Yeah I'm settled." I sighed a little. "To the best of my ability." I don't think I would ever get used to living in a different city but then again I said the same thing when I moved to New York.

"I got a call from Luke." She said in a soft voice. "He sounds terrible." She added.

"I just saw him a few minutes ago. He seemed okay to me." I finished cooking and put the stir fry in my bowl before sitting down at the island with a drink.

"I think that's why he sounds terrible." I had no idea what to do. Luke made it clear that he liked living the single life and obviously didn't want to be tied down but Liz was telling me different.

"What do I do?" I questioned.

"I'm not sure. Maybe he just wants some space." I was giving him all the space in the world. He was the one who came to my apartment not the other way around. The other day I was just bringing Ashton's phone back.

"Yeah. I'll give him space." I said to her. "Whatever makes him happy." I commented playing with the food with my fork.

"You used to make him happy. He talked about you like you put the stars in the sky." She commented and I could tell that she had a small smile on her face. All a mother wants for her child is for them to be happy. I was glad that for a little while, I was able to make her child happy.

"I've never been in love with anyone like I was in love with Luke. i hope he knows how much he means to me. Please let him know that if he calls, I'll be there."

"I'm sure he knows." She said. "Have a good night, McKinley."

"Good night." I whispered into the phone waiting for her to hang up before lowering the phone to the counter. I had no idea what I was suppose to do but I was angry. I didn't come here and just expect Luke to want to get back together. Did I think it could be a possibility? Of course, anyone would but having his mom call me to tell me to back off was too far. I didn't do anything besides ask. I had prepared myself for him to say no. I didn't push anything.

*LUKE P.O.V*

In the following weeks I tried my hardest to get even a little glimpse of McKinley going to work or coming back from work but not once have I seen her. She was missing. She lived in the apartment above ours so I could hear her heels on the floor when she came home from work but it always usually around 10.

She was avoiding me. I just wanted to make sure that she was okay. I probably hurt her feelings when I yelled at her and then told her that I didn't want to get back together. There was nothing in this world that I wanted more than her.

I would get back together with her in a heart beat but I don't think that now was the right time. We needed to find ourselves in this city before we could get back together.

"Let's go out." Ashton said as he came out of my closet buttoning up one of my shirts. "You need to get out of the house."

"I miss her." I commented. It had been weeks since I went up to her apartment and she hasn't even come down to say hi or invite us to dinner.

"Then go talk to her. What are you waiting for? She's here bro. She's exactly where you want her." He commented.

"I don't think now is the right time to be in a relationship."

"And why not?" He fixed his hair in the bathroom. "Are you trying to better yourself or something?" He questioned.

"Well, kinda. I mean she deserves the best."

"She deserves to be with the person she loves." He commented. I knew he was right but I also knew that I was right. I shouldn't get into a relationship, if I wasn't ready to start all over, I wasn't going to.

"Ashton." I whined.

"You sound like a teenage girl." He commented. "Just get up and come out with us. Have a drink or two. Jesus smoke some weed, calm the fuck down." I rolled my eyes but stood up and slipped my shoes on.

"I'm gonna get drunk."

"Whatever floats your boat." He commented leaving the room and standing by the front door for me. I followed him down the stairs to the Uber.

"What club are we even going to?"

"Some new one that Michael's girl found." He shrugged. Michael got into a relationship a month into us living here. He seemed happy so I guess I was happy for him.

4 hours later, I was on my ass. I couldn't even see straight. I stumbled up to Ashton, at least I thought it was Ashton.

"I gotta call her." I said hanging off him. He wrapped both his arms around me to keep me up.

"Who?" He questioned.

"McKinley." I whispered trying to grab my phone from my pocket.

"Let's get you home." He commented dragging me out of the club and leaned me against the wall while he waited for our Uber home.

"I'm gonna puke." I muttered right as the Uber pulled up. I turned my head away from Ashton as I puked.

"He's not getting in my car if he's puking." I heard the Uber say making Ashton sigh. Ashton started dragging me towards the apartment. He stopped at a hotdog stand to buy a water and handed it to me. It didn't help.

Thankfully I didn't puke anymore but Ashton still laid me on my side in bed. I somehow got my pants and shirt off before falling asleep.

The next morning I woke up with a slight headache but thankfully the curtains were closed so my head wouldn't explode. I stumbled out of bed and into the shower. When I got out I got dressed and went to make some breakfast.

"Do anything fun last night?" Calum smirked handing me a cup of coffee. I grumbled and sat at the island.

"Want something to eat?" Ashton asked.

"No." I drank my coffee. "Where's my phone?" I asked.

"I have it." Calum answered leaving the room to hopefully get it for me.

"What did I do?" I asked looking through the phone. No weird pictures or snapchats.

"You were texting McKinley and she had an important business call with Japan or something. She texted me asking to take your phone away."

"I need to send her flowers for putting up with me." I commented.

"I think it's too soon for that." Ashton commented sitting down at the island with a plate full of food. The sight of it made me want to barf.

"Why?"

"She'll think its cute and that she has a chance of getting back together with you but you told her you didn't want that." He shrugged eating and scrolling on his phone. "Don't mess with her feelings."

"Since when do you know so much about girls?" I joked and he shoved me a little. My phone started to ring and it was our assistant. "Why does he always call so early?"

"It's almost noon." Calum commented as I answered the phone. Of course he was just calling to see what he should order for food for our next meeting on Friday night.

"Salads, steak, and chicken." I confirmed. We talked for a little longer before we said our goodbyes and I hung up.

"You need to shower. You smell terrible." Michael came into the room in just a pair of sweatpants.

"And you need to learn how to put on boxers." I rolled my eyes before walking down the hall to the bathroom that I shared with Ashton while Calum and Michael shared. I stood in the shower with the water running down my face knowing that I could get back the girl of my dreams at any time that I wanted but Ashton was right.

I couldn't lead her on.