The Upside of Falling Back To You

chapter thirty eight | intruder pt ii

I CAN'T BELIEVE that I've reached a point in my life where I'm willingly listening to a Ronan Easton album. Truth be told, we broke up under a streetlight in the rain was actually a good album to work to. His third album was a solid four years after we broke up, so I'm sure most of the songs were meant to be about one of his first girlfriends in LA.

I wasn't fired for missing the meeting, but I ended up having to do a lot more work since then. And working from home these days have been... hard, to say the least. It was quiet with Griff out of the house and Mom no longer living here. Dad was at work more and more, and Cas still usually locks himself in his room to do work, or play video games.

Naturally when I heard the pounding on my bedroom door, I assumed it was Castor, probably needing help with biology or math homework. So when I yelled come in and Ronan walked in instead, I truly did not expect it. I yanked my earbuds out and paused the music quick before he could even see.

I don't know why I didn't want him to see. I guess I didn't want it to accidentally become a conversation about... the break up.

"You don't belong here." Was the first thing I said. "How'd you get in here?"

He raised a brow, crossing his arms. "Your brother let me in..."

"Cas finally left his room?"

"No, Griff." I tilted my head in confusion. "He's downstairs with Adri in the living room."

They were... what? I guess I haven't left my room in a while. I guess Adri didn't shriek as loud when she saw Ronan... well of course not, they probably met by now, right? Griff had to have introduced the two by now.

Where was my brain going with this thought again? Or right, Ronan Easton is in my room. "What are you doing here?" I got off my stomach and laid against the headboard of my bed.

"I was bored. I'm in need of entertainment."

"Some of us still need to actually work to survive," I said, going back to my screen. The code was starting to look more like an alien language the more I stare at it. "Where are you friends, don't you have friends?"

Ronan sat on my chair by my desk, rocking left and right. "Lucas is at the bakery - he's the one that told me you were home. Jiro is taking Jamie to an appointment, and Seb is... well, I guess I could be visiting Seb. He's shooting a magazine and, uh, Lydia and Maddie and Liv are modeling. It's his first since... since he and Laila called things off and I guess I should be for him, but there's other reasons why I'd rather not be there."

"Oh, what a great friend, you are."

"He himself said he didn't want me there. Something about needing to prove that he could get a gig by himself without needing someone else's help..."

I pursed my lips. He and Laila worked the same magazine. A lot of his work before was taking pictures to accompany Laila's travel and lifestyle articles. I guess Seb sort of needs this boost of his own.

"So what made me the next best option?"

"You're at home."

"So you want to annoy me until I'm done?"

He paused, thinking over the answer. "Yes, yes that's the plan."

I rolled my eyes and looked back at my screen. Ronan spun around to look at my desk. From behind my laptop, I looked to make sure he wasn't touching anything he wasn't supposed to.

"Do you still write? Songs, I mean." He asks that as he holds up the worn out, leather bound notebook that I've had since ninth grade. I only really ever wrote it on two occasions - trying to write something with Ronan, or while trying to write something for him. So in short: