𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 || 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐳 ||

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟓

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱

Lauren woke up with the clear image from last night still vivid in her mind. 

She grabbed her phone, which was plugged in beside her, and quickly stood up, rushing into the small bathroom. 

With her phone in hand, she frantically scrolled through her contacts until she found Harper's name and hit call.

"Come on, pick up, pick up," Lauren muttered to herself, but all she got was Harper's voicemail. 

"Shit," she muttered again, scrolling further until she found Asher's contact. 

She dialed and held her breath, hoping for an answer.

"Asher, please pick up," she whispered anxiously. Finally, she heard Asher's voice on the other end.

"Hey Lo, what's up?" Asher greeted.

"I kissed Milo last night—but it was an accident, we were both drunk!" Lauren blurted out, her voice shaky with panic.

There was a silence on the other end for a few moments. "Asher?" Lauren asked, staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

"Yeah, I'm still here. Just trying to process what you just told me," Asher replied slowly.

Lauren let out a small sigh, her tension barely easing. "I know she's with Joe, but I don't know what to do," she confessed, frustration and worry mixing in her voice. "It's not like I can ignore her for the rest of the tour."

Just then, a knock came on the bathroom door. "Lauren, are you almost done?" Brian's voice called, making Lauren pause.

"Yeah! Give me a few minutes," Lauren called back, letting out a sigh.

"Lauren, you've been in there for like 10 minutes," Brian replied, sounding impatient.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Brian, give me a minute!" she shouted back.

"Fine!" Brian huffed and walked away from the door.

Lauren waited a few moments, making sure Brian was gone before she resumed talking to Asher. "Sorry, it was Brian being Brian. Can I call you later?" she asked.

"Yeah, call me later, Lo," Asher replied.

A small smile formed on Lauren's face. "Okay, bye, Asher."

"Bye, Lo," Asher said before hanging up.

Lauren took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror again, trying to steady her nerves

As she left the bathroom, Lauren glanced over at Brian. "Who were you calling?" he asked.

"Asher," Lauren replied, slipping her phone into her pocket.

Brian stared at her for a second. "Why didn't you call him out here?"

Lauren stopped for a moment. "Do you need the bathroom or what?" she retorted.

Brian gave her another stare before walking into the bathroom. Lauren walked over to a bench that was basically a couch and sat down heavily.

 She let out a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts.

Just then, Milo walked out with Meredith. "Hey, Lo, we're going to get something to eat. You wanna join us?" Meredith asked.

Lauren looked up at her. "No thanks, I'm gonna stay here," she replied.

"Alright," Meredith said, then knocked on the bathroom door. "Bri! Come on."

Milo stood next to Meredith, making brief eye contact with Lauren before looking away, then back at Meredith. 

The awkward tension between them was palpable, a silent acknowledgment of what had happened the night before.

"Alright, let's go," Meredith said as Brian emerged from the bathroom, and they headed out.

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱

Milo sat in the small café, lost in thought about the previous night. "Milo, are you even listening to me?" Meredith's voice cut through her reverie.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Milo replied, looking up at her.

"Are you okay?" Meredith asked, concern evident in her voice. 

She glanced around to see that Brian wasn't nearby.

"Um, yeah—" Milo started to say, but Meredith cut her off.

"No, you're not. I know you," Meredith insisted, leaning in closer.

"Fine, but you can't tell anyone," Milo said, lowering her voice.

"I won't, I promise," Meredith assured her.

Milo nodded, taking a deep breath. "I kissed Lauren last night. It was an accident! We were both drunk," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Meredith's eyes widened in surprise. "I don't know what to fucking do. I can't tell Joe," Milo added, leaning back in her chair, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her.

Meredith reached across the table, placing a comforting hand on Milo's arm. "It's going to be okay. We'll figure this out," she said softly, her tone filled with reassurance.

"Thanks, Mere," Milo said with a smile.

"No problem," Meredith replied with a reassuring grin.

"Where did Brian go?" Milo asked, glancing around.

"He forgot something on the bus, so he went back to get it," Meredith explained.

Milo nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. "I'm really glad you're here," she admitted.

"Hey, that's what friends are for," Meredith said, giving Milo's hand a gentle squeeze. "We'll get through this. Just take it one step at a time."

Milo took a deep breath, feeling a little better. "Yeah, you're right. One step at a time."

Just then, the door to the café opened, and Brian walked in, holding a small bag. "Hey, I found it!" he called out, waving the bag.

"Great," Meredith said, standing up. "Let's head back. We've got a big day ahead."

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱