𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 || 𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐳 ||

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟕

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱

Once everyone got back to their own houses or apartments, Milo decided to meet up with Marlow, Astrid, and Harper at Harper's apartment. 

She knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. 

Moments later, Harper swung the door open, greeting Milo with a smile and a hug.

"Hey, Milo!" Harper exclaimed, pulling her sister into a warm embrace.

"Hey, Harper!" Milo returned the smile as she stepped into the apartment. Harper guided her over to the couch where Marlow and Astrid were seated.

"So, how was the tour?" Harper inquired, settling down next to Milo.

"It was fun, for the most part," Milo began, but then her expression darkened. "Until the last few shows..."

"Why? What happened?" Marlow asked, concern evident in her voice.

Milo took a deep breath before revealing, "Well, when we were in Cincinnati, me, Lauren, Meredith, and Jaime went out for drinks. But then Meredith and Jaime left, leaving just me and Lauren. And, well, we were both drunk... and we ended up kissing."

The room fell into a stunned silence as everyone processed Milo's confession.

"Really?" Astrid finally spoke up, her eyes wide with surprise.

Milo nodded solemnly. "Yeah. And then I told Joey... and after the show, Joey told Joe, which didn't end well," she explained, her tone heavy with regret.

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱

Lauren decided to invite Mak over to her apartment. She scrolled through her phone as she waited, anticipation bubbling up inside her. 

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

"Coming!" Lauren called out, quickly making her way to the door. 

She opened it to see Mak standing there with a big smile on their face.

"Hey Lauren! Tell me everything about the tour!" Mak exclaimed, their excitement contagious.

Lauren grinned, stepping aside to let Mak in. "Yeah! Come on in!" she said warmly.

Mak walked into the apartment and made their way over to the couch, settling in comfortably. Lauren followed, taking a seat next to Mak.

"So, how was it? I want all the details!" Mak urged, their eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Lauren chuckled. "It was amazing, but also kind of crazy," she began, her mind already sifting through the myriad of memories and experiences from the tour. "The performances were great, but things got a bit complicated towards the end."

Mak raised an eyebrow, leaning in closer. "Complicated how?" they asked.

Lauren took a deep breath, deciding where to start. "Well, there was this one night in Cincinnati... Me, Milo, Meredith, and Jaime went out for drinks. After Meredith and Jaime left, it was just me and Milo. We were both a little drunk, and... we ended up kissing," she confessed, glancing at Mak to gauge their reaction.

"You okay, Mak?" Lauren asked, noticing the distant look in their eyes. Mak sat up straighter, forcing a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just... a lot to take in," Mak said, trying to sound casual.

Lauren frowned slightly. "Are you sure? You seem a bit off," she probed gently.

Mak hesitated, then looked at Lauren with a mix of frustration and hurt in their eyes. "You knew I liked Milo, and you went off and kissed her!" Mak said, their voice tinged with accusation.

Lauren stared at Mak, guilt washing over her. "We were both drunk! I didn't mean to kiss her—" Lauren started to explain, but Mak cut her off.

"But you did, Lauren! And now everything's messed up. You know how I feel about her," Mak snapped.

Mak got up from the couch, their frustration evident, and walked over to the door. 

Without another word, they yanked it open and slammed it shut behind them. 

Lauren, who was still sitting on the couch, flinched at the sound and stared at the door as it rattled in its frame.

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱

"I get Joe is mad, but he could at least send me a text or something," Milo said as she leaned back into Harper's couch, her frustration evident in her voice. 

Harper, sitting cross-legged on the floor, looked up from her phone.

"Have you tried reaching out to him again?" Harper asked, her brow furrowing with concern.

"Yeah, I did. He's just ignoring me," Milo replied, staring at the ceiling. "It's like he doesn't even want to try to work things out."

"Give him some time," Astrid chimed in, joining the conversation from her spot on the armchair. "He's probably just processing everything."

"Maybe," Milo sighed, closing her eyes. "But it's hard not knowing what's going through his head."

Harper moved to sit next to her sister on the couch, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We're here for you, Milo. No matter what happens."

"Thanks, Harper," Milo said, offering a weak smile. "I really appreciate it."

Marlow, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up. "You know, sometimes people just need space to figure things out. Joe might come around once he's had a bit of time."

"I hope so," Milo said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I really do."

Milo's phone rang for the fourth time that day, and she let out a weary sigh. "It's Joey again," she murmured, glancing at the screen before deciding to ignore the call.

Harper observed Milo's action and then turned her gaze back to her. "Aren't you going to call him back?" she inquired, concern lacing her tone.

Milo met Harper's eyes with a resolute expression. "No," she replied firmly, slipping her phone back into her pocket.

Harper nodded slowly, understanding dawning in her eyes. "Okay," she said softly, respecting Milo's decision.

"M, He's your brother. You can't just ignore him," Astrid insisted, her concern evident in her voice as she looked at Milo.

"I'm not," Milo countered, meeting Astrid's gaze with a hint of defiance.

˗ˏˋ꒰💛 ꒱