Runaway [cake au] ✔

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"How are you holding up?"

I stared blankly at my phone, where Ashton's pixelated face looked back. He was FaceTiming me from his tour bus; apparently, they were currently on their way to Anaheim, where their last show was. We'd been talking about touring for the past half an hour, and how he was gonna feel so empty after today.

"Luke? Can you hear me? Damn this phone signal – hello?"

I blinked and shook out of it. "Yeah, sorry I'm here," I mumbled, pressing my forefinger and middle finger across my temple. "I'm good – Harper is due in a couple of weeks so we're taking it easy and staying at home."

"And how is Michael?"

His expression fell a little when I said, "He's actually pretty good. The last time we talked he was on a beach in Florida with his new girlfriend, so yeah – Hi or Hey is actually relatively empty." I showed him a sweep panorama of the canteen, where I was literally the only one sitting. Even the café staff were somewhere in the back, probably taking a break in the staff room. "Hey – after you've rested a while how about coming down here again? I could do with some company – and you could give a hand in deciding the track list for this new band's album I'm working on."

He smiled. "That would be nice. When's Michael coming back?"

"Not until September, I think. He's gonna make the most of the sun whilst he's away – besides Hi or Hey can run without his presence."

We finished our conversation, and I wolfed down the rest of my spaghetti. I didn't feel like working, so I packed up and headed back home. The streets of Brooklyn weren't particularly busy at this time of day, so I had no trouble getting there – though as I parked the car, I saw a vaguely familiar face coming out from the building.

"Victor? Hey, it's me, Luke!" I greeted, slinging my messenger bag backwards so it wasn't in the way as we shook hands. "How have you been?"

He looked somewhat scared, but that didn't stop him from saying, "Good, thanks. You?"

"Not bad, not bad... I don't know if you know, but Harper's expecting in a couple of weeks so we're both on edge. It feels like the baby could come any minute!"

A moment of discomfort passed as he awkwardly tried to come up with a response.

"So have you just been visiting Harper?"

He cleared his throat. "N-no, I have a friend who lives on the 2nd floor."

"Ah, I see. Well you should come and visit some time – I'm sure she'd love to see you."

I waved and walked past him, keying in the code and trekking up the many flights of stairs till I reached the door to our apartment, which was still open.

"Hey, Harper? You in?" I shouted. Pip came over and miaowed, flicking her tail at my shin as she left a trail of cat hairs behind.

"Yeah, just in the kitchen," she said back. "How come you're back so early?" she asked when I'd shut the door. She was sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in her hand, a book in the other – though it looked slightly staged, almost as though she'd only just picked it up.

"Couldn't stay at work a moment longer. I'm just so excited Harper! Soon we're gonna have our own little bub to look after and bring up... oh, you won't believe who I just saw! Victor, coming out of the building!"

She chuckled nervously. "Yeah, he came to pay me a visit... say hello, you know?"

I frowned. "But he said he was visiting his friend on the 2nd floor... wait what?"