"Way was spotted outside a bar on Medford last Saturday but never made it to his concert. A source close to the upcoming artist confirmed questions on not knowing his whereabouts and/or why he disappeared that night. In the week since, Way has posted on social media that he is working on his upcoming album that's scheduled to release early this fall. And that's all for today on E! Morning News, catch you next week where we dish out celeb gossip you're dying to hear!"

"Oh yeah yeah-dying to hear. Whatever." Frank scoffed as he flicked off the TV and tossed the remote to the side of him on the couch. His feet were resting on the glass coffee table and he had crumbled up paper strewn all over the living room.

"What was that about?" I laughed from the kitchen. The aroma of freshly toasted bread filled our apartment as the toaster oven popped. I put a piece on each plate of bacon and eggs then made my way to the living room.

"Ah, Mikey's brother disappeared last Saturday. Something about not playing a show-whatever, I don't get into it." Frank shrugged as he continued to scribble sloppy words on the paper.

"Oh, his brother is in a band too?" I handed Frank his plate.

"He's a solo artist. He's mentioned him." He sighed as he shoved all his work off his lap before grabbing the plate. "I focus on Mikey and his band with Jess only. I try not to take it to a personal level."

"Oh." I shrugged as I sat on the couch next to him, plate in hand.

"Whatcha writing?" I questioned as I poked my fork around on my plate.

"Music." He sighed.

"For who?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Myself." He smiled as he took a bite of toast. "I figured if I'd be at the studio all week with Mikey and Jess, I should take time to focus on myself and my own music as well. I don't want to lose any creativity for myself pouring it out the band I just signed."

"They're lucky to have you." I smiled. "What time are you heading over to the studio?"

"In about 20 minutes." He said as he checked the time. "What are you up to today babe? You should stop by."

"Isn't it their first day in the studio with you Frank? I don't want to interrupt or be in the way."

"Oh psh!" Frank jokingly scoffed. "You couldn't get in our way if you tried. Besides, I was wondering where you were last Saturday. I wanted you to hang out with us but you didn't make it home in time."

"Yeah, thank god for that." I laughed. "I saw Bob's vomit on the sidewalk outside our building. I'm glad I didn't have to deal with that mess."

"Yeah, you're right." He chuckled as he put his plate down. "Only more reason to stop by the studio today. For a more proper hang out sesh." He said with a wink as he stood up. "But I gotta get ready to go babe." He began picking up the ripped and crumpled paper scattered around. He grabbed his notebook and headed to the kitchen to toss everything in the trash.

"I've got the plates." I said as I collected our half eaten food.

"Thanks!" He yelled out as he disappeared into our bedroom.

I made my way into the kitchen and tossed the left over breakfast in the trash. I sighed, thinking about my past week. I couldn't get Gerard off my mind since the moment I left him last Saturday night. And the guilt of crawling into bed with Frank the same night didn't eat me alive like I thought it would.

The calendar on the fridge caught my eye as I walked by. "Today. Monday, May twenty-third..." I whispered to myself as I placed my finger on the glossy paper. I dragged the tip of my finger over the old ink of previous work plans and reminders, counting each block. My finger stopped on the ninth square that had the number fourteen in the top right corner.

Today marked nine days since I saw Gerard.

"Becca!" Franks voice jolted me from my thoughts. "Your phone won't stop going off!"

He appeared in the kitchen with his tooth brush hanging out of the side of his mouth. He tossed my phone and I barely caught it before he rushed back into the bathroom. I glanced down at the black screen on my phone, wondering if Frank looked at it. I hit the home button just before Franks voice came into the kitchen again.

"The calendar is blank today." He said before wiping his mouth with the back of his tattooed wrist. "No plans?"

"No plans." I smiled. "I'll catch up with you at the studio but I'll have to get ready first."

"Of course." He rolled his eyes playfully and planted a kiss on my forehead. "I'm heading out. See you there, love you." He said quickly before he disappeared through the front door.

I released the tight grip I had on my phone. It was becoming a habit ever since Gerard's name was popping up on my screen on a regular basis. I had no doubt in my mind who was making my phone vibrate this early in the morning. I smiled and bit my bottom lip as I opened the text.

Gerard Eire
9:22am
photo
Good morning :*

My smile grew bigger and a sense of giddiness rushed through my chest. Who is this man and why does he make me feel like this?

9:25am Mmm good morning, Gerard :* whatcha up to?

Gerard Eire
9:26am Just enjoying coffee before heading to the office. How's your morning?

I smiled, remembering how much he's always loved his coffee. My thumbs tapped the glass screen fast as I made my way into the bedroom.

9:27am It's going well! Just finished up breakfast. How was your weekend?

I bit my bottom lip and held my phone close to my body, trying to settle the tingling feeling in my chest.

9:27am You look so handsome.

Gerard Eire
9:28am It was pretty eventful. Better if I could have seen you, my little lady. What are you doing later on today?

9:29am I don't have anything planned. Why do you ask?

Gerard Eire
9:30am I want to see you. 9 days is too long without seeing your pretty face.

I whimpered in excitement as I sat on the bed. I bit my lip and stared down at the words. I felt like a young girl, giddy over her first crush.

9:32am Today?

I typed out and hit send before I could even blink. I made my way into the bathroom and pulled out my makeup bag when my phone vibrated once more.

Gerard Eire
9:33am Today. Let's meet in the middle.
9:34am Meet me on the top of the parking garage at the Hudson mall at 6.

I took a deep breath and sat my phone down on the counter. I opened my bag and rummaged through its messy powdered covered contents. I pulled my hair into a messy bun and began to apply powder to my freckled face.

Gerard Eire
9:37am ...like old times :)

I smiled at his afterthought full of reminiscence.

9:38am I'll see you there :)

I took another deep breath to calm my nerves, continuing on with my makeup routine. I applied bronzer to the hollows of my cheeks, carefully brushing the powder against my sun kissed skin. I paid extra attention to the application of the warm hues, perfecting each stroke with thoughts of seeing Gerard in mind.

I stepped back and took a good look in the mirror, satisfied with the way my curled hair and makeup looked. I hadn't gotten a response from Gerard yet and figured he was now busy at work. So I stepped into the bedroom to grab my keys, and off to the studio I went.

Contagious laughter and cheers met my ears once I stepped through the studio doors. Everyone was grinning widely as Jess finished singing. No one noticed my presence until the excitement finally died down.

"Oh hey!" Frank never lost his huge smile once he noticed me.

All the attention was directed toward me after his exclamation. I simply smiled and waved to the other three bodies in the room. Mikey returned the gesture, and Jess smiled as she walked out of the sound booth. Bob didn't flinch from the controls on the sound board but I noticed his face fall into a frown.

"I'm so glad you made it!" Frank said as he stood and walked over to me, placing a hand on my back. "Guys, you remember Becca?"

"Yeah, hey!" Mikey smiled. I almost didn't recognize him without his glasses on.

Jess stood a little taller and ran her hand through her hair, obviously more self aware. "How could we forget!" She spoke. "You're all Frank seems to all about." She said with slight sarcasm and forced smile. I forced a slight smile and broke awkward eye contact with her. I turned to Frank, who was smiling at me proudly.

The vibes in the room felt thick, between Jess' forced greeting and Bobs frown.

Mikey and Frank were oblivious.

"Whatcha guys working on?" I asked, trying to break the silence.

"We actually just started some sample vocals for their first single." Franks hand fell to my lower back. "I was thinking maybe we should take a quick break. Jess you could definitely use some rest for that voice of yours." He chuckled.

"Yeah, that sounds good." Bob stood with a stretch. He approached Frank and I swiftly, muttering "Becca, can I have a word with you outside?" As he walked by.

I wasn't sure if Bob meant his voice to be unheard, but Frank noticed and gave us a confused look. "Sure." I faked my sweetest smile as I squeezed Franks hand before turning toward the door. This gave him a small moment of reassurance, but returned to his confused state immediately.

I followed Bob out the studio and he didn't take a second to begin once we hit the sidewalk. "Where have you been?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing stupid. I knew exactly what he was talking about. The warm fresh air gave me a sense of comfort as he spoke again.

"Becca, I have barely heard from you in a week."

"I've been busy with work, you know that." I tried, knowing that Bob was not about to buy a single thing I said.

"I hope you haven't been seeing him." Bob said as he pulled a cigarette out of the pack. I watched him silently as he brought the cigarette between his lips and lit it. He took a deep drag and held the smoke in his lungs for a moment before exhaling. "Your silence is telling me you have."

"Once." I said as I crossed my arms. My eyes fell to the sidewalk naturally. I could feel Bob staring at me now.

"Do you know anything about Gerard." He stated. He didn't want to hear my answer, because he was going to answer himself. "He's a conceited asshole who knows he has you wrapped around his finger."

I shifted my feet uncomfortably, looking back up at him. "Bob, where are you going with this?" I sighed, ignoring his negativity.

"I can see the bigger picture of what's going on here Becca." He said as he took another drag, watching the cars pass by on the busy street. "And nothing good will come of it."

"Nothing bad is going to happen either. When I saw him it was simply meeting with an old friend, nothing more."

"You're joking, right?" Bob couldn't contain his condescending laughter. "I know you. I know the affect Gerard has on you. If you keep spending more time with him and less time with Frank, some shit is going to happen that you don't want to. You can ignore what I'm saying all you want, but don't say I didn't warn you."

He was right. I was ignoring his warnings. I was hard headed, and I knew it too. I absolutely despised anyone telling me what to do or the way to live my life. I wanted Gerard to be a part of it, but Gerard being a part of my life meant that Frank would end up hurt.

"Something is off about him." Bob relaxed a bit once he leaned against the building. "He has something to hide."

"Since it seems you know him so well, what is it that he's hiding?" I said with my voice full of sarcasm. Bob shot me a glare.

"You follow him on any social media?" He said as he flicked his cigarette toward the street.

"Do you know something I don't know?" I asked with furrowed brows, trying to figure out where he was taking the conversation.

"What's his last name?" He asked as he crossed his arms. He looked comfortable against the cold brick.

"Eire." I said. "Why are you asking me all of this?"

"Look him up of social media." Bob stated as he stood up. "I promise you'll find something you don't want to know. I think that's the only way you'll stop going down this path, and focus more on the relationship you're already in." He walked by me and opened the studio doors calmly.

"You coming back in or what?"

I nodded my head silently as I stepped toward the door.

Bob held the door of the recording room open and allowed me to step in first. A heightened sense of awareness rushed over the two people who occupied the room, and I felt so uneasy at the sight.

Jess was sitting in a stool in front of the control board and Frank stood over her. He leaned in close to her body as he reached over and touched the controls. I only saw this for a split second through the doors window, because as soon as they heard the door open they jumped away from each other.

"Hey, you guys are back!" Frank played it off with a sheepish smile.

Bob looked at me with a heartfelt concerned look in his eyes.

"Should I go get Mikey?" Jess spoke with a clearing of her throat. Frank nodded and she smoothed out her dress as she stood.

I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket as Jess left the room to get her bandmate. I wanted to check it so badly as Frank spoke up. "Babe I was just showing her the controls on the sound board."

"It's ok." I shrugged it off as I grabbed for my phone.

"Then why did you guys look so startled? Hmm?" Bob teased jokingly, speaking the words I was thinking.

I chose to ignore everything that was being said as I peered down at my bright screen.

Gerard Eire
11:24am Maybe I could kiss you for the first time against the hood of my car all over again.

I was completely disconnected from current reality as I read the text. His words sent me back two years to when I first met him, to when I first felt his soft thin lips against mine. The feeling was exhilarating. I was completely torn out of the reality of the fleeting moment that just passed.
I looked up from my phone and the guys were staring at me. Reality struck as my eyes moved away from the little glass screen.

"Did you hear anything I said?" Frank spoke softly, with an ounce of sadness in his voice.

"Yeah." I stated bluntly as I put my phone in my back pocket.

Frank blinked, expecting me to say more but I didn't bother to. The sight of him that close to Jess bothered me but I wasn't going to dwell on it. The thought of Gerard's lips against mine weighed more heavily on my mind.

Jess came back into the room with Mikey, keeping her eyes forward. Bob placed his hand on my back for a moment before he sat down at the control board. Reassurance is what he was going for.

It didn't work.

I still felt uneasy.

"Let's begin." He said as he turned on a switch, illuminating the knobs and keys before him.
Frank nodded silently and turned to stand next to Bob, he moved some knobs forward and Jess entered the sound booth once more. They quickly entered work mode and I slipped away, out the door and down the hall.

11:35am Mmm, Gerard :* I cannot wait to see you.

I hit send as I walked out of the studio without a word to anyone.

Time passed slow as it always did when I was waiting to meet up with Gerard. I was sitting in my warm car at the very top of an unfamiliar parking garage at a mall I've never been to. It was 30 minutes on the other side of town, the midpoint between Gerard's house and mine.

I took a deep breath as I stared down at the last text on my phone.

Gerard Eire
6:02pm Pulling into the garage now

I bit my bottom lip and smiled as I looked up at the top floor entrance, waiting for his car to appear. I was the only car in the lot.

I saw his sleek black Acura appear and my heart dropped at the sight. An instant wave of nervousness crashed over me once more, but this time I was able to settle it.

I quickly picked up my phone and wrote out a text, hitting send without any hesitation.

Xo Frank
12:40pm Where'd you go?

6:05pm I was booked for a shoot, be home later

Not caring for a reply, I tossed my phone in my purse and quickly checked my lipstick in the rear view mirror.

Perfect.

Gerard was now pulling into a parking spot a few away from mine. I could see him flash a bright smile through his tinted windows before he placed his car in park. I waited for a moment, took a deep breath and opened my door.

"Hey you." Gerard spoke as he stepped out of his black car.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, voice full of excitement.

"Hmm," Gerard hummed. "This seems awfully familiar doesn't it?"

"It does." I managed to say. He was now standing close, peering down at me with his gorgeous hazel eyes.

I had to look away.

He made my knees weak.

I took in the vast scenery of the small city in the distance when I noticed Gerard's hand reaching toward me. "You're nervous again." He chuckled as he gently moved my bangs to the side, revealing more of my freckled face.

"There's just something you do to me Gerard." I bit my lip as we made eye contact.

He shifted his weight and smirked, making sure not to break eye contact. I grinned a little too widely, which caused him to chuckle.

"I can't figure it out." I sighed, breaking the eye contact once more.

Gerard took a deep breath and embraced his arms around me, squeezing me tightly against his body. The feeling was unfamiliar, but so safe and secure.

It was something I could get used to.

He was taller than Frank, and a bit thicker. I squeezed him tighter against me as I thought of all the differences between he and my boyfriend. He smelled so good, like the most expensive cologne.

"The first time we met in a parking garage we hugged like this." He began. "Remember?"

"Of course." I said softly as I closed my eyes and thought back two years.

We stood there and held each other for a few more moments before he broke the embrace and stepped back.

"You always look so beautiful." He said eyeing me up and down, taking in the sight of me. I suddenly became shy and blushed.

"You've always been so sweet." I said.

"I try." He smirked as he bit his lip. "So, what do ya wanna do?"

"Hmm," I thought. "We could walk around the mall..." I began as I looked around the empty parking lot.

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Or we could just stay up here..." he said with a sense of eagerness in his voice.

"Oh yeah, and do what?" I entertained his suggestion.

"I dunno." He shrugged as he squinted his eyes playfully. "Just enjoy being alone together."
The sound of a car zooming up the ramp caught our attention. We both looked back just as the car appeared and parked fairly close to us.

"I take that back." He said as he shifted his weight once more and began to look around. "Let's say we go get coffee then, yeah?"

"Sure." I smirked with a little shrug. This caused Gerard to giggle and shake his head. "What?" I said involuntarily as we made our way to the mall entrance.

"You're just too cute." He simply said as he held opened the door for me.

I took a step in the department store and the cold AC chilled my bones, which caused me to shiver. From behind I heard a giggle.

"See." Gerard appeared beside me. "Point proven."

"They have it so cold in here!" I exclaimed as I tugged on the bottom of my romper with an attempt to cover my chilled skin. This didn't do any justice as it continued to ride up with every step I took.

"Well you are wearing barely any clothing." He shrugged and shot me a sly smile. I playfully slapped his arm. "Hey, didn't say I didn't like it!"

"Exactly." I retorted with the same sly smirk.

Gerard bit his bottom lip with an attempt to hide his grin, but failed miserably. He was so fucking cute.

We walked in silence through the department store for a moment. I gazed at all the expensive dresses and hang bags as we made our way through.

"Have you been to this mall?" I asked.

"Yeah." Gerard nodded. "I've come here once or twice. They've got good restaurants and bars downstairs, nice happy hour deals." He rambled on.

"Hmm," I thought to myself. "Maybe we could grab a beer."

"Maybe." He said with a wink. His charming confidence made me melt. "But first, coffee."

He took my hand and led me through the store. We were now surrounded by bright curtains and bedding. "This way." He stated as we took a sharp turn.

He pulled my arm and spun me around as he pinned my back against a tall curtain display. "Ah, Gerard!" I yelped as I stumbled over my feet. He giggled at my reaction and pressed his body firmly against mine. He was so warm against my chilled sun kissed skin.

He pressed his hips against mine as I steadied my breathing. He was so close in such an intimate way. I could feel my body tingling beneath his. "Gerard..." I whimpered.

He could do anything to me in this moment and I wouldn't care. His eyes were full of lust as he pressed his hips into mine more firmly, completely ignoring his name.

"I want you." He managed to spit out between heavy breaths.

He reached up and ran his hand through my soft red curls. I turned my head to the side and moaned as his warm breath against my neck sent chills through my small body.

He looked at me eagerly with a hint of concern in his eyes, as if he was asking me if it was ok to continue on. I barely nodded before I felt his soft lips press against my neck. I whimpered instantly, his lips sending me into a blissful state. I squirmed a bit before Gerard shifted his weight, releasing me from the hold he had against the wall.

He reached around and grasped a handful of my ass. Before I knew it I was wrapping my legs around his waist as he hiked me up. Now in his arms, he stumbled backwards and we found ourselves on one of the display beds. We were still completely out of sight of anyone in the store.

"Gerard," I managed to spit out as he continued kissing my neck. He responded by gripping my ass firmly, pulling my hips down against his. We were as close as we could get with having clothes on.

For a moment I wished we were all alone, able to rip each other's clothes off and have at it right then and there.

"Becca," I felt his lips part from my neck. I opened my eyes I didn't realize were closed. Everything was hazy. He sent me into a state full of bliss. "I need to feel your lips against mine."

I didn't give him a chance to blink before my lips crashed into his. I felt every ounce of lust filled emotion overwhelm my tingling body as he held onto me tighter.

I didn't know what guilt was anymore.

Notes

MAN did I struggle with this.

Sorry for the delay. Life has gotten super busy, between driving all over DC, Maryland and Virginia for photoshoots and spending my weekends at shows. It was hard to find the time to get this finished! (I saw Frank on April 22nd in Baltimore. It was amazing.)

Anyways, let me know what you think! It always helps with my writing. Thanks!