"Eden?" Trinity peaks her head through the door of my room in our suite, a concerned smile on her face. She'd encouraged me to head back to our room, claiming she'd let the others know I was feeling ill and needed to lay down. "How are you feeling?" She asks, pouting when she sees me under the covers of my bed, mindlessly watching some baking show on cable.

I hadn't been able to tell my sister everything about why I broke down the way I did. There was no time to; I could tell she was curious, though too kind to ever outwardly ask me what's going on. "I've been better," I admit with a sad chuckle, not bothering to lie.

"Would Bailey, Jack and Brit make it better or worse?" She questions, a slight smirk on her lips, as my tense shoulders drop, nodding slightly as the other girls step into sight. She must have gone back into her room before coming here because she's now dressed in sweats and a sweater, "the guys are on their way; figured we'd need provisions."

Bailey meets me halfway when I stand to greet her, pulling me in for a hug, "Hi, babe," she rubs a soothing circle along my back, mumbling. Bailey knew far back my feelings for Jamie drew from; I can clearly remember that day, almost three years ago. He'd always been my best friend, but there was this moment at the wrap party when he twirled me around, the dim lighting making him feel like the only other person in the room.

When he placed me back down, his hands on my waist, mine on his chest, fingers hovering over his heartbeat, I felt the strongest urge to lean up on my toes and kiss him, my gaze flickering from captivating blue to his dimpled smile, wondering what it'd be like to have them pressed against my own. I told Bailey almost immediately after, pacing her hotel room that night, confused over what I felt at that moment.

"Thank you for coming," I squeeze her back just as tight, like she's an anchor, holding me up. I don't need to say anything for her to know... I'm sure Lilly filled her in on the date tonight, giddy and excited.

Pulling away, Bailey looks me in the eyes, smiling sincerely as she says, "of course." She moves her hands down to squeeze mine in hers. "Trinity, why don't you get into something comfier while we get the room set up?"

Bailey immediately gets to work, moving over to the spare double bed in my room. Our suite is massive, with two separate bedrooms and a giant living room space, far too big for just Trinity and I, though we didn't complain, excited to have our rooms for our time in LA. "We could just watch TV in the sitting room?" I offer, chuckling as she struggles to push the other bed, a chuckle escaping past my lips as I move to help her anyway.

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" She raises her brow at me. The bed frame is heavier than it looked, the two of us struggling together; still, it inched closer to the other bed, slowly forming one giant bed for all of us to camp out on for the night. Something Bailey knew would cheer me up.

We've barely made progress when someone else walks in the room. Brit peeks his head in, "What the hell are you two doing?" He laughs, dropping bags of snacks on the nightstand under the TV.

"We're having a sleepover," Trinity, who must have let him into the suite, explains, now dressed in a pair of plaid pj pants, wearing a sweater of mine that she'd stolen ages ago.

Britain is also dressed comfy, pulling me into his side, "Trin and Bails said you were having an emergency?" He informs me, leaning his head on top of mine, "what's going on?"

The words feel foreign coming out of my mouth. I guess a small part of me always hoped one day, Jamie would see me the way I saw him. That one day, he'd want me the way I've wanted him for so long; but that was ridiculous, and reality had made sure to give me a nice slap in the face, letting me know just that. "Jamie and Lilly are going out," I admit, hugging him back, "I know it's stupid to be so heartbroken over a guy I never even dated, but it's just-"

When I hesitate, Trinity finishes my sentence for me, a frown on her face as she says, "it's Jamie," She tucks herself into my other side, "he's not just some guy, Eden."

We stand like this for a minute, Bailey happily tucking herself under Britain's other arm, when someone knocks on the door, "that's probably Jack," Bailey informs me, "why don't you let him in while we finish pushing the beds together."

I nod, kissing the top of my sister's head before walking toward the door. I'm prepared to be greeted by Jack's familiar pair of brown, his wide smile that almost always makes me feel a little better. When I left him in that room earlier, I never once thought about how he might've been hurting, having to watch Lilly be completely into someone else, leaving him to awkwardly deal with it alone.

"Hey, I-"

I stop talking when a storm of grey captures my eyes in his, a dozen emotions flooding through me. Hurt, sadness, longing, hopefulness... I'm not sure whether to walk back into the room and pretend I never saw him or hug him, longing for his touch. "Hey, Trouble," Jamie runs his fingers through his hair, tone unsure. He's dressed for a night out, unlike myself, who's wearing the comfiest pair of sweats I owned, so old they've begun to fade in colour. On top, I've got a t-shirt from when I was in high school band.

"Jamie," I let out a breath, stepping forward without thought, holding the door behind me open as I stepped out of the room, not wanting the others to see who it was. It's been too long since it's been just us. I needed this moment with him, even if it was going to break my heart. "I thought you had a date tonight?" I question, trying my best not to sound indifferent about it.

"I did," he nods, fidgeting with his rings, "I mean, I do. I just..." he pauses, gaze softening as he looks at me, a slight frown making its way onto his lips. Even when he frowns, he's beautiful, his pout just as perfect as his smile. "I wanted to see you."

My heart feels heavy in my chest, conflicted as a small smile makes its way to my lips, "Oh?" I don't admit I wanted to see him too, that all I've wanted these past few days was to talk to him... to figure out what the hell was going on?

"I've been kind of off these past few days," he admits nervously like he's unsure of what to say. Jamie and I have never had that problem before, though. Besides me keeping my feelings for him a secret, we told one another everything, and we were never unsure of what to say, not with each other. "I was going through something, and I was cold toward you."

Going through something? I long to question what he means, but then it hits me. Jamie's not used to having to share how he feels. He's got his walls built high, feelings stowed deep down, rarely shared with anyone. When I brought up Lilly, it made it all real; I'd practically forced him to open up, something he's always struggled with. "It's okay, I-"

"No, it's not," Jamie cuts me off, shaking his head. "I shut down and pushed you away with no explanation." It'd been a matter of days, but it felt like it's been months since Jamie and I spoke. We were so close, but it felt like he was a million miles away. "I took how I was feeling out on you, and that wasn't fair. I'm sorry."

Knowing my room key is in the back of my phone case. I let go of the door, letting it close behind me, "you really hurt me," I admit, not bothering to sugar-coat it. I think Jamie practically ignoring me for days made the whole him and Lilly going out thing that much worse. It felt like I'd lost him for good, even as a friend. "I thought I did something," I admit, "that you hated me."

Jamie's expression falls even further as he reaches for my hand; his hands are much softer than my own, my fingers calloused from years of playing instruments. "I could never hate you, Eden Bliss." He says my full name, seriously, like this is something he really needs me to understand. "I'm an ass, okay?" he lets me know, and I can't help but chuckle, something that makes him smile, dimples on full display for me, "and you deserve a much better best friend, I know that."

I shake my head at him, my heart simultaneously breaking and rising at the same time. I was always just going to be Jamie's best friend. It's something I'd need to get used to, but it was better than losing him completely, even if I'd have to watch him eventually fall in love with someone else... someone who's not me. "I don't want a different best friend," I admit, squeezing his hand in mine, cherishing the way my hand fits in his, perfectly, like they were made to be connected.

I just want you. The words linger in my mind, hopeless, longing to reach out, to cup his cheek and press my severely chapped lips against his perfectly soft ones. "Even if I'm an ass?" Jamie asks, brow quirked, cutting me out of my thoughts.

I laugh, and his smile grows even brighter. I wish I could freeze this moment, his hand in mine, smiling at me like I'm the only thing that matters, the two of us alone, something that happens so rarely nowadays. "Even if you're an ass." I nod, confirming his words.

When Jamie pulls me into his arms, hands snaking around my waist, I don't hesitate to wrap my arms around him too, cheek pressed against his chest, where his heartbeat is steadily beating, "I missed this," he admits, the warmth of his hands felt through my t-shirt, gripping my waist.

I hum, his cologne flooding my senses. This time, I nod in agreement, whispering, "me too." When he pulls away, I have to fight the urge to tug him back; it's been days since the London premiere when he last hugged me, and I hadn't realized just how much I missed it until he hugged me now.

"Well, I should be going," he sighs, stepping back; his hair is a mess from running his fingers through it, something I don't bother fixing. He's always looked so cute with messy hair. "I told Lilly I'd meet her in the lobby."

"Lilly, right," I nod, almost forgetting he was stopping by here on his way to her. Despite the happiness floating through me, a twinge of sadness still sits on my heart, pushing it down, "have a good night."

Jamie nods, a small smile on his face as he backs away down the hall, "goodnight, Eden."

Just as I'm about to say the same, someone turns the corner of the hall. Dressed in Christmas PJs, curls a mess on the top of his head is Jack, carrying a chocolate birthday cake from a grocery store, "Oh hey guys," he smiles, though I don't miss the curious look on his face, knowing he'll interrogate me about Jamie and I's conversation as soon as the British boy is gone.

"Is it someone's birthday?" Jamie asks, awkwardly laughing as he nods toward the cake in the other boy's hands.

"Oh, this?" Jack looks down at the cake with a shrug, "just a little snack for movie night." I laugh, shaking my head as Jack walks over to me, a goofy grin on his face, "you know Eden and her sweets," he nudges me, "maybe if I'm lucky, she'll let me have a slice."

I gasp, mocking hurt as I tap him with my elbow, "not anymore, I'm not," I warn him, with a teasing glare, "this is all mine now, thank you." I take the small cake from him.

"Well," Jamie runs his fingers through his hair, and I wish he could stay. "I should get going," he smiles at me one last time, "I'll see you both in the morning."

"See ya, dude," Jack waves as Jamie turns around, walking around the corner out of our line of vision. Jack waits a few seconds before saying anything else, lightly smacking my arm as he turns his body to face me, brow quirking curiously, "what the hell was that about?" He asks, whispering.

"Let's go inside," I nod toward the door, sighing, excited to dig into the chocolate cake in my hands. "I'd rather just tell you all at once."

Literally about to leave for the airport to get on a seven hour flight! But I wanted to get something out for you!!❤️