ELLY
We get back to the hotel after eating breakfast and find everyone else is ready and Josh has arrived. He is standing in the middle of the room that everyone else has gathered in. He turns around when we open the door and walk inside.
   "Good, you made it," Griffin says, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder as he walks by him to the table. Chase and Noen, along with Anthony, give him a hug as they pass by.
   "Hi," I say with a small smile.
   "Hey, Elly. Good to meet you," Josh replies.
   "You, too." I go over to the table and take the open chair next to Griffin. I look around and see everyone in here...including Madison and Jaden. They are sitting together on the floor, leaning against the wall underneath the window while Cash and Maverick sit across from them. Madison is laughing with her head resting on Jaden's shoulder. He seems to be smiling pretty wide when he looks down at her, and she seems to be smiling pretty wide when she pecks his lips and ruffles his hair. My heart drops when I see them together. He said they broke up.
"Elly?"
"Hmm?" I turn to Griffin and see him sigh.
"We're talking about going to look around the city for a few hours until the event starts. Take pictures and stuff. You down for that?" Anthony asks from across the table.
I nod. "Yeah. Sounds fun."
"Great. Who else is in?" Josh asks.
"I'm in!" Payton says excitedly, smiling and bouncing up and down on the edge of the bed. Chase leans over and smacks his head. "What was that for?" Payton whines.
"We know that you are in. He was talking to everyone else," Chase replies, rolling his eyes to Josh before getting back on his phone. Josh goes back to asking people if they want to come when I lock eyes with Jaden. I see a wave of what looks like shame and regret wash over his face before he looks back down towards Madison, who smiles and kisses him again.
"I'm just going to go get something from my room first," I say quietly to Griffin. He nods before I quickly slip out of the room and down the hall. I already have tears streaming down my face by the time I get the door unlocked.
Once I get inside the room, I slide down the wall until I'm sitting on the floor with my head in my hands. Tears are flowing through my fingers as I sob against my hands.
"Elly? Are you alright in there?" a soft voice calls through the door. I let out a quiet sniffle and rub my nose before replying.
"Who is it?" I call back as I wipe the tears off my cheeks and lean the side of my head against the cold hotel room door.
"It's Noen. Can I come in, Elly?" I sigh quietly as I reach up, pulling down on the door handle and letting him inside. He closes the door before looking down at me with a soft sigh. Noen sits down next to my feet before speaking again. "What happened?"
"It's stupid, really," I mumble, tucking my feet closer to me and looking down and away from his eyes.
"If it makes you this upset, it's not stupid. Griffin asked me to come check on you because he said you sounded...off. What's up, Elly?" Noen rubs my knee before taking hold of my hand.
"You and Chase said I should be more careful around him, but I wasn't. I really wasn't, and when Jaden said he'd broken up with Madison, I believed him." I look up at Noen's sympathetic eyes. "We kissed a few times. I was really starting to fall for him, Noen."
"I'm sorry, bub," Noen says quietly.
I just shake my head and look back down. "I was so stupid, Noen. It just felt like he was leading me on when he kept wanting to kiss. I'm so stupid to think that he felt like that. I'm just-I'm just so stupid, Noen. I'm just s-st-"
"Elly, calm down. You'll hyperventilate if you don't take a few breaths." Noen pulls me up against him and rubs my back as I take in gasps and shuddering sobs against his chest. He rubs my back for a few minutes before my weeping has been downed to a few trickles of tears running down my face. "Elly, you aren't stupid. I know Chase and I said to be careful, but if he was leading you on, then it wasn't your fault that you fell for him. And he lied to you, Elly. You clearly aren't the stupid one here."
I sniffle and give him my weakest attempt at a laugh. "Maybe."
"I'm sorry, Elly. We should've been watching out for him more," Noen says quietly as he smoothes down my hair. I smile as I lean against his chest while he sits propped up against the wall.
"No. I should've made sure he wasn't still dating someone even when he said they'd broken up," I murmur back.
"Hey, lil bub?"
"Mhm?"
"You've got me tired. We're practically cuddling right now," Noen whispers with a laugh before pulling me further against him. "Do you still want to go out with everyone?"
"Not really feeling up to it anymore. I think I'll feel better by the time the event starts, though." I look up and see Noen has rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes. "Noen?"
"Can we just stay here and sleep while they go out?" he mumbles to me.
"I'll stay here with you, yeah." A smile crosses his half-asleep face before he pulls my head under his chin.
"Aight, lil bub. Goodnight," Noen whispers.
"Goodnight," I reply with a yawn before falling asleep with my legs across his lap and head against his chest.