Three days passed by a lot faster than either of them would have liked. It had been fun, but it was over in the blink of an eye. Matt wasn't sure whether he'd made the right decision in going to visit Brenna, or a huge mistake. He was attached already... very attached. He wished he could have stayed longer, but his career required him to be elsewhere. They had a tour to finish, and, as much as he'd have wanted Brenna to join him, they both knew it was too soon for that. Matt also knew that his band mates probably wouldn't take too kindly to someone they didn't even know joining them on the rest of their adventure.

He'd promised he'd keep in touch, and she knew he would. The days they'd spent together had been nothing short of perfect. There was just an instant connection between them that made them both feel as if they'd known each other for years. It was definitely going to be more than just a casual thing.

As usual, Brian was the first to pick up on Matt's less-than-cheery attitude. And, after their conversation the last time, he didn't need to ask to know what was causing it.

"Missing your girl?" The guitarist swung around the door frame and dropped beside his best friend on the couch in the back lounge of the bus.

Matt's initial reaction was to grow defensive and spit out something about her not being his girl, but he knew that was bullshit. Both of them did. She WAS his girl. Or, if she wasn't, she definitely would be soon. "I--..." he dropped his head a little "-Yeah..."

Sighing, Brian clamped his hand down on the singer's shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. "Come on, man. Cheer up a little. We all miss our girls and our families and stuff." He shrugged his shoulders and spoke again before Matt could argue his point, "The more you think about it, the more it hurts. The more your mind is on it, the more you miss them...."

"I know..." Matt nodded, letting his head fall back. "I just... I dunno, man. I haven't felt this way in a long time." He lifted his head again and looked Brian right in the eyes. "I really like her, dude."

Brian pursed his lips and nodded his head. "I know. I can tell." That infamous grin appeared on his face. "You're my best friend. I can read you like a book. I knew you felt something for her the minute you said you were taking off for New York to see her."

Matt blew out a breath, closing his eyes briefly. "What the fuck is wrong with me, man? It never used to hit me this much even when I was with Val."

"New love." Brian shrugged after stating it matter-of-factly. "It always hits you harder at the beginning. That first stage of never wanting to be without them and shit. It blows, but that’s the way it goes."

Love?

Was it love?

Matt hadn't really thought of it that way. He'd never believe in love at first sight. How could you love someone without really knowing them?

"I don't know if love is the word..."

"It's love." Brian pushed himself up off the couch. "Puppy love or something, I dunno. But it's definitely a lot more than just 'liking' her a lot."
He swiped up Matt's phone from the table and tossed it to him. "Call her. Maybe that'll cheer you up a little and tide you over for the rest of the day. I don't want you moping around here."

Matt raised a brow and opened his mouth to speak but Brian lifted his hands and turned on his heels, leaving the room before he could even get a word out.

Sighing, the frontman stood to his feet and paced a little, holding the phone in his hand. Was it too soon to be calling her? They'd only been apart a day or so. He didn't want her to feel like he was suffocating her already and ruin whatever chance they had at a relationship before it even really got started.

But he missed her. He wanted to hear her voice.

After steeling himself and coming to the conclusion that she probably wanted to talk to him, too, he scrolled to her number in his contacts and hit the call button, raising the phone to his ear. It didn't take long for her to answer.

"Hey, handsome," she said cheerfully, instantly making him feel reassured.

"Hey, gorgeous," he responded, smiling himself. "How's it going?"

"It's... going," she said, nodding to herself. "Missing you, though..."

Hearing her say those words made his heart feel like it was going to break in two. Yep. He was in love.

"I miss you, too," he admitted, chewing on his bottom lip for a second. "Three days wasn't enough time with you."

She sighed into the receiver. "I know... Didn't even feel like three days." There was a short pause before she spoke again. "I hate being so far away from you."

It was his turn to sigh now as he closed his eyes and rested his head against his arm on the wall. "Fuck the distance... you should be here."

"I know, babe..." She sighed, too, and he could hear the pain in her voice and knew that it was just as hard for her as it was for him. "I'll be with you... soon."

Matt perked up a little, opening his eyes again. "You will?"

"If you want me to be..." He could hear the smile creeping through into her voice. "There's nothing keeping me here, Matt. California sounds like a dream."

"You'd move out to Cali to be with me?" Even though she'd just suggested it, he had to ask the question, just to make sure he hadn't imagined it. "You'd really do that?"

She giggled lightly at his enthusiasm and surprise. "I'd love to. I just... I dunno. Is it too soon for you?"

"No!" He barked out the word a little too loudly in his attempt to shoot down the idea. "No... It's not at all. I'd love to be able to spend time with you every day. I really, really like you, Brenna... I really do."

"I know..." She giggled again. "I can tell... And I really like you too, Matt. We'll... talk about it when your tour is done, okay? Just have fun."

He couldn't stop the smile from spreading on his face as he nodded eagerly, forgetting the fact that she couldn't see it. "I'll try, babe... And I'll call you every night, I promise."

"You'd better." She bit her bottom lip to try and hide the ear-to-ear smile that she knew was going to come across in her voice. "I'll talk to you soon... Good luck tonight."

"Thanks... I-...." He cut himself short, just before he could come out with those three words that were playing on his mind. He didn't want to spoil the moment by saying something stupid and fucking everything up.

[i]I love you...[/i]

It went unsaid as they said their goodbyes... There would be a time and a place for the sentimental, lovey-dovey stuff. Over the phone during a brief conversation, with one on a bus in the middle of nowhere and the other in a small apartment in New York was not the time, nor the place for such an exchange... Although, they both felt the same.

Notes

Final chapter for the competition entry. May continue it.