Girl I Know

“Tennessee!” Savannah shouted at me through the bathroom door, “You alright?”

I sighed as I pulled myself up from the toilet, “Just hungover, nothing major.”

Savannah opened the door a bit and poked her head into the small bathroom on the tour bus, “You mean after these last 2 months you’re still not used to partying all the time?” She joked but handed me a bottle of water and my toothbrush/paste.

I grumbled as I took the items from her hands, “I just didn’t expect tour would be this way.” I began brushing my teeth to get rid of the alcohol throw up breath.

Savannah went over and flushed the toilet for me, “Me either, but it’s definitely been fun. Working the booth and watching the guys play show after show, the fans getting more and more excited.” She smiled at me as I nodded before spitting.

“It has been, I just worry about if this is something I’ll be willing to do every time they leave,” I sighed and took a drink of water.

“You girls done with the bathroom?” Matt grumbled as he came to the doorway, half asleep and scratching his balls. “I gotta pee.”

We smiled apologetically at him, “Sorry Matt, all yours.” I told him as we walked past him to the back lounge to finish our conversation.

“I know what you mean Tenney, but they’re our new dream right?” Savannah asked closing the door quietly.

I bit my lip gently, “I mean, I think so, I’d like a family and I think Zacky could be that guy, but seeing them on the road like this and everything. I just don’t think I could handle it. I don’t think I could be that girl that can let her guy leave for months at a time.”

Savannah nodded and hugged me, “Well, what are you going to do?”

I shrugged, “I don’t know, probably try to outlast this tour and then end things once we get back to HB.”

She nodded, “I don’t know if I can wait that long. I thought coming on tour would bring Matt and I closer, but I don’t feel like I’m in love with him Tenney.” She sighed and looked at the floor. “I know I should, he’s a good guy. I just…I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

I gently squeezed her hand, “Should we just go home?” I knew that Zacky would be upset, but he couldn’t be allowed to find out my secret. He couldn’t know what was happening with me. Their career was finally taking off in the right direction. He couldn’t afford any distractions.

She chewed on her lip a little, “I think so. I love the guys, we’ll always be their friends, just…don’t think this is what any of us deserve. Not right now. We should be focusing on our careers and then we can focus on other things.”

I nodded as I stood up and grabbed her hand as we made our way to the front of the bus where everyone was gathered in the living room area/kitchenette. Every single pair of eyes were on us as we emerged, “Guys, we have some news.” I started standing with one arm across my middle, holding my other arm.

“Uh oh, this sounds serious,” Brian sighed as he put his phone away, the rest of the guys following suit.

“We’re gonna go home,” Savannah told them softly and about three seconds later, the bus erupted into shouting and cursing.

“What do you mean you’re going home?” Jimmy cried out looking at us wide eyed.

“You guys can’t go home, we need you through the last 2 weeks of the tour,” Brian insisted.

“Yeah, you girls are amazing, we need you,” Johnny agreed.

“Fucking serious?” Zacky asked eyeing me suspiciously.

“What the fuck do you mean you’re leaving?” Matt asked eyeing both of us.

“Matt, can I talk to you?” Savannah asked softly before turning to go to the back lounge. Matt quickly followed, fuck this was going to hurt him.

Zacky came up to me and hugged me, “What’s going on?”

I sighed and sat at the kitchen table, the other three guys still blabbering on, freaking out. Zack sat across from me. “I just don’t think this is a good idea. You guys need to focus on your careers, I think being tied down right now is something that will distract you all. I’ve seen Brian’s shows when he and Casey have a fight, he’s usually drunk off his ass. You guys all do better when everything’s in sync.”

“You don’t love me?” Zacky asked softly but curiously. Not trying to manipulate me, he just wanted to know.

“Zack, I’ll always love you, you’re one of my best friends. I just…I think we moved to fast, I think we need to take a break, a serious break and see if this is really what both of us want. You can’t tell me that you’re not tempted to fuck some of those chicks that come to the show or stalk you guys to one of the bars,” I explained calmly looking in his eyes, but he kept his guard up.

He sighed and leaned his head on the table, “I am, but I love you Tenney. You’re right, we rushed things. If you’re not sure about this life, because I understand it’s a massive change from what you’re used to, what both of you are used to.”

I nodded, “I’m sorry Zee, I just…I need some time and I think that it’s best if Savannah and I go back to HB for atleast the remainder of the tour, and I think we all need to take a break from relationships. I love being your friend, all of your friends. I’d really love if we could all stay friends, I just…I need to figure out if I can do this life style as a partner.”

He nodded back processing everything, “Alright. Deal.” He stood up and went to get a beer out of the fridge and sat on the couch, “We’ll get you girls a flight back tonight from Charlotte.”

“Thank-you Zack,” I said and went back to the bunk packing up my stuff.

**Savannah’s POV**

I paced the backroom not sure on how to tell Matt, “Would you sit down and stop pacing? You’re making me nervous.” He scolded me in frustration.

I looked at him and then nodded, sitting next to him, “Matt…I wanna go home with Tennessee.”

“I gathered that, but why?” He asked looking in my eyes, searching for any form of deceit.

“Because, I don’t think this is going to work with us. It’s not just the tour Matt, I really like you, I know that you’re a very solid guy. Someone I can depend on, someone that I’d be able to rely on no matter what. But I don’t think that you’re my white knight. I think you’re one of my best friends and I’d never change that.” I looked down for a second, feeling tears well up. I had this feeling in my gut that I was going to lose him completely.

He lifted my chin gently so he could look in my eyes, “Savvy, do you regret me taking your virginity?”

I felt my cheeks flush but I shook my head, “No, nothing like that at all. You’re perfect Matty. I just…I don’t think that we’re meant to be more than friends. I don’t regret anything that’s happened, I just don’t think that we’re meant to be.” That and I’m kind of in love with your best friend I added silently.

Matt nodded sighing as he ran his hands over his face, “Well, I’d be lying if I didn’t see this coming. You are right, we’re not meant to be more than friends. But we both understood that we are each other’s ideal personality of what we need. Just not the right combination at this point in time.”

I nodded, “Exactly, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t want us to be best friends or that I don’t want us to stay close in contact or anything. And of course I’ll come see you guys on the road. I just…right now I think everything’s moved very quickly and I think that Tennessee will need me at home rather than 3000 miles away while we finish tour.”

“You’re a great girl Savannah, any guy that you choose he will be the luckiest guy in the world,” He kissed my forehead gently. “We’ll get you girls a flight home from Charlotte. Go ahead and pack.” I smiled and kissed his lips for the last time before going to pack up the bunk.

**Tennessee’s POV**

About an hour later Zacky and the guys were dropping us off at the airport, we had to be here two hours before our flight and we were cutting it close. I hated telling them goodbye, but it wasn’t forever. We just needed time to grow, all of us. As we walked away from the tear filled goodbye, I knew in my heart that even though we’d discovered another chapter, we’d made friends that we would never leave behind. They’ll always be our friends, and we’ll always be their girls. Brian had called Casey shortly after we had ended things with Matt and Zacky, he broke things off with her. I’m sure she’ll be contacting us to ask what the fuck we did to Brian. This hadn’t been uncommon sense we left for tour.

As I turned around one last time to see our group dispersing through the crowd, I met his eyes. The eyes that I hoped one day I’d see again on someone else. The loving, kindness, that was unconditional, nonjudgmental. Those eyes, I hoped I’d see carried on through someone else someday.

Notes

I hope you guys enjoyed this final segment of this initial story; We will see more of these characters in the remaining few chapters of "Forever Is Right Now" and the sequel to follow.

Please let me know what you think, I hope that you feel a sense of closure with this story and enjoyed reading it. Please comment and as always I love you awesome nerds.