Hate That I Love You

“You realize we have to face Jamie when we get back?”
Bryan awoke me from my light slumber, I wasn’t asleep, I was just resting my eyes.

“Do I ever… how did you meet her?” I asked, lifting my head from his shoulder to glance up at him.

“I got pretty wasted one night, and one thing led to another and I woke up in bed with her, she was nice at first, but then she started to being a bitch towards the band and myself, so I stopped the relationship, but she obviously didn’t take it so well.” He paused, taking a huge breath.

“That was a long sentence…” he puffed, rubbing his hand up and down my arm, vertically.

“Do you think we need to get back yet?”

“Uh?”

He glanced around, not having a watch to determine the time made the situation harder.

“Sure, why not?” he smiled.

I slowly got off him so he could get up. Once he was up, he brushed the grains of sand off his hands and clothes and extended a hand out to me. I took it greedily and he heaved me from the ground, pulling me into his arms.

We walked off, towards the bus.

“I love the beach.” He smiled, kissing the top of my head.

“Me too.”

“WHAT THE HELL RONNIE?” came Max’s girly scream as it met Bryan and I at the door way.

“SHUT UP MAX!”

“What the hell?” Bryan mumbled to me, pushing me behind him so he could enter the bus first.

“RONNIE, YOU STUPID FUCKHEAD!” Max cried, throwing pillows and blankets at the rapidly flailing man.

“Max! what are you doing?”
Max spun quickly on his heel.

“Bryan, what are you doing here?”

“Im trying to find out why you’re screaming at poor Ronnie?”

I glanced over Bryans shoulder at Ronnie then at Max. They were both red faced and breathing heavily, I could help but laugh. Ronnie was on the floor, face down. Max was sitting in his bunk, his head peeping out of the curtains.

“Ronnie bit my leg while I was sleeping. So I kicked him, and he bit my harder.” Max rubbed his leg.

“You bit Max?” Bryan cried

“You kicked Ronnie?” I said at the same time.

“Yea…” They nodded in unison.

“okay, Ronnie, Get up off the floor, Max, go back to sleep, where’ Omar and Robert?” Bryan lifted an eyebrow and glanced over his shoulder at me. I just shrugged.

“They went to get dinner before we left… we are waiting for them to get back.” Ronnie muffled into his palm.

“Oh, well…Ronnie please get up.”

“But, my face hurts… Can I hit Max”

“NO! YOU CAN’T! MAX”S LEG HURTS!” Max screeched, burying himself deeper onto his bed, wrapping his blanket around him like a worm in a cocoon.

“Well... Ronnie’s face hurts; I don’t see you fixing it.” Ronnie cried, getting up and brushing himself down.

“I don’t see you fixing my leg…bastard.” Max turned over, facing his back to Ronnie.

“Let’s go down this end of the bus.” Bryan turned me around, placed his hands on the lower half of my back and pushed me back towards the front of the bus.

“Bryan, I can walk without your help.”

He pushed me down onto the couch, sitting down next to me. Almost on top of me to be exact. I straightened myself up and curled under his arm as he wrapped it around me.

“I love you…” he whispered against my hair. I buried deeper into his side.

“I love you too, Bryan.” I removed my head from its cocoon and reached up to Bryans lips to kiss him. He shuffled a bit to get a better position, wrapping his arms further around me. He forced most of his weight down onto me, pushing me backwards into the couch. His hands made their way up the back of my shirt, lightly following my spine to where it met the bra strap. His hair dangled into my face, tickling my cheeks and eyelids. He started to deepen the kiss, his tongue gliding across my bottom lip, asking for entrance. His feet were laced with mine, I pushed his slender shoes off his small feet. They fell to the ground with a ‘plop’. We were about to lose ourselves in each other when a familiar voice screeched at us.

“GET A GOD DAMN ROOM!” Robert screeched as he entered the van, passing us without a second glance.

“We would if we could…” I sighed, going back to kissing Bryan.

No one else but Robert cared. Ronnie and Max were still arguing and Omar couldn’t keep his eyes off us once he entered.

“Dude, check it out!” Max stopped pestering Ronnie and pointed directly at us, Ronnie turned to us, glaring uncontrollably.

“They remind me of Nikki and I…” Ronnie pondered, realizing he said to much and turn away, embarrassed.

“Who?” Max crinkled his face, turning to Ronnie, who had his back to him. He pulled on his shoulder. He didn’t turn. Max pulled harder. Still, he did not turn, so Max heaved him back, he spun on his heels and faced Max.

“Who is Nikki?”

“A friend….” Ronnie glanced down at the ground, playing with his feet.

“Really sounds like it…” Max mumbled, walking away, towards Robert, who was happily eating his dinner and humming an unfamiliar tune.

“Dude, why are we like the only ones not making out or dreaming about making out with someone?” Max nudged Robert’s side.
Omar and Robert turned to him.

“Speak for yourself…” Robert averted his eyes back to his food.

Max stared wide eyed at Robert, then turned to Omar, his mouth dropped open

“Looks like it’s just you and me, Omar.” He snickered.

“You wish Max.” Omar got up and left.

Max stared wide eyed and glanced around. His eyes landed on Ronnie, who was pointlessly waltzing around in circles, talking to himself and staring at his phone, obviously waiting for it to ring.

Max smirked.

“Ronnie!” he called

Ronnie took his eyes away from his phone and glared a Max.

“….Who is Nikki?"