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"Beck! Are you here?"

I flipped a page in the magazine that I was looking at. "Yeah, I'm in here!" I yelled back.

"Well, um... were you planning on staying?"

That got my attention. I tossed the magazine onto the coffee table and got up from the couch. I grabbed a sweater and my purse, then headed toward the front door of the apartment. Matt was standing there with his arm wrapped innocently around Tanya, the fiesty redhead that he'd been seeing for the past few weeks. This was the first time that this particular situation was because of her. It wasn't, however, the first time that I'd left home in order to avoid overhearing something that would leave me scarred.

That was the worst part about living with Matt. He was my best friend, and I loved everything about him, except when it came to his girlfriends. It was a good thing that I had a safe place to go when these things happened.

I flashed the two of them a smile. "Have fun, guys. I have to be... anywhere other than here."

"Way to make it awkward," Matt returned my grin, then led Tanya into the apartment.

"I do what I can!" I called over my shoulder as I left the apartment. I barrelled down the stairs, pulling out my keys as I went.

Once I started making more friends in Vancouver, I decided that it was time to get a vehicle of my own. Matt's schedule was much different than mine, and it was a hassle to try and make everything work when we only had his truck. So, when I'd mentioned it, Matt had helped me find a used car that was within my price range and seemed fairly reliable. Having my own vehicle had made Vancouver really feel like home again.

I drove the familiar route to Josh's apartment. It was only about fifteen minutes from me, but when he had left his parents' house, he had moved downtown. I hated driving downtown. I had made it very clear that I would only drive as far as his apartment, and he would have to take me wherever he wanted to go from there.

I punched the appropriate button on the panel near the front door of the building. I waited for a long moment for Josh to answer.

"Hello?" His voice echoed through the small speaker.

"Hey, buzz me up."

"Who is this?" He teased.

"Open the fucking door, or so help me God I'll-"

"Alright, alright! Calm the fuck down. I'll let you in."

A dull buzzing noise echoed in the half-enclosed doorway, and I wrenched open the heavy door as fast as I could. I had lost count of just how many times I'd tried to open the door and found that it was already re-locked. Speed is not my strongest trait.

I waited in the elevator as it rose to the appropriate floor. This was a very positive feature about Josh's building. When we'd all helped him move in, we'd been able to use the elevator for a lot of things. Plus, it was nice to be able to avoid using stairs every now and then after a long day.

I pushed my way into the unlocked apartment and found Josh sitting on his couch and watching some crime drama. I sat down beside him and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Matt needed the apartment," I explained, even though he hadn't asked why I came over.

I could hear Josh's laughter in his voice. "You know, you always complain when he does that, but it wasn't that long ago that it was you that was doing that with him."

I sat upright, gaping incredulously at him. "You're so wrong! I never did anything like that with Matt. And when I do anything with you, I always come here so it doesn't bother him."

Josh scoffed. "We must know two different Matts then."

I shook my head. "Nope, it was the same guy. But I wasn't ready. I mean, we tried once, but I kind of wound up laughing and ruining it. So it never happened."

"You laughed?" Josh seemed to find that bit of information absolutely hilarious. "I can't believe it! Why didn't either of you ever tell me that?"

I stared at him for a long moment, waiting for him to realize the obvious. But he didn't, so I rolled my eyes. "Would you want people to know? It's kind of embarassing for both people involved."

He was still chuckling, though he seemed to have calmed down for the most part. "I think it's more embarassing for Matt."

"And since when do I want him to be embarassed about anything?"

"Okay, fine. I get why you didn't make it common knowledge. But it took you this long to tell me? Really?"

"I didn't realize that the whole no secrets thing applied to Matt, too," I said.

We were silent for a minute. The conversation had somehow drifted to a topic that I hadn't been planning on ever bringing up. Matt and I were still as close as ever, but we avoided talking about our brief attempt at dating at all costs. It was an awkward subject for everyone. In retrospect, we both understood that it wouldn't have happened at all if the situation was different. Matt had only seen me differently because he was so happy that we had been reunited, and I had only had feelings for him because I was desperate for a replacement for Josh. In the end, going back to a simple friendship was easy. In fact, it was too easy for us to believe that our romance had been even remotely deep.

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" Josh asked lazily, flipping through the channels.

"I'm going over to Ian's."

"I still don't get why you won't let me teach you," Josh scowled.

"It's different with Ian. I'm with you all the time, but I like that I get to have some time with him. Plus, it's more like a real lesson when he's teaching me."

"And it wasn't when I taught you to sing?"

"That's not what I meant, Josh. I know that if you were to teach me, we'd get distracted all the time, or we'd fight about something. It's better this way."

Matt and Josh had kept their promise to teach me the guitar when they had the time, though we hadn't accomplished much during their brief stays at home between tours. We hadn't really gotten very far until the promotion for Fix Me was almost completely finished, and even then I'd given up fairly quickly. I had gotten frustrated too easily, and it had only ended in countless arguments. One day when Josh was messing around with a track in the studio, I picked up some drumsticks. Ian had taken me under his wing and was teaching me to play, and I loved it. We didn't have traditional lessons, exactly, but every now and then I would spend a few hours at his place and he would show me how to play a song or two. It was a challenge, but I found it a lot easier than the guitar. And a lot more fun. Who would have ever imagined that the quiet girl would love the noisiest instrument?

"Besides, I really like hanging out with Ian. He's awesome."

"Of course he is. All of my friends are awesome."

"Then what's the problem?"

He gave me a tiny, unsure grin. "Nothing, I guess."

I shifted my position so that I was kneeling on the couch. I needed the extra height in order to give him a level gaze. "No, really, what's the problem?" My voice dropped an octave as I felt myself grow concerned. I worried a lot, but it was harder to avoid when it came to Josh.

He shook his head a bit and looked away. He waved a hand, then let it fall audibly against his thigh. "It's really nothing. People are stupid sometimes, aren't they?"

I gazed at him warily. "Why?" I spoke slowly; hesitantly. "What are people doing to deserve your malice?"

"I'm not being malicious," he defended himself. "I'm just irritated."

"About what?" I reached up and gently touched his cheek, hoping to reassure him in some small way.

"You remember what everyone always said about you and Matt?"

I paused, feeling confused. What did Matt have to do with any of this? Then, as Josh's intent found its way into my brain, I started to laugh. "Seriously? You're worried that I'm going to leave you for Ian? You, of all people, should know that I won't let go of you now that I've got you."

Josh forced a smile, but I could see the effort that was involved with the gesture. "I know, it's just hard. Last time, you really did date Matt. Just the thought of it scares me, you know?"

I leaned over and pressed my lips against his gently. "I love you Josh. You, and only you. Trust me, you've got nothing to worry about."

The pain in his smile washed away, and his eyes lit up. "I'm not worried. I trust you more than anything. What are you doing after you're finished with Ian?"

"Well I guess that depends. What are you doing after I'm done at Ian's?"

He seemed to consider his options for awhile. "I'm going to drive you there and pick you up, okay?"

"That's fine with me. What are we doing after that?"

"I've got a bit of a surprise for you."

I stared at him for a long moment, waiting for him to give something away. Josh remained tight-lipped, and I scowled at him. "That's not fair."

"Believe me, you won't be saying that tomorrow."

"Can't you give it to me now?" I whined.

He kissed me, and his voice lowered to a seductive tone. "Well, I suppose I can give you something now. But the surprise has to wait until tomorrow. I like it when you've got something to look forward to."

I pursed my lips as I thought about his offer. Finally, I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess I'll take what I can get."

"That's what I was hoping for."

Josh slid his arms around me carefully, bringing his lips up against mine. In truth, I was spending more time here with Josh than I was at my own apartment as of late. The boys had come home from the last tour for the first album, and for the moment I had Josh to myself. I had every intention of being as greedy as possible and keeping it that way. After spending a few long months at a time without him, I wanted to spend every possible second with him now.

If nothing else, a tour apart meant one hell of a reunion when he came home.