Count Me the Hours

The next day, I found myself standing at the airport. Sign in hand, I had gotten tired of standing half an hour before. Airport chairs were very uncomfortable, I learned as I sat there, my butt going numb.

The flight from Baltimore that I was awaiting had been delayed before take off, something I hadn't learned until I was already at the airport. The flight was an hour behind schedule and was due to land any minute.

Dree, Oakleigh, and Sarah, as well as Garrett, Pat, Kennedy, and Jared, had been assigned the duties of going over place settings for the reception, running last minute errands, and checking things off Mila's mile long check list. While they were busy with that, I got the pleasure of airport duty. With The Maine's tour record, John thought it important to invite ninety percent of the bands they'd previously toured with. Of the countless bands, about ten were available for the wedding.

And that brings us to the present, where I sat in the airport, a knot in my neck growing tighter as the hours passed. I was getting slightly tired of multiple trips to the airport. It was nearly four and it was my second airport trip of the day. Earlier, I'd picked up the guys of Boys Like Girls, who'd flown in from a tour break in Seattle. My mother had lent me her eight passenger SUV for the trips that way I'd have room for four plus band members at a time, plus their luggage.

Mila had given a handbook of the bands I'd be picking up, including a group photo, individual photos of each member with their name and instrument, their track record with The Maine, and small talk points. It actually came in handy but it was still a little over the top.

An airport employee came on the loudspeaker and announced that the flight from Baltimore had landed. Sighing with relief, I flipped to All Time Low's page in the handbook, going over their names quickly. I'd met them before, when the guys had toured with them two years before, but I didn't really remember them personally.

Ten minutes later, people began filing into the terminal and I stood up, holding the sign up. Three of the four guys approached me, one of them, a tall, pale, and lanky guy, smiling excitedly.

"Tallulah?" the one I recognized as the lead singer, Alex asked.

"Call me Lu," I said with a half smile.

"I'm Jack!" the tall, excited one said. "I remember you!"

"Awesome," I said with a lazy thumbs up. "Isn't there four of you?"

"Zack is driving down from Cali tomorrow," the third informed me. "I'm Rian."

"Nice to meet you guys," I told them with a nod. "Shall we continue to the baggage claim?" All three of them shrugged and we headed to the baggage claim.

When we walked into the parking garage fifteen minutes later, I hit the unlock button on the remote and Jack took off running towards the SUV, yelling, "Shotgun!" I looked over at Rian and Alex who rolled their eyes.

"He likes your tits," Alex told me as he tossed his suitcase into the trunk.

"Oh?" I asked, rather taken aback. Self-conciously, I glanced down at my tatas before shrugging.

"He'll probably try to hook up with you, just a heads up," he said as a warning.

"I'm not exactly single...it's complicated," I spat out, stuttering and stumbling over my words.

"It always is," Alex said with a wink before climbing into the backseat.

Awkwardly, I pulled myself into the driver's seat and started up the beast. "I fucking hate this thing," I grumbled to myself, backing out of the parking space very cautiously.

"Who did you piss off to land yourself the job of picking up people you don't know from the airport?" Rian asked from the backseat as I pulled onto the highway.

"God just hates me. I'm the maid of honor, and I get stuck doing this while my friends, the other bridesmaids are going over place settings," I said, glancing at him in my rearview mirror.

"If I remember right from when we met before, you're John's ex, right?" Alex clarified. I nodded, biting on my bottom lip as I changed lanes. "How'd you end up being the maid of honor then?"

I laughed quietly. "Mila, the bride, she's my little sister," I told them. A chorus of 'Ohhhh!' followed, making them sound like someone had just got served. "Yeah," I said with a scoff.

"Wiat, you said earlier that it was 'complicated.' Don't even tell me you're trying to get back with John now!" Alex remarked. He was leaning forward, elbows on his knees as if being closer to me would give him a better understandig of the situation.

"No!" I said loudly. "No, no, no," I repeated to ephasize my point. "I was dating Garrett, if you'd call it that, and things went south and now, things are starting to look up, I think."

"Well, do you love him?" Rian asked, adding his two cents.

"Yeah, I do," I answered quietly, telling myself the answer as much as I was telling him.

"Then go for it. I don't see what you've got to lose," Rian said wisely. Sinking down in my seat a little more, I nodded, realizing that he was right.

"What other bands are you picking up?" Jack asked, out of the blue.

"Uhm, I picked up Boys Like Girls earlier, you guys, and I'm picking up Cobra Starship in a few hours. We the Kings is flying in tomorrow, so is one other band. A Rocket to the Moon and The Summer Set are already here, so we don't have to worry about them. A few other bands are driving in the day of the wedding," I explained, surprised I had all of that memorized.

"Can I go with you later to pick up Cobra?" Jack asked, looking over at me. When I glanced over at him, he was looking more at my chest that he was at my face.

"Uhm, if you want to?" I said with a shrug, not sure why he'd want to.

"John's bachelor party is tonight, by the way. I went with Jared and Kennedy the other day to buy booze for it and hot damn, you won't want to miss it," I assured them.

"Is there going to be a stripper like there was for his birthday last year?" Jack asked hopefully.

"My sister outruled that, so unless Kennedy managed to find a way to sneak one in under Mila's radar, no."

"Dammit!" he swore, angrily.

Glancing at the clock, I sighed heavily. It was barely five. Cobra's plane was supposed to land at eight, and I was hoping to be out of the airport by eight thirty. It took half an hour to get from the airport to the hotel where all of the bands were staying, and another fifteen to get back to my mom's. Mila's bachelorette started at ten, and hopefully, I'd have time to get home, shower, and get ready for the night out.

I got Alex, Rian, and Jack checked into their suite at five thirty and with three hours to kill before picking up Cobra, they invited me in. We ordered a movie on demand and I watched as they had a few drinks from the mini-bar, starting to make bets as to how the night would end.

"How many hot, single bridesmaids are there?" Jack asked me at one point, after his third drink.

"None," I said with a quick nod.

He paused. "Okay, how many ugly, single bridesmaids are there?" he asked after rephrasing his question.

"None," I repeated with another nod.

"FUCKKK!" he roared, clenching his hands into fists in the stereotypical 'why?!' manner.

"My sister's friends are all sluts, so you'll get some easy after the wedding," I said, patting his knee sympathetically.

"Okay," he said brightly, happy all of a sudden.

After a quick dinner at the hotel restaurant, I headed back toward the airport, Jack in tow. He talked the entire way there and the entire time we were waiting for the plane. He was plenty tipsy, his words rushing together. Finally, as the plane landed, he seemed to have run out of words. Sitting there contently, he fiddled with my fingers and made faces at the toddler a few chairs down. I had to admit, in the immature, constantly-tipsy way, he was more than attractive.

Cobra Starship's plane arrived right on time, and after rather rushed introductions and a quick trip to baggage claim, we made our way out to the SUV where Jack called shotgun again. Pushing the speed limit, I made it to the hotel to drop off the new arrivals and back to my mother's in record time.

I showered very quickly and dressed, letting my hair airdry before doing anything with it. As I fiddled with the hem of my top, reconsidering wearing it, I heard my phone ring. Making a face at myself in the mirror, pulling the top off over my head, I searched for my phone. I found it on my bed and picked it up, answering it without looking at the Caller ID.

"Hello?" I asked, looking for another shirt.

The person on the other end cleared their throat. "Tallulah?" Garrett asked, sounding a bit flustered.

"Oh. Hi," I said awkwardly, a wide, nervous smile carving it's way onto my lips.

"Sorry," he said clearing his throat again. "I didn't really expect you to answer, after it rang for so long."

"I just barely got to it. I'm getting ready for Mila's bachelorette party," I explained. God, this was awkward, but just hearing his voice was amazing.

"Oh, are you going to that?"

"Yeah, I was planning on it. Why?" I questioned, holding the phone between my jaw and shoulder, unzipping my suitcase.

"I was, um, gonna see if you wanted to go out. Like, to a movie or something?" he suggested, clearing his throat for the third time.

I let out a quiet, almost giddy, laugh. "Yeah," I said. "Yes, I'd love to."

Garrett let out a breath of relief, followed by a laugh of his own. "You scared me for a minute," he informed me.

Smiling to myself, tears stung in my eyes suddenly. "When do you want to go?" I asked, still trying to find something to wear.

"Can I pick you up in ten?"

"That's kind of cutting it close," I said, knowing if he picked me up in 'ten', he'd be picking my up in about five.

"Fifteen, then. That's the latest," he warned, sounding eager.

I laughed, "Fine, fifteen."

"I'll see you soon," he said. I could hear the smile in his voice and butterflies went crazy in my gut.

"Got it," I responded, hanging up before a formal goodbye.

Tossing my phone onto the bed, I unbuttoned my skirt and slid it down, replacing it with a pair of shorts and settling on a top. I rushed into the bathroom, plugging my straightener in and turning it on before doing my make-up quickly. Once it heated up, I ran it over my still damp hair, hoping it would do at least some good. I finished in the bathroom with four minutes left to spare, and had time to send a text to Dree, Sarah, and Mila, telling them I wouldn't be at the party. As soon as I hit send, I saw a familiar yellow car pull up to the curb and park.

My stomach flipped with such intensity and a pressed my lips together. As soon as I saw the driver's side door open, I couldn't stop myself and a sprinted out the door and down the steps of the garage taking them two at a time. I burst out of the garage with Garrett still a few feet away.

He smiled when he saw me and it was the most glorious thing I'd ever seen. I hit him full on, my arms all the way around his neck. He caught me, his arms tightly around my waist while my feet dangled two inches above the ground. I buried my face in the skin of his neck, my heart racing and my stomach fluttering. I was completely content standing there for the rest of time, just clinging to him. At some point, I started crying, my tears soaking his collar.

"Easy, Tallulah," he said with a quiet laugh, lowering me down to the ground. Unwillingly, I unlatched my arms from his neck, standing in front of him sniffling and wiping my eyes. He laughed quietly again, brushing my tears away. "You can stop crying anytime," he suggested.

"Shut up," I grumbed, unable to hide a smile as I rubbed my eyes again. "I'm trying, that has to count for something."

He smirked like he always did. Placing his hands on my hips, he pulled me back to him, leaning in to press his lips against mine. The familiar feeling took over and I raised my arms to go around his neck again, closing what distance there was between us. I wove my fingers through his hair and he pulled away slightly, rest his forehead against mine.

"I love you," he said very quietly.

"I love you," I said back, just as quietly.

"I love you guys too!" Pat said, comming out of nowhere, wrapping his arms around the both of us. I jumped at the sound of his voice and looked to Garrett.

"You didn't honestly think he'd be going to a bachelor party, did you?" Garrett asked skeptically.

"I didn't really think about it, but I didn't think he'd be coming with us," I said, laughing.

"You don't want me, Lulu?" Pat asked, giving me a very sad expression.

"Pat, it's not that! I just didn't think you'd be coming with me. You surprised me, that's all," I said, trying to cheer him up. He simply shrugged with a sigh and I laughed, ruffling his hair. "Oh, and I love you too!"

"Okay!" Pat said happily, smiling widely.

"Ready?" Garrett asked, kissing my cheek to get my attention.

"I need shoes first," I said, pointing to me bare feet.

"Those might help," he teased with a shrug. He laced his fingers through mine and started up the driveway. "Pat, wait in the car."

"Why do I have to wait in the car?" he whined, standing his ground.

"Pat, I just have to put shoes on and get my phone. It'll only take a few minutes," I promised, turning around.

"It only takes one person to do that!" Pat retorted, knowing we wouldn't just be getting shoes and my phone.he was smiling smugly now, knowing he'd caught us.

"Pat, just wait in the fucking car!" Garrett said loudly, not even turning around to look at him.

"Pat, just wait in the fucking car!" he repeated, mimicking Garrett, his voice high. Nonetheless, Pat turned around and walked down the driveway, sliding into the back seat as we made our way up the stairs.

As soon as we reached my room, Garrett pulled me to him, kissing me again. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and I laughed, trying to pull away from him.

"How long do you think we have before he comes to get us," Garrett asked, holding me to him awkwardly.

"Ten minutes, maybe?" I guess, trying again to break free. "Gare, I need shoes!"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, releasing me as I pushed against his arms, sending me flying forward. I landed on the bed, thankfully, away from sharp objects.

Before I could sit up, Garrett had joined me, his lips already against mine as his hand was in my hip. His lips left mine too quickly, moving to my jaw, down to my neck. In the heat of the moment, I pushed his shirt up and off over his head.

"Gare," I groaned quietly, shivers shooting down my spine. "We can't do this now."

"I don't care," he mumbled against the skin of my neck.

"We will later when we're both sexually frustrated," I teased, pressing my palms against his shoulders to lift him off of me a bit.

"You're probably right," he said with a sigh, kissing my neck softly again.

"No, I am right. It happens quite often if you'd pay attention," I joked, still trying to push me away.

"I love you," he said, finally pulling away.

"I love you too," I responded, kissing his forehead. He nodded once, kissing my lips quickly. He stood up, pulling his shirt back on over his head. Sighing, I stood up as well, looking for my phone and the shoes I'd set out earlier. I stepped into them and grabbed my phone from the bed. Sighing, I wrapped my arms around Garrett from behind, resting my head against his back.

"Ready?" He asked and I nodded in response. He took my hand and we exited the garage and headed back out to the car where Pat was waiting for us.

After seeing a late movie, we headed to Denny's for a bite to eat. I had to admit, being back with Garrett felt like home. As we sat in the booth at the restaurant, Pat across from us, he kept his arm around me while we waited for our food. Tucked into his side, my head against his shoulder, I started to doze off. By the time we'd dropped Pat off and got back to my mom's, it was nearing one in the morning.

Garrett parked on the street and hurried around the front of the car to open my door for me.

"Very charming," I teased as I stepped out of the car. He shrugged, winking at me. He swung his arm around my shoulders again, holding me to him.

At the bottom of the stairs, he kissed me softly, leaning me against the wall. He pulled away and I smiled nervously, pressing my lips together. I looked up at the ceiling, to my room, hoping he would catch my drift. He did and he nodded. We gave each other a quick glance before we both took off up the stairs. I made it to my room first and when Garrett entered, he grabbed me around the waist tightly, carrying me over to the bed where he set me down.

He pulled his shirt off before leaning down and kissing me. I stood up myself, pulling my shirt off as he sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes glued to me. I straddled his waist, our chests touching as our lips connected. As our lips moved together, my heart pounded in my chest. I put my hand on the back of his neck, holding him to me.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, his voice ragged, pulling away just enough to speak.

"I am," I said with a quick nod, kissing him again.

"Okay," he said, tracing his fingers down my waist. His lips moved from mine, down to the hollow of my throat. I gasped quietly, my pulse skyrocketing.

"Gare-" I managed to choke out, my breath catching in my throat.

I felt him smirk against the skin of my neck. "I love you," he said, his lips against my skin. I couldn't even respond, but he caught my meaning. He took a deep breathe before struggling with the clasp of my bra before finally getting it. He pulled the fabric away from my body before resting his hands on my hips and lifting me off of him, laying me back against the pillows. He kissed my shoulder and I ran my fingers down his spine as he leaned over me. I felt him shiver and smirked proudly.

The rest of our clothing was shed quickly. His skin moved over mine and my entire body felt like it was on fire. My breathing was unsteady as I tried to control my pulse. I could hear the blood pounding in my ears as goosebumps broke out all over my body.

He was careful, taking his time and making sure I was comfortable. The butterflies in my stomach calmed, allowing me to actually think at least somewhat straight and to live in the moment. And that moment was amazing.

"Why did we wait so long to do that?" Garrett asked with laugh an hour later. His arm was tightly around my waist and my face buried in his neck. He kissed my temple lazily, tracing a random pattern on the bare surface of my back with his finger tips. I laughed once, shrugging.

We talked for a while randomly, both of us clinging to consciousness. I dozed off and opened my eyes again when Garrett left the bed to turn off the lamp across the room. Sighing, I pulled the sheets up to my chest , pushing my hair off my forehead. When Garrett returned to the bed, he slid in beside me, looping his arms around my waist, this time resting his head on my shoulder, his forehead against my neck.

The last thing that crossed my mind before I slipped into slumber was that there was no way in hell that I'd be able to leave Arizona next week.