City Lights

The cold night air seeped through the relatively thin fabric of the sweater he was wearing. Goosebumps were beginning to errupt on his flesh beneath the cloth. His breath came out in small puffs of warm air in front of his chapped lips. His fingertips felt like ice as he stuffed his hands further into the front pocket of his jeans.

He missed the warm California night air. The smell of the ocean. The palm trees. And the people running around in T-Shirts and jeans.

But these were images he hadn't seen in a while. Not here. Not in Canada. Edmonton, Alberta to be exact. It had to be the coldest fucking place he'd ever been in his entire life. It was ridiculous.

People rushed by him and around him dressed to the hilt in big fluffy down jackets, gloves, scarves and winter boots. And here he was, dressed in shoes, jeans, a sweater and a ball cap, walking down Jasper Avenue in front of the Shaw Conference center where they were to play the following night.

But the outside of his body wasn't the only cold part of his being. His heart was cold. Frosted up on the outside and hollow inside, filled with nothing but cold air. At one time it'd been warm, and full of love, but not as of lately.

If you ever miss me, have a look up at the city lights. Remember where we came from, and that you're always in my heart.

His finger tips brushed over the front panel of his cell phone, and he glanced down as he pulled it from his jean's pocket. He hated to call. Simply because to see her, all he'd have to do is walk back to their bus. He'd find her there, asleep in the same bunk as Jimmy. They were best friends. And Zacky loved the fact that if he wasn't able to look after her, he knew a good man was.

But, they hadn't spoken to each other face to face since shortly after they'd left on tour. The only reason she was still with them is because Jimmy liked bringing her around, showing her things she'd never see otherwise.

"Zacky?"

It'd been so automatic to him that he hadn't even realised that he'd dialed. Now, she was on the phone.

"Yeah," he stared down the street at all the glimmering lights that'd prompted this call.

"What do you need?" she asked softly, a sadness in her voice that told him just how bad he'd fucked up when it came to her.

"I just needed to hear your voice," he admitted. He continued walking slowly along the street, gazing at the bus stop he was approaching. "I miss you, and it kills me that we're on the same bus, but we don't talk."

He could hear her suck in her breath on the other end of the phone, and for a moment he was scared that she was going to hang up on him.

"Zacky, I can't..." she paused to gain her composure, "you can't keep doing this to me."

Yes, it'd been his fault. But he was also trying to fix his mistake.

"Do you feel the same, Taylor, honestly?"

"Zacky," she wimpered. She was crying now and his heart was falling to pieces in his chest. He never for one moment in his entire life intended to cause her pain. But he was doing it every time he picked up the phone.

"The city lights are beautiful Taylor," he needed to catch her attention and he knew that would do it. He spotted an empty bench not far from the bus stop underneath a street light and took the opportunity to sit down.

"Zacky...I-"

"Please," he whispered, hoping the sincerity was traveling through the phone along with his voice.

She sighed softly, "alright, let me get my sweater."

He smiled to himself as he listened to her breathe softly into the phone while she grabbed her sweater. She was always cold, even when they were back home in the warm California night air.

"Alright," her voice was soft. He could hear the bus door close behind her, "where are you?"

"Up all the stairs" he directed her, glancing down the street at the building consisting mostly of glass.

"That's alot of fucking stairs Zack," she whined.

He chuckled softly, "I know, up the stairs and to the left down the street."

Again she sighed, but he knew she was already climbing the stairs.

"I hate crawling into my bunk at night without you," Zacky began sharing exactly how he felt. It was their thing. Everything said over the phone was to be the honest truth. While most people wanted to hear the truth face to face, they found it easier to share everything they felt awkward about, over the phone.

"I still cry myself to sleep at night when Jimmy's asleep," she replied after a moment, "I can't seem to get you out of my head."

He wanted to hold her, to wipe away the tears he knew were streaming down her cold flushed cheeks.

"These lights," he changed the subject again as the light above him flickered before returning to an unmatched brightness, "they remind me of our first date."

"The way you held me, made me feel so safe," she whispered in response, "how we cuddled on that damn bench for hours beneath the street lights."

"Our first kiss" Zacky smiled softly at the memory. He missed kissing her.

"You slid your fingers through mine, and held my hands tight to warm them up because they're always so cold."

"Are they cold now?" he asked as he flexed his own hand within his hoodie pocket.

"Yes," she replied, "but it's two in the morning," she continued, "it's freezing out."

"I'm sorry...for everything," he couldn't believe the urge he felt to tell her everything that was popping into his mind, "I don't know what the hell is wrong with me," he sighed in frustration, "I'm sorry I made you leave."

"Zacky, the day I packed my bags, everything I said and did -"

"Don't," he stopped her midsentence, he wasn't letting her take the blame for anything, "I deserved it."

"You didn't deserve me dropping my ring down the drain."

Though it'd hurt, he knew that diamond was where it belonged, "it's just a ring," he spoke softly, "a material object. I was throwing away something much more valuable."

"The city lights are something else," she whispered. He found himself glancing down the street to see if he could see her yet, "they're always glowing with a happiness I haven't matched since you."

"I love you, Taylor. I really do. And I always will. I hope you know that."

He heard the phone click before the line went dead. He pulled the phone from his ear and glanced at the 'call ended' flashing on the colorful screen before closing it.

"Then are you ready to show me, Zacky?"

He glanced over at the girl beside him. The girl he'd always been in love with. The girl he'd always love.

"I'm ready, Taylor. I really am if you're willing to give me another chance."

She glanced up and along all the street lights that lined the street as far as her eyes could see. They held so many memories for her and Zacky. "I love you, Zack," she turned back to him and they locked eyes, "but so help me god. If we head in the same direction as before -"

He nearly jumped off the bench and planted himself in front of her, cupping her face in his hands, "we won't, I promise." he leanded closer and nudged her nose with his own. "I promise," he whispered again.

She finally grasped onto his sweater, sliding her hands into his pockets before kissing him ever so softly, smiling inside.

What had started beneath the city lights was now glowing with hope for a successful second time around.