I Hold On

Brian had never been much of a fan of Kid Rock. Sure he had a few songs that, if Brian got drunk enough, he'd dance to at the clubs. Other than that, though, he wasn't one to actively listen to his music.

There was one song that broke the monotony of classic rock and old-school metal on his iPod by Kid Rock however. It couldn't technically be labeled as one of his, so that's how he justified it being on there. It was the song he did with Slash. I Hold On.

He put it on there as a reminder to hold on to the memory of a girl he lost years ago.

They had met when she was seventeen, he was twenty-three. She was a fan, not a groupie, but a fan of their music. She just so happened to stay after the show, more had to than wanted to because her ride had ditched her for some drunk girl he'd found.

He snuck around the venue after the crowd thinned and found her with a smile. “Why haven't you left yet?” He asked, sitting on the sidewalk beside her.

She looked over in slight surprise, they hadn't spoken much when they'd met backstage before the concert. “Oh, my ride left. He wanted to get some before he brought me home so I told him I'd wait.” She explained. “Why are you out here?”

He looked around and then back to her. “Why not? No one's gonna attack me and steal my underwear or anything.” He said simply. “What's your name?”

She shook her head with a smile. “It's Kay. All my friends call me Lotus, though.” She told him, sticking her hand out toward him. “Nice to meet you.”

He reached out and shook it. “Nice to meet you. I'm Brian.”

She laughed. “I know who you are Synyster Gates.” She teased. “Don't you have to leave soon?”

He shrugged. “They can wait. I couldn't leave you here by yourself. It'd be stupid.” He told her, indicating that he was also speaking about the asshole who had ditched her.

She leaned back on her hands. “Eh, he does it a lot. I'm not too worried about it. I have mace.”

“Good girl.” He said, hearing someone yelling for him. He sighed and looked over his shoulder. “I'm comin'!” He yelled back, turning to her. “Sorry about that.”

She shook her head. “No. Don't worry about it. You should go. I promise that I'll be fine.” She said, standing and dusting herself off.

He stood as well, thinking a little. “Why don't you come with us? I'm sure we can make a pit stop and drop you where you need to go.”

She bit her bottom lip. “Look, I don't want to think the worst of you or anything, but I'm seventeen and I'm not a groupie.”

He paused, taken aback, yeah it had crossed his mind to get her into bed but it was a fleeting thought. “I didn't... I don't mean...” He stopped. “I'm honestly trying to help you.” He told her.

She looked around. “I'm not pretty. I'm sure there are other girls prettier than I am.”

Brian raised an eyebrow. “Why would that matter? And you are pretty.”

She shrugged. “Never mind. I'd really like a ride then. I only live about a half hour's drive north.”

He smiled and offered his arm. “Good, we're going north.”

She grinned and took his arm. “Thanks, Brian.”

“You're welcome, Lotus.”

That was the last time he'd seen her. Sure they'd exchanged numbers and emails and promised to keep in touch but Michele deleted all of his female contacts, save those from his family and herself, in a fit of jealousy and Lotus hadn't messaged him since.

Fast forward three years and they met again, a chance meeting in her home town. She'd grown up a lot in three years, her hands were shoved deep into her pockets and she was on her phone when he saw her.

”Lotus?” He called, unsure.

She turned and looked at him, her serious expression morphing into a grin in an instant. “Brian! How have you been?” She asked, hanging up on the person she had been on the phone with.

“I've been good. Same 'ol same 'ol.” He told her, looking her over. “What about you? You've changed. I see you got your lip pierced and your hair's darker.”

She reached up to touch her hair. “Oh, yeah. I dye it now. I like it better black than brown.” She told him awkwardly. “Look, I.. uh... I gotta go. I told my fiance that I'd be home right after the concert.” She explained.

Brian felt his heart drop. “You're engaged? That's awesome.” He said just as awkwardly as she had just been. “Well, I should go too.”

They exchanged numbers and emails again and parted ways.

After that he was the one being snubbed with no reply messages or emails so he stopped sending them and got engaged himself.

Skip three more years and he was sitting on a plane, waiting to take off into the wild, blue yonder. He wasn't a huge fan of flying, but he'd done it so often that he could just sleep through most of it. He took his iPhone from his pocket to switch it to airplane mode when he saw an email from Lotus.

It simply read, “Will you meet me?”

He hurriedly grabbed his carry-on and rushed off the plane to switch flights. He didn't have to be at that awards ceremony anyway.

He got her address and showed up at an apartment building.

She answered the door and hugged him. “Thank you for coming.” She said once she'd straightened herself and moved aside so he could walk in.

“What's up?” He asked her, looking at the minimal furnishings and the fading bruise on her eye. “What happened?”

She shrugged. “I left my husband, he didn't turn out to be like I thought he was.” She said miserably.

He frowned, woman abusers deserved to be butt-raped in prison. “Is he the reason you never replied to my texts and emails?”

She nodded. “He's the reason I left three years ago instead of staying. And then I heard you got engaged and I just... I figured 'what's the point?' You were happy and I was... with someone.”

He rubbed his forehead. “Kay, I asked her to marry me because you got engaged. I've fuckin'...” He sighed. “I've been bordering obsessed with you since we first met.”

“You stopped responding to me, I thought you just didn't care anymore.” She told him. “That's why I got engaged to Derek.”

He shook his head. “Michele got jealous and deleted every girl that I knew that wasn't family from my phone. I wanted to talk to you, but you never texted me again.”

“Well I told you that I thought I loved you and you never said anything.”

He walked over and kissed her. “I love you. That's why she got jealous. I was about to tell you the same and she saw it.”

She leaned against him. “I used to dream about you.” She admitted softly.

He chuckled. “I feel your comfort in my dreams.”

She looked up at him. “That's from a song.” She said with a smirk.

“It's the song I listen to every day. It made me think of you.” He told her.

“I hold on because I can't let go.” She sang softly. “It made me think of you, too.”

He smiled and kissed her again.