Moment Of Truth

For the following week, I tried to avoid John at all costs. I needed my time to heal. Ever since I had tasted his lips I just couldn’t get that thought out of my head. And I knew I needed to before I could see him again or else I couldn’t trust myself not to do anything stupid. And that was the last thing I needed right now. I just prayed to God he was drunk enough not to remember that night.

From what I heard from Garret, he didn’t. Or he was just simply not telling him. None of the guys knew what happened; they knew John and Anna had a fight but not what it was about. Though he did say they had made up which led to me believe John really didn’t remember anything.

Garret also told me John was pretty upset about me avoiding him. John was my best friend, and whenever they were home from touring, he and I hung out almost everyday. Now I hadn’t talked to him since the party. I knew I had to come up with some good excuse for my behavior or he would get suspicious.

Instead, this week I had indulged all my time in work, cleaning my apartment, God knows it was in need of a thorough cleaning and I had been to visit my parents, which I didn’t do way too often. But I could only ignore John for so long before he would send his search party out for me. That’s why I wasn’t so surprised to find him standing outside my door this Saturday afternoon, and knowing John, he had probably just got out of bed, with a pout on his face.

“So, you can answer Garrett’s calls but not mine?” John questioned as soon as I had opened the door, before I even had time to say hi. I made a mental note to make Garrett feel pain for telling John the next time I saw him.

“Uh… I’ve been busy.” I said awkwardly avoiding his eyes. Looking down at my hands I stepped aside, letting him in as I felt a little guilty. I knew I couldn’t get rid of him anyway.

“So you can’t even pick up your phone?” He asked me accusingly as he walked past me into the living room, making himself feel like home just like he always did. Not that I minded it. “You always used to make time for me. I haven’t seen you in almost two months and now you ignoring me, why? I didn’t talk to you much at the party last week either.” No, but I felt you.

“My work has just been stressing me out.” I sighed as I let myself fall down on the couch next to him. “I’ve been working double shifts all week; they needed me both at the diner and the book store. I’m exhausted.” I slumped deeper down in the couch, closing my eyes, trying to get a little sympathy from him.

“Aww, baby.” He cooed, moving next to me, bringing his arm around my shoulder I leaned my head down on his as I secretly smirked in victory, it always worked. “At least it’s the weekend now, you don’t have work until Monday again, right?”

“Yeah, I’m going to need a lot of sleep if I’m going to make it through another week like this one.” I listened to his heartbeat as I stared blankly at the wall in front of me.

He ran his hand up and down my back soothingly. I closed my eyes again, leaning into his body. I had missed him, as much as I tried to force myself not to. Being away from him this week had been worse than the two months I’ve been away from him. And if I hadn’t had as much work as I had this week I’m not sure if I would have been able to stay away from him.

“You’re coming to Kennedy’s tonight right?” John asked after a few minutes of silence. We didn’t have to talk all the time. There were no awkward silences with us. I felt more comfortable around him than anyone else, including my family. He was the only one I felt I could be myself around, well except the fact that all I wanted to do was go up and kiss him every time I saw him. I had learned to control that urge though I cherished these moments I had with him, when we were cuddling on the couch, watching a movie or snuggling up in bed. Yes, we slept in the same bed, whenever we and the rest of the guys were hanging out at whoever’s house and being too lazy to go home, it was John and I who shared a guest bedroom, and when I would join them for tour for a short while, it was in John’s bunk I would sleep. Totally innocent, right?

“What’s happening at Kenny’s?” I mumbled into his chest.

“He’s having a barbeque thing, he asked me to ask you.”

“He couldn’t ask himself?” I lifted my head looking up at him.

He shrugged with a grin on his face. “I think he just took for granted that we would be together.”

“Fair enough, we usually are.” I sat up straighter and looked up at the clock on the wall. 5 pm. “When are we suppose to be there?” I asked, knowing I probably should take a shower before I went outside my apartment.

“He didn’t say, but around 6 or 7 I would guess.”

“Okay, well I’m going to go get ready then.” I rose up from the seat and walked into my bedroom. Deciding what clothes I was going to wear later, I brought them with me into the bathroom. After I had showered, got dressed, done my hair and make up I walked back to the living room to see John still sitting in the same spot watching TV with a bored expression.

“You take like forever to get ready.” He sighed and walked over to me.

I shrugged and grinned at his cute expression. “I’m a girl. Get used to it, already.” I said with an eye roll.

We walked outside together after I had gotten my purse and locked up my apartment. I had every intention to come back there later tonight and not stay at Kennedy’s. I was planning on having a lazy day in front of the TV tomorrow. It was well needed after this stressful week.

“We’ll take my car, I’ll just drive you back here later.” John said walking over to his car.

“Will you be sober enough to drive later?” I asked him with a stern voice. John had a bad habit of drinking and driving, but just like always he did not listen to anything I or anyone else said. I just had to make sure to snatch his car keys as soon as he started drinking. But I made no protest against him driving us there as I got in the car with him. The house Kennedy shared with Pat and Jared was within walking distance to my apartment. It took about 20 minutes, but it wasn’t impossible.

“Is Anna going to be there?” I asked him just as she crossed my mind. I was in no mood to those two all over each other again. I’d rather shoot my brains out than watch their shamelessly public display of affection.

“Yeah, she said she would drop by later.” John answered casually as he watched the road.

“Hm.” I didn’t have an answer to that. I was just wondering if she remembered anything from that night. I honestly thought I couldn’t dislike her more but after seeing John so broken after what she did that just increased my hatred for her. She did not deserve him. Not one bit.

He pulled into the drive way of the guys’ house and we both got out of the car and went around the house to the back yard. When we got closer we were met by loud laughter and talking. Pat, Jared and Garret were sitting around the wooden table drinking beer while Kennedy was standing by the grill yelling loud obscenities and the guys laughing at him.

“Hey guys!” Pat greeted John and me as he saw us.

Garret stood up and hugged me when we walked up on the patio. I hugged him back tightly. After John, he was the one I was closest to. He was the one that would comfort me when I welled in my self pity over John. He was my rock.

“How are you?” He whispered in my ear, still holding onto me. John had walked over to try and help Kennedy with the grill.

“I’m fine.” I smiled as I looked up into his eyes, honestly meaning it. He smiled back and I sat down in the chair next to his. When he sat down I punched him hard on his arm.

“Ow, what was that for?” He turned to look at me with a confused and pissed off look.

“For telling John that we talked this week.” I hissed at him, making sure John couldn’t hear me. “He was accusing me of ignoring him and I had to make up some lie about being busy with work.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Libby. I wasn’t thinking.” He looked at me with sorrowful eyes, and I knew he was being sincere with his apology.

“It’s okay. I just don’t like lying to him.” I mumbled and looked over at John who was laughing as he tried to save the burned burgers.

“Well, you did work a lot this week, so technically it wasn’t a lie.” Garret smiled and tried to get me in a better mood.

I smiled back and shrugged my shoulders, feeling a bit guilty. I felt like I always was a mood killer just because I was such a hopeless romantic, expecting John to come to his senses and realize that he loved me and every time that failed to happen I always ended up broken and in need of someone to cry and vent to, and Garret was always there.

“Hello, guys!” I cringed as I heard that high and squeaky voice that belonged to John’s girlfriend. I looked over and saw the most annoying person in the world as she leaned in and kissed John on the lips.

My heart was aching at the sight though I still couldn’t bring myself to look away. When they pulled apart John had the biggest grin on his face as he looked down at her lovingly, but Anna’s eyes were set on me with a smug smirk on her face as she brought John’s body closer to her, clearly rubbing it in my face, which only led me to believe that she did not forget.

Anna remembered everything that happened last weekend!