Open Your Eyes

“I can't wait for you to see my dress!” Lisa's excited voice carried through the small bridal shop located just on the border of Huntington Beach and Newport. Erin simply laughed as Lisa disappeared behind a white curtain to slip out of her clothes and into the gown she'd be wearing in a few weeks.

Several minutes passed by before Lisa spoke again, and the words that left her mouth surprised Erin.

“Zack said Brian's doing better.” The brunette noted not so subtly, hoping to learn the story of the lead guitarists sudden turn around in behavior.

Erin tore her eyes away from the vast array of white, off white and every color in between, wedding gowns to look at white silk curtain that Lisa stood behind, only seeing the her best friend's silhouette. Her blue eyes turned back to focus on the dresses as her fingertips skimmed the hangers.

“Oh yeah?” Erin mumbled quietly. But due to the serenity of the bridal shop her low voice could be heard from the pregnant woman across the room as she was being helped into her gown.

Four days had passed since Erin found herself in the cemetery, watching Brian from afar, begin to deal with his grief and come to accept that Jimmy wasn't coming back.

The wind blew lightly against her partially exposed calves as she sat perched on the wooden bench near the entrance. Her hands were folded neatly on her lap but that didn't prevent her from picking at her nails. Her eyes had been set on Brian's hunched over figure the moment his back was to her. She watched him closely and not once did he move. He remained as still as a statue except for the few stray hairs that only further messed his already bedridden hair in the breeze.

It wasn't until he cast a look over his shoulder and caught her eyes for the briefest of moments did Erin tear her eyes away. She cursed to herself and hoped that he hadn't noticed her staring. Instead she focused on leaves blowing faintly in the spring breeze, and the way the sun illuminated them up as if they were a string of lights. She remained transfixed on the leaves, until out of the corner of her eye, Erin caught his black figure move again but this time he was walking towards her.

With a slight turn of her blonde head, she let her eyes rest on him with a content smile. It wasn't until he was an arms length away that she let her smile fade when she noticed the redness around his eyes. He had been crying and she didn't know what to say.

His brown eyes were glassy and red rimmed while his stubbly and rough cheeks held traces of wetness. He never once looked at her, his pride most likely overtaking and had become embarrassed by the tears that had managed to escape his sad eyes. She knew Brian, and she knew him well enough to know that, like any other guy, he hated to show any sign of weakness.

He silently slid onto the bench next to her, the fabric of his jacket brushed up against the exposed skin of her arm which caused her eyes to flicker his way. Brian didn't seem to notice as the pair were left in an awkward silence with the exception of his attempts at clearing his hoarse throat. She wanted to pry and ask him what was said but Erin knew that whatever words had been spoken were only meant for Jimmy to hear.

As his statuesque body sat beside her, Erin did the only thing that she could think of as she slid her left hand onto his forearm until her fingers slid down his arm and laced her fingers through his. Her skin tingled at the contact, instantly reminded of the effect his touch had on her from the first time they had kissed to the last time they had physically been together. Brian, however, didn't flinch or even pull away, though she did notice him take a lengthy look at their intertwined hands.

“Thanks.” His voice came out rough and low, sounding almost like he had swallowed a handful of gravel. If it weren't for the tears staining his perfectly sculpted cheeks, the anguish in his voice would've given him away. He peered at her out of the corner of his eyes before focusing on the array of greenery and stone.

Erin's lips curved upwards into a soft smile while she nodded her blonde head as a comforting notion. She clasped her hand tighter around his which mustered a meek smile from the lead guitarist. It was at that precise moment that she realized despite the unkempt facial hair, broken eyes and overall disheveled appearance there was a fragment of the Brian she had come to know and love still left deep down.

All it took was a little push from her end to make that happen. No one involved in Brian's life had taken a liking to the person he had become over the past three months. Everyone, including herself, longed for the days of sarcastic, borderline inappropriate comments of Brian Haner Jr., one of the best guitarists in the world to make a come back. Erin was determined to bring that Brian back for good, not just for his own well being but for her own as well.

“Just let me know when you're ready.” Erin commented lowly, her voice coming out soft compared to his. With a slight sniffle of his nose, Brian faintly nodded his head as his grip tightened on her hand.

“Yeah, he showed up at Matt's place the other day clean shaven and groomed. He was even willing to slowly ease himself back into the band.” Lisa's voice carried through out the small bridal shop as she poked her head out from behind the white curtain. She briefly to shared a glance with Erin who happened to look over her shoulder and return the smile.

“Whatever you said or did must have really worked.” Lisa commented with a tone that clearly wanted to know just what had changed Brian's behavior so drastically. The lead guitarist had been down for so long that people had been becoming used to his erratic and unhealthy behavior.

Erin shrugged her shoulders weakly before turning her body to face her friend. “I only told him what my grief counselor told me after my mom died.” The blonde answered simply, choosing to leave out the incident of him showing up drunk at her home the night before. As far as Lisa and the boys knew, Erin had dropped by his house instead of the other way around and had a heart to heart with him there. She wanted the least amount of fall back for Brian, and she knew had she told the boys of what really happened, they would give him hell about it.

“Still, after everything he's said and done...” Lisa countered with a pointed look, and Erin released a faint laugh. Lisa had been very upset upon hearing about the way Brian was treating her, and she hadn't let that go unbeknownst to Brian or anyone else in their group of friends.

“He's just a little fucked up right now.” Erin breathed, echoing Brian's excuse from their heated conversation in her kitchen. “He apologized. I feel good about it.”

“You're a better person than I.” The brunette quipped with a half smirk on her lips before slipping her head back behind the curtain.

“I'm not a better person. I've just had a lot of not so great things happen and I've adapted myself to deal with them.” Erin explained smoothly, wandering over to the opposite side of gowns, letting her eyes scan through them.

“So that means you and Brian would be okay walking down the aisle together?” Erin's brows rose up immediately and her mouth hung open slightly at Lisa's question but her reaction went unnoticed by her best friend as she was busy zipping up her dress. “Zacky wanted you two to walk together.”

Lisa paused a beat, to then gauge the blonde's reaction. Erin was coming up speechless and Lisa didn't have to see her reaction to know that the blonde's complete silence on the matter spoke volumes. “Unless you're not okay with that then I can change it.” Lisa added quickly.

Erin snapped her mouth shut as her mind went over the possibilities that being paired up with her ex-boyfriend would bring. She had talked to Bobby about the date and whereabouts of the wedding and was met with the disappointing news of him being in North Carolina that day, for a six game road trip on the East Coast.

Lisa meanwhile, pulled the curtain back and Erin's eyes instantly went to the white wedding gown that fit her body, pregnant and all, perfectly.

“We can pair you with Matt, or Matty Baker.” Lisa bargained as her eyes come up to lock on Erin.

To Erin though, the words came out as nothing more than gibberish as all of her previous thoughts vanished and her attention was directed on the strapless bridal gown that flowed gracefully right down to the ground with a small train in the back. Her blue eyes taking in every bead and stitched detail that had been tediously hand sewn onto the top of the bust.

“You look amazing.” Erin revealed with a soft smile to which Lisa flashed a bright white grin before twirling around in a circle, showing off the fluidity of the gown. The growing baby bump seemingly disappeared under the loose fitting fabric giving Lisa the illusion that she was just like any other bride to be and not one that was five months pregnant.

Before Lisa could spin for a second time, the pregnant woman's cell phone rang loudly from her purse inside the dressing room. She excused herself as she shuffled back behind the curtain, leaving Erin alone in the room full of white, bright lights and mirrors.

Soon enough, she felt the buzzing of her own phone against her abdomen. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket as she read that she had two new text messages. The first was from Bobby, telling her that he would be back from Vancouver tomorrow morning after their game. He also suggested that the next time he played there that she, and Jon too if he wanted to, join him so he could show her around his favorite road city, one that he had become very accustomed to over the course of the Olympic games the previous year. She quickly replied back with an enthusiastic maybe, depending on when she could take time off and when Jon was finished school.

She flicked the scroll pad on her phone as she was taken to the next message which was from a number she didn't recognize. Her brows furrowed slightly as she read over the numbers but nothing clicked. She shifted her eyes to the message that had been sent.

Thanks again for the other day, I hope we can at least be friends now. Stole your number from ZV's phone.

One side of Erin's lips tugged upwards slightly as she read his text, letting a soft laugh escape when she was finished. She promptly saved his number into her phone, hopefully, for future use. After all, becoming friends or at least friendly with Brian had been her goal all along.

“Why are you grinning like an idiot? Is Bobby texting you from Canada?” Lisa blurted out suddenly. Erin quickly glanced up to find Lisa back in her regular clothing with her purse resting on her shoulder. The woman who had been helping Lisa passed the pair with the dress safely enclosed in a protective cover. Erin flashed the woman a smile before she let her smile falter as she furrowed her brows and waved off Lisa's comment.

“I was not.” Erin stated with a firm, defensive tone. Lisa simply shook her head and moved herself closer.

“Can I ask you a question?” The brunette's voice held a saccharine sweet tone, one that only emerged when the question was actually a favor of some sort. Erin held a steady gaze on her best friend as she silently signaled for Lisa to ask her question. “I forgot I had a doctors appointment today, do you think you could drive down to San Diego and check the venue for me? I know this was supposed to be our girl day full of wedding stuff, chatting and lunch but this doctor is super hard to see and it completely sli–”

“Just go.” Erin said with a laugh, as Lisa took a large breath after her long winded explanation.

She placed both of her hands on Erin's forearms before touching her forehead with the blonde's. “Thank you so much, I owe you.” Lisa graciously wrapped Erin in a tight hug. Erin laughed slightly before patting the brunette's back

“If you get bored, bring a friend.” The brunette quickly scrambled over to the desk near the entrance of the bridal shop, leaving Erin to seriously consider Lisa's suggestion.

Bring a friend.

- - - - - - - -

“Brian?” Erin's voice echoed through out Brian's still beachfront residence. She was met with silence as she shut the door behind herself with a light click.

Her eyebrows rose slightly at the state of the living quarters. Gone were the dirty and strewn about clothes, she could actually see the fabric that upholstered the couch and chairs. Not to mention the disappearance of the empty bottles of beer and hard liquor that had once been scattered through out the living space. It wasn't perfect though, there were still some used dishes on the coffee table and a few empty food wrappers next to them but it was a vast improvement from the last time she had stepped foot inside.

Erin stepped further into the room after casually glancing down at the time on her phone, noting that she only had about twenty minutes before she had to get on the road to make the appointment down in San Diego.

“Brian?” She called once more, ending with a with a heavy breath. Erin wandered the foyer until she heard some movement come from up stairs. Soon enough the sound of paws on the hardwood alerted her and a small bark echoed down the stairwell.

Erin turned towards the staircase just as Pinkly rounded the corner and spotted the blonde. She met Pinkly half way on a small landing where Pinkly stopped at Erin's feet. The excited canine rubbed her dampened fur against Erin's jean clad legs. Pinkly looked particularly smaller than usual due to the wet fur clinging to her small body.

Erin bent down at the knees, as she ruffled up some of the dampened white hair. “Cutest puppy ever.” Erin cooed softly as Pinkly happily nuzzled in close to her body. “Brian.” Erin called again, hearing her voice echo slightly up to the second floor.

She waited in silence, the only sound was of the small dog panting next to her. That was until Brian yelled something back but it came out slightly muffled. Erin was fairly sure he told her to come upstairs so she did as she was told. Her hand lightly glided along the cool wooden railing as memories of her time spent in the home began creeping back to her, a lot of them now bittersweet.

By the time she reached his bedroom, with Pinkly in her arms, she pushed open the door without a second thought and a dopey smile on her dreamy face. She was so lost in her own mind that she hadn't noticed that Brian was fresh out of the shower which had been why Pinkly's fur was damp.

Brian stood on the other side of the bedroom; his chest was bare, giving her a clear view of the various tattoos that she hadn't seen in half a year and the toned muscles that still remained. His lower half was covered with a pair of black basketball shorts while his freshly cut black hair looked almost dry but she guessed that if she were to touch it, it would still hold a hint of dampness. She let her eyes linger, examining all of the changes he had made that Lisa had told her about. That was, until she became aware that while her eyes explored his body Brian's lips had curved into a cocky, knowing smirk.

“I'm sorry.” Erin apologized quickly, her mouth becoming dry so her words came out slightly cracked. She covered her eyes with her right hand as her cheeks began to feel hot under Brian's intimidating watch. She did her best to prevent her embarrassment from showing too much.

An amused chuckle escaped Brian's throat before he slipped a shirt on. “Nothing you haven't seen before, doll.” He breathed calmly, acting as if she hadn't just caught him half naked and still wet from his shower. “What brings you by?” He asked, leaning against his dresser.

“Still.” Erin said with a definitive tone, her hand still covering her eyes. “I got your text–” Brian opted to move her hand for her as his rough hand encircled the soft skin of her wrist.

He could've sworn he heard her breath hitch in her throat when he touched her but he couldn't be positive since the moment passed by too quickly. As he released her wrist, his cocky smirk lingered on his lips, intentionally making her smile herself. Erin tucked a piece of her golden locks behind her ear and cleared her throat before continuing to answer his question.

“I stopped by because Lisa had an unexpected doctor's appointment and now I have to check out the wedding venue in San Diego by myself, except I have no idea how to get there.” She admitted sheepishly, trying to hide the fact that she was lying right to his face. She could very well get to San Diego without a hitch but she figured if her and Brian were going to be friends that spending time together would do them good.

“What do I get out of this?” He quirked a black eyebrow at her, putting her on the spot for a brief moment. If Erin didn't know any better she'd assume that Brian was implicating something sexual. If it were anyone else, she'd probably put them in their place but Erin knew that was just part of Brian's personality, and she was happy to see it shining through once again.

“Other than my company?” She mused with a sweet smile, almost reminiscent of the smile she often wore in the duration of their relationship. The prospect of her company was more than enough for him to oblige but he wanted to know what else he could get out of it. “Lisa said there's a free lunch.” Erin stated with a chipper tone in her voice.

A wide smile broke out on his thin lips. “I'm always down for free food.” Brian stated nonchalantly which received a soft smile from his blonde ex-girlfriend. He swallowed the slight lump forming in his throat, seeing her back in his bedroom and holding his dog like she used to, was almost surreal. The familiar aching in his chest reappeared, which had predominantly increased since her return, but he forced a smile to hide it.

“I'll finish getting ready and meet you downstairs in say ten minutes?” He offered as he slipped on the jacket that was laid out on his bed and slipped his hand into the pocket to check the contents. The blonde, who was busy making silly faces at the small white dog in her arms, nodded in agreement.

“I'll take Pinkly out quickly and meet you by the car.” Erin informed him. With Pinkly still cradled in her arms, she turned on her heel to let him finish getting himself together.

The ache in his chest only grew as he watched her walk out of the room, it was almost as if she were picking up right where she left off. But deep down he knew that wasn't the case, they weren't together and she seemed happy with her new boyfriend. Brian just wasn't sure how he was supposed to deal with her being around but not being able to act on the fact that he was very much still in love with her.

Brian braced his forearms against his dresser as he inhaled a deep breath, attempting to soothe his shaken interior. His eyes flickered over to the array of pictures near by and immediately landed on the one of himself and Jimmy with Erin squeezed in between them. He let his eyes linger on it before hanging his head down and closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting himself feel before he made the choice to shut it off completely.