Open Your Eyes

“Hello?” Erin pushed open the large oak door that led her inside of the Baker household. She poked her head inside and had one foot over the threshold as she waited for some signs of life. When she got none, Erin let herself inside and shut the door behind her.

The blonde wondered through the foyer and passed the formal living room until she reached the large family room that her best friend usually lounged in.

Lisa had been texting her none stop the past few days but she had been far too busy with work to stop by her best friend's place for a visit. She had finally managed to conjure up some free time which Erin was well aware was likely to be taken up by the large stack of bridal magazines and baby books that scattered the coffee table and couch.

Zacky and Lisa's upcoming nuptials were less than a month away so the brunette had been busy planning everything from the ceremony right down to which piece of cutlery they'd be setting the table with. Much to the rhythm guitarists dismay, Lisa had opted out of hiring a wedding planner and insisted her fiance that she was perfectly capable and wouldn't let the stress effect her pregnancy. However, given that the bride was six going on seven months pregnant and on the brink of being put on bed rest by her physician, Erin felt compelled as the maid of honor to help her best friend out now that they lived in the same state.

Just as Erin picked up a bridal magazine and began to lazily flip through it, she heard the scratching of paws against the mosaic tile flooring. The blonde glanced up to see Ichabod trot into the room, the black haired dog tensed at the sight of her and began releasing a loud bark which echoed through out the living space.

“Icky, so help me if you are barking at another squirrel...” Lisa scolded as her voice got closer and closer with each word. Erin managed to spot the curvature of her belly poke out from around the corner before anything else. A smile immediately tugged at Erin's lips and only widened as Lisa spotted her. The blonde made note of the small splotches of lavender paint on Lisa's hands and shirt.

“I got your text.” Erin said, closing the bridal magazine but kept it in her hand. She flaunted the cover of the magazine at Lisa then stared wide eyed at the rest of the magazines and books littering the family room.

Lisa smiled at notion and let a small giggle escape her mouth. “The bridal magazine's are mine. The books are Zack's. He's been way into finding out everything he can about pregnancy. I think he knows more than me because when I go to touch him sometimes he spews out random mood killing facts.” Lisa said casually, while Erin let her body momentarily shake with laughter. “You're probably wondering why I asked you to stop by.”

“Not really.” Erin began, as she played with the magazine in her hand. “I'm guessing you either... A. Wanted my help with the wedding planning. B. You need help with the nursery which by the paint on you I'm leaning more towards that. Or C. What I was dreading most, discuss Brian.”

Lisa tilted her head to the side with a sweet smile on her face. She lightly shrugged her shoulders causing the baggy off the shoulder top she was wearing to slide down a little further. “I was thinking a little B with some A for good measure. What do you say?” The brunette proposed with a hopeful look in her brown eyes.

Erin released a grateful sigh. “I can handle that.” A feeling of relief washed over her as Lisa completely ignored the chance to talk about the lead guitarist. Erin nodded her blonde head as she got to her feet, with the bridal magazine in hand, and began following Lisa upstairs to the decently sized nursery.

“I can only stay a few hours though, I have a date tonight.” Erin revealed as they stepped into the half painted nursery, void of any furniture. She promptly removed her sweater along with her bag and tossed it outside the room, ready to get down to business and help out.

“A date? Tell me everything!” Lisa beamed excitedly as she assembled a clean roller for Erin to use.

“It's the guy I met at Johnny's, we're going out for dinner. No big deal.” Erin brushed it off as it were and everyday occurrence. In reality, she was slightly nervous given the fact that she hadn't been on a date since her and Brian had parted ways. Her stomach had been filled with knots all morning, it seemed to only get progressively worse as the day wore on.

“Didn't ya'll meet like two weeks ago? Why wait so long?” Erin shrugged her shoulders at Lisa's question.

“He's been on the east coast on a team road trip. He's a hockey player.” Erin informed her friend, before spreading the soft lavender paint along the wall in long steady strokes. “Plus I've been working a lot. We've texted a little while he's been gone.”

“Interesting.” Lisa mused with a sly smile. Erin attempted to avoid the intense stare that she knew she was getting from Lisa and focus on the roller in her hand. “Guess I'll put you down for a plus one at the wedding then.” The brunette commented happily as the duo continued with their painting but the conversation then switched to the topic of the venue for the wedding.

According to Lisa, the wedding was taking place in Santa Monica, as it was the place where Zack had proposed, at a lavish hotel right on the beach. The ceremony was going to be outdoors of course and all of the guys were assigned to be groomsmen. Along with Erin, a few other girls from the diner were driving down to Southern California to stand at the altar by Lisa's side, as well as her cousin from Arizona. Once the topic of what type of china was going to be used to serve the food, Erin promptly zoned out.

Her mind focused on the fact that both her and Brian were now both apart of Zacky and Lisa's the wedding party. They were bound to interact with one another, there was no way around it. She just hoped that Brian was ready to act like an adult and not dish out insults when he deemed it necessary. The last thing she wanted was to ruin her best friend's big day.

“I have some news for you.” Lisa interrupted Erin's thoughts. The blonde glanced across the room to her best friend, whose face held a faint smile. “I finally picked a name for baby Vengeance.” She muttered as one hand ran softly over her stomach.

Erin's eyebrows raised in surprise. “Yeah?”

“Zacky cried when I proposed the idea.” The brunette explained with a small chuckle, and a shake of her head. “I don't know how I didn't think of it sooner.” Lisa trailed off, clearly getting lost in her own thoughts which left Erin bubbling in her own anticipation.

“You're killing me, Lis! What is it?” Erin urged eagerly, snapping the brunette out of her reminiscent daze.

“Jamie Elise Baker.” The corners of Lisa's mouth tugged upwards into a happy yet slightly morose smile. It took Erin a moment to realize why that name above all the others had been chosen, but her mind put everything together as she saw the wistful expression her pregnant friend was bearing. “We're naming her after Jimmy. He wanted to be known as crazy uncle Jimmy, so I figured why not name her after him?”

“That's a beautiful name, really.” Erin took the opportunity to engulf Lisa in a tight hug.

Ever since her mother and grandfather died when she was still fairly impressionable, she had become aware at a young age to always tell those she loved just how much she cared for them. However, with Corinne getting sick and ultimately Jimmy's sudden passing, she had learned even more so how important that was. It was something she had to learn the hard way.

The two friends pulled away, both with faint smiles on their faces. They continued painting while Lisa began informing Erin of all the things that had still yet to be completed for the wedding. The first thing on the list was the dress which had been delayed because of Lisa's rapidly growing mid section. Erin listened intently while she rolled the paint against the wall but when she glanced over at her friend, Erin saw the nursery door quietly open.

Zacky silently crept into the room with one tattooed finger placed against his pierced lip, wordlessly telling Erin not to let Lisa know of his presence. Lisa was in the middle of describing her ideal wedding gown, all Erin caught was that she wanted it to be strapless and flowing before Zacky's hands grabbed at her waist.

“Hey!” Zacky said as he dipped his head down to place a kiss on her cheek. Lisa, who was in mid-sentence, jumped in her spot and let the small paint brush fall from her hand to the plastic covered floor beneath her. Her left hand instantly came to rest above her racing heartbeat, giving Erin a clear view of the sparkling diamond engagement ring on her finger.

“Jesus, Zack.” Lisa frowned as Zacky's lips yet again brushed one of her cheeks lightly. He laughed at her dramatic outburst while his lips moved down to her jaw. The frown soon faded when he planted his lips against her neck and placed a feathery soft kiss, sending a shiver down her spine.

“Get a room.” Matt dryly commented, as his muscular frame appeared in the doorway. The expecting couple both sent Matt a glare but he ignored them as he spotted Erin on the far side of the room. He flashed her a smile which she happily returned.

“You got paint all over me, babe.” Zacky pouted as he glanced down at his once white t-shirt which was now speckled in lavender paint. The brunette ignored his statement and instead took the opportunity to kiss her fiance's pouty lips softly. Even while he was covered purple paint, Zacky pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

Erin began to feel slightly awkward staring at the engaged couple who looked about ready to rip each others clothes off. She got the impression that Matt was feeling the same way as he had to harshly clear his throat for the two of them to separate.

“I'll help you get you cleaned up then.” Lisa muttered huskily, the look in her eyes giving away her true meaning to everyone in the room. The couple made a quick exit but not before Lisa got one last word in and told Erin she'd be back in a few minutes. If Lisa's sultry smile and lustful gaze was any indication, the blonde knew in reality it would be more along the lines of an hour.

“You just gonna stand there Sanders?” Erin quipped with a raised eyebrow, doing her best to look commanding. Matt chuckled softly, letting his dimples make an appearance. He casually moved himself over to her end of the room and removed his hands from his pockets.

“I don't know how to fuckin' paint. I'm a musician Erin, I'm not a painter.” He protested while Erin shook her head at his diva like behavior. The intern designer bent down to pick up one of the new rollers and tossed it in Matt's direction. Luckily the lead singer had been paying attention and managed to catch the tool before it would have made a not so pleasant collision with his face.

“Long steady strokes, Sanders. It's easy.” Erin explained as she demonstrated her straight forward instructions, not noticing the covert smirk forming on her assistants lips.

“Fuck, you make painting sound dirty.” Matt quipped with a deep chuckle. Erin gasped and swatted him on the shoulder with the back of her free hand. He barely budged when she hit him but he winced as if it had indeed caused him an inkling of pain.

“Matthew!” Erin scolded in a playful tone, her own amused smile ceasing control of her mouth. Matt's however, slowly faded and didn't reply as his sparkling hazel eyes focused on her. She began to feel uncomfortable not only by his intense gaze, but also from the sense of longing that had begin to set in.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” She interrupted his daze and he immediately shook his head, as if trying to get his focus back to normal and rid his mind of his prior thoughts.

Matt lightly chuckled to himself while his right hand came to the base of his neck and began massaging it. “Sorry, you just reminded me of someone when you said that.” He answered with his eyes diverted to the plastic covered floor beneath them.

Erin lightly bit down on her bottom lip, unsure of whether to question him on the moment that had just passed.

“So where were you guys?” Erin questioned as continued painting and Matt silently followed. She decided to settle for a lighter topic of conversation.

“Studio.” Matt revealed, his voice lighter in tone with the change of topic.

Erin frowned and glanced over at him. “I didn't know you guys were back in studio.”

“Yeah, as of last week. Nothing major, we're just playing around with some stuff. I actually wanted to ask you something.” He explained calmly, recalling the past week which had been chalk full of emotion for everyone involved. Brian had missed all but one session, and even then the lead guitarist opted to leave within an hour of arriving, claiming it was far too difficult to concentrate when there was one person clearly missing.

“We're almost done this piece that Jimmy was working on and we're listening to it next week as a family.” Erin froze as Matt began to speak about Jimmy's final pieces. The drummer had sent her a few of his songs via email during the few months they had been apart and asked her personal opinion on each and every one. “We'd like you to be there to listen to it with us. Give us your opinion.”

“Matt, I don't know...” Erin shook her head, taking a step back. She had read most, if not all, of the pieces Jimmy had completed. To hear one fully complete but not have him around to praise for his genius was something she wasn't sure if she was ready for.

“It'd mean a lot to the guys. Please, you know that Jimmy would want you there.” Matt used the former drummers name in hopes of persuading the smaller woman before him to agree.

“I don't know the first thing about music, my opinion will be meaningless.” She tried to use any means necessary to get out of his invitation but she could tell by the look on his face that it would take a lot more than expressing her inexperience with music to sway him.

“You listen to music don't you?” He asked as if he didn't know the answer already. Erin softly nodded her blonde head as he casually shrugged his shoulders. “That's all that matters then. And if you're worried about Brian, don't worry. He won't bother you, I swear. He'll have to go through me.” Matt flashed a dimpled smile, making it hard for Erin not to crack one herself. She could slowly feel her insides give way and knew it was only a matter of time before her mouth accepted to his invitation.

“I'll consider it.” She concluded before her mouth committed to something she wasn't sure she'd be able to hold up to. Erin made her way out into the hallway of the upper floor, slipping on her ballet flats, sweater and the black leather satchel bag she had grabbed on her way out the door this morning.

She could feel Matt's presence behind her so the sudden booming of his voice didn't startle her. “That means you're coming.” Erin, all the while bent over as she fixed her flats, rolled her eyes before glancing up at him.

“It means I'm considering it.” She mumbled, turning her attention back to the task at hand. Matt chuckled softly, letting his eyes linger briefly before turning his gaze to the ground instead.

“Brian and Jimmy told me all your tricks. You can't fool me.” He commented with a smirk as she was back on her feet. She ran a hand through her flowing blonde hair before shaking her head at his comment but let it go unacknowledged.

“I have to go, Matt.” She informed him, before outstretching her arms and waited for him to catch the hint. For a moment, Matt stared at her, a puzzled look glazing his hazel eyes. Timidly, Matt stepped forward, letting Erin wrap her arms around his waist as he faintly pat her back.

“Sorry, I'm in a hugging mood today.” Erin smiled as she pulled away. Matt didn't reply with words, he simply nodded and shrugged it off. With nothing else left to be said, Erin started to make her way down the large staircase.

“Erin?” Matt called before she was out of sight. The blonde tilted her body backwards to catch his gaze, wordlessly telling him she was listening. “I'm glad you came back.” He revealed as his fingers pulled at the chain around his neck that held a metal pendant that came from his late friend's drum set.

Matt brought his gaze up to meet hers before continuing, giving her the indication that what he had to say was important. “Brian is too, even if he doesn't show it.”

Erin blinked several times, attempting to come up with some sort of reply but was simply left with nothing. Her mind went blank at the mention of Brian. She had a hard time believing that he missed her after all of the shit he had sent her way in their last two encounters. So she did the only thing she could do when put in a spot like that, she flashed a weak smile before continuing down the stairwell.

She made her exit quick as she didn't want to alert Matt of the tears beginning to form. The last thing she wanted to think about was her ex-boyfriend when she had a date lined up in a mere few hours.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

“You've been pretty quiet.” Erin turned the six foot two hockey player to her right just as a large gust of wind swirled around the pair. Her long blonde hair blew wildly in the breeze as they walked along the lively streets of Huntington Beach. Bobby had surprised her by offering to come out from his place in Anaheim to meet her in her own neighborhood. Erin noted the curious smile on Bobby's lips but also caught the worried look clouding his deep blue eyes. A sense of guilt washed over her as she became aware that the two of them had spent the past hour walking around in a slightly awkward silence.

“Sorry, it's been a long day.” Erin forced a smile to mask her underlying emotions from earlier in the day. After leaving Matt earlier in the day, she had gone home and placed a much needed phone call to the nursing home in Nevada where Corinne resided. The blonde had spent over an hour on the phone to her grandmother who had given her grand daughter the best pep talk she could muster.

Bobby's lips curved higher at her forced smile which made her feel slightly guilty. “So where are we headed?”

“I was thinking sushi. Have you ever had that before?” Bobby asked as the pair stopped in front of a modern looking restaurant called RA Sushi Bar. Erin's eyebrows raised in surprise, Boulder City wasn't known for it's diverse types of cuisine which meant that her familiarity with the type of food was low.

The only experience she did have with the Japanese cuisine wasn't a very good one. When she had been staying in California several months ago, Brian being a big sushi enthusiast, talked her into going to a friend of the bands restaurant on Main St. Needless to say she ended the night getting sick in the bathroom of the popular restaurant with Brian amusingly smirking at her all the while holding her blonde hair back for her.

“I'm fine with it. Let's go.” Erin forced a smile through her lie and she followed him into the nicely air conditioned eatery.

Promptly after entering, they were greeted by a dark haired hostess who sat them at a small table overlooking the Pacific Coast Highway and best of all, the beach. Erin flipped aimlessly through the menu the young female server had set in front of her. Bobby checked something on his phone before eyeing the blonde before him.

“So what are you going to have?” Bobby asked, not even taking a glance at the menu. Erin let her eyes scan the unfamiliar types of sushi, hoping to find something she at least had an idea of what was inside.

“Um,” Erin sucked on her bottom lip when she felt Bobby's steady gaze upon her. He must have been able to read her perplexed expression because before she had a chance to reply, a soft chuckle escaped his lips.

“You have no idea what anything is do you?” Erin immediately took in the charming smirk and sparkle in his blue eyes. She forced a bemused chuckle as she ran a light hand through her hair, averting her eyes from the enticing man across from her.

“Am I that obvious?” Erin felt her bronzed cheeks heat up and knew that they were now a vivid shade of red. Again she casually ran a hand through her hair before hanging her head in shame. If he had been paying attention to her body language, which she was sure he was, it didn't take much to figure out that, that mannerism was her tell. “I'm just used to diner food that's all.”

He leaned his head back in the midst of laughter. “Come on.” Bobby jutted his chin towards the door and began sliding out of the small booth they occupied.

Erin furrowed her brows at him but followed his tall form through the restaurant and back onto the Pacific Coast Highway sidewalk. Once outside, her skin was instantly hit with the sweltering heat from the sun. A drastic change from the cool and refreshing Japanese restaurant.

“I know a more fitting place.” Bobby explained as he held out his hand for her to take. Erin stared at his hand briefly before securely brushing her palm against his. A smile crossed her lips as she made note of the fact that he had changed his whole plan just for her

Within a few minutes they were seated in a small fifties diner chain that also overlooked the Pacific Coast Highway and the beach. The blonde instantly felt at home with the oldies music playing softly in the background and all of the staff dressed like they belonged in that era.

“So enough about me,” Erin deflected the attention from herself and onto the six foot two hockey player sitting idly across from her. “Where are you from Mr. Ryan?” She flashed a flirtatious smile his way, which caused his full lips to tug slightly on one side, giving her a view of his half smile.

“I was born in Jersey.” He informed her with a small chuckle, before running his tongue lightly across his bottom lip. “but from there we moved to Canada for a while, then to Alaska.” Bobby's brows furrowed as he continued naming off the places he had once called home, a pained look in his usually warm blue eyes. His odd demeanor didn't go unnoticed by his blonde date. “We finally settled down in El Segundo, here in California.”

It was then that the server, dressed head to toe in his fifties style gear came over to take their orders. As soon as he left with the menus in hand, Erin focused on the silent offensive center.

“Why'd you guys move around so much?” She asked curiously, before bringing her cup of diet cola to her lips and letting the cool liquid slide down her parched throat. Bobby's featured softened at her question, he ran a hand down his neck before letting it drop onto the table in between them.

“You really want to know?” Bobby raised his eyebrows in surprise, as his blue eyes locked with hers. He shifted his eyes down the set of cutlery as he played with the expensive silver watch on his wrist. “It's not really first date conversation. It's a little heavy.”

Erin nodded her head meekly before uttering, “Was it for your dad's job or something?” She innocently shrugged her shoulders while Bobby cracked a weak smile then proceeded let out something that was a mix between a scoff and a sigh.

“More like he was running from the Feds.” Bobby commented with a small chuckle as if it were no big deal. He stole a quick glance at the blonde sitting silently across the table. She had her hands neatly placed in front of her with the most perplexed look he had ever seen on her face.

Erin blinked several times, wondering if she had heard him right when he informed her that government federal agents had been chasing after his father. Amongst being informed of this, she was almost too afraid to ask just what his father had done to make him a tracked man.

“He uh...he used to drink a lot. I was only ten but I knew that my dad had a problem.” Bobby started, swallowing the lump forming in his throat at the memories.

“He came home one night drunk off his ass convinced that my mom was doing drugs. They got into it and she was sent to the emergency room with broken ribs, punctured lung and a fracture to her skull.” He mumbled, his voice lowering in octave at each word until he fell silent.

Erin managed to prevent her mouth from dropping open as Bobby revealed the intimate details of his far from perfect childhood. It was evident those memories had left their scars on him, despite living a happy life doing what he loved. Erin's features softened and before she realized what she was doing, she placed a gentle hand on his as he visually struggled to continue.

“He fled to Canada before any charges got placed. Eventually my mom forgave him.” Bobby released a hesitant breath as the memories flooded back of his grief stricken father persuading his mother into reuniting their family.

His fathers first few attempts were met with the slamming of the phone, several of which had startled the blue eyed boy on more than one occasion. But within a few weeks his parents conversations began dragging on longer and longer until the angry hung ups stopped all together. Even at the age of ten, and despite wanting his family reunited, Bobby knew that he couldn't just let her give in to the man who had hurt her so viciously like it was no big deal. However, before his young self had a chance to have his mom think it over, he was parked on a plane with nothing more than a duffel bag and passport that bore a different name.

“Did--” Erin glanced around the restaurant before leaning further across the table. “Did he get caught?” She asked hesitantly but kept her voice low so that nearby tables couldn't hear the topic of their conversation.

“Yeah, he did. He used an old credit card at Blockbuster when he was renting me a movie.” Bobby's lips curved into a wistful half smile before peering at the blonde sitting across from him. By the look on her face, he could tell that she was enthralled by his complicated childhood story. “Served his time, and now he lives in Idaho, with my mom.”

Erin's eyebrows raised in surprise at how the story had went from horrifically bad to everyone in the end, getting their happy ending.

“I was confused for the longest time too, but he's been completely sober for twelve and half years now.” He informed her with a prideful gleam in his eye but his full lips remained purse tightly together as if holding his breath.

Erin's blue eyes locked with his just as he released his lips and they curved into a half smile. “I'm surprised you didn't hear about this before.” He started as he shifted in his seat. “I made a statement about it before the Olympics started in February. I didn't want anything hiding in the closet you know?”

“Oh, I don't keep up much with the news as bad as that sounds. I did watch the gold medal game though.” Erin slowly nodded her head as she recalled Jon's incessant calls to remind her of the time the gold medal game was airing. Despite being at school during the Olympic sport, her younger sibling somehow found the time to watch all the games and give her his own personal commentary. His disappointed phone call after the loss, lasted the longest of all.

Erin released a soft feminine laugh as she realized where the nickname Bobby's teammate had more than likely stemmed from. “Is that why Ryan calls you Silver?”

Bobby released a heavy, and over exaggerated sigh. “Yeah, it's getting old.” Bobby shook his head just as the server who had taken their orders, now set the two large plates in his hands, directly in front of them.

“Actually.” Erin began before quickly thanking the server and turned back to Bobby. The hockey player was already digging into his meal but it didn't stop her from continuing with her statement. “I think it's kinda cute.” She complimented with a flirtatious smile. It was hard to miss the surprised look on his face or the coughing fit that occurred when he began lightly choking on his mouthful of food.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

“Babe, what do you want? Tequila or rum?” Brian felt a pair of lips attach themselves to his neck and sloppily place wet kisses against it. He could feel her thin arms drape themselves across his naked torso, her nails lightly scratched at the top of his swimming trunks. He slowly brought a hand up as he opened his eyes, all the while blocking the sunlight from blinding him.

“Booze is booze. I'm not picky.” Brian muttered to the young blonde, he could feel her lips curve into a smile. He made note as they were leaving, that the beach had significantly cleared since their arrival several hours ago. Kelsey remained close to him as her platinum blonde hair blew wildly in ocean breeze and dangerously close to his eyes.

After spending a day at the beach, which had been his partners idea more than his own, the pair were on their way the nearest beer and wine store. Brian had let himself completely run out of alcohol, he wasn't quite sure how that happened since he couldn't remember the last time that had been an issue. He had a feeling it had something to do with the young blonde
who was currently engulfing him in her embrace as they walked along the streets of downtown Huntington Beach.

“I need a smoke.” He muttered as they waited for the crosswalk tell them to go. Brian managed to untangle himself from the younger woman’s grasp to search his pockets for the pack of Marlboro Red cigarettes that was supposed to be there.

“I smoked the last one.” He heard her monotone voice tell him as if it were no big deal. As a long time smoker, she was well aware of how dependent he was on them so for her to take his last one without asking definitely pissed him off.

The lead guitarist said nothing to her as the light changed and it was telling them to cross the street. He could feel her walking behind him but he simply ignored her as he headed in the direction of the nearest liquor store that also sold his brand of cigarettes. Luckily he knew of one less than a block away from the intersection they crossed the street and slipped his shirt back on during the short walk.

Once inside the small storefront, Brian headed for the section of whiskey and promptly got himself the biggest bottle that they carried before he headed to the register. Kelsey found her way to his side a minutes after he grabbed several packs of cigarettes, with a bottle of Jose Cuervo nestled safely in her arms as if it were a new born child.

“I'm sorry for earlier.” She mumbled, resembling a child herself and making him feel like the angry parent scolding her. “I'll make it up to you?”

He glanced down at her as she not so subtly peered up at him with her piercing dark grey eyes, looking ever so innocent if it were not for the large bottle of liquid poison cradled in her arms. For a moment he was stunned by how much of a resemblance she bore to a certain blonde from his past, if only her eyes were deep blue and her hair a more natural blonde.

“Brian.” She nudged him lightly as the cashier at the counter began looking annoyed with the heavily tattooed guitarist staring intently at his companion.

Brian quickly paid the older man before gathering all of his purchases in a bag and started towards the exit with Kelsey hanging onto his free arm.

“What are you doing next week?” She mumbled into his arm and placed her chin gently on his shoulder, waiting on his answer.

Brian slipped on his sunglasses as the pair stepped outside. One reason being that it was sunny and the second being he didn't want the young woman to see the pain in his eyes as he told her of the studio session he had been asked to attend by his three band mates. Each of them had called him on separate occasions and made their case as to why he should be there, all of which had been convincing but he just wasn't sure he was emotionally ready.

“I—uh, we're heading to the stu—” Brian's mouth clamped closed before he could finish his sentence.

He was happy that he had his sunglasses on because just a little over fifteen feet away he caught sight of the blue-eyed blonde he had just been thinking about stepping out of a diner. However, as opposed to the last few times he had seen her, she had a genuine smile on her face and she looked almost happy.

Next to her, stood a guy around Matt's height but no where close to his build, looking just as happy as Brian’s ex-girlfriend. A surge of jealousy pulsed through his veins as he recalled a time where it was him who was making her smile like that, which now was only left in his memories.

Kelsey tugged on his arm and kept calling his name but his covered eyes were set on Erin's relaxed and care free demeanor. Her head was tilted to the side as she laughed at something he said and her long blonde hair blew wildly around her face. He swore for just a moment that he caught the familiar intoxicating scent of her vanilla perfume mixed with her sweet smelling shampoo but assured himself that he was just imagining it.

He watched as Erin's gaze turned away from her companion to briefly look in front of her. Her smile immediately faltered when she realized he was standing there, and even more so when she spotted the blonde clinging closely to his side.

Brian wanted to stop her and ask who her athletic looking companion was. He wasn't sure if it was the fear of her answer or his overly large ego, but he simply ignored the urge and pulled Kelsey along with him. He abruptly passed Erin and her date, but made it a point to cast a stern look her way before he did so.

Erin, meanwhile, frowned at his clear dismissal of her presence. She wasn't expecting, nor did she want, an overly friendly greeting from him but an acknowledgment would have been nice. The blonde cast a glance over her shoulder as she watched Brian and his young looking blonde walk away. It was slowly dawning on her that her and Brian might not be able to be friends, there was far too much history between them to simply forget.

Bobby must have caught her staring because the next words out of his mouth seemed curious. “Old friend?” Erin tore her eyes away from the pair and settled on the cute guy standing next to her. She cast him a small half smile, attempting to hide the sadness underlying it.

“No,” She lightly shook her head as she glanced quickly back at Brian just before he disappeared around the corner of a building. A wistful tone was slowly seeping into her voice. “I'm not sure who that is anymore.”