Right Here Waiting

A month had passed from the time of the concert.

Brian was antsy. The trip home from Quebec was taking too long. He knew they were somewhere over California and they had less than an hour left in the flight, but Lord he thought it was taking way too long.

He and Eliza had spoken some on the phone since the concert. He finally figured out Amber had blocked Eliza’s number, and he unblocked it. She answered on the second ring, and was ecstatic to tell him the news. The whole group was going out tonight in celebration of her getting signed. Honestly, he just wanted a few minutes alone with her. He had so much to apologize for. Not to mention, he had a gift to give her.

He was mad because Katie and Val had left the night before to get back to California early to see Eliza. He had wanted to be the first one to see her, but they could leave and he couldn’t. He couldn’t stay mad long. He knew why they went back, and ultimately he was grateful to them. They were doing the dirty work for him this time, instead of Eliza.

Finally the plane landed and the guys made their way from Los Angeles to Huntington Beach. Before the car could come to a complete stop in the driveway, Brian was hopping out of the door. He dug for his keys in his pockets and jumped into his SUV.

After what seemed like an eternity, he was finally outside of Val’s house. He jogged up the steps and banged on the door. Val answered.

“You can’t see her.”

“Excuse me?”

“You have to wait until tonight.”

He could faintly hear screaming coming from inside the house. He made out “FUCK YOU!” AND “GET OFF ME!” and assumed Katie was holding Eliza in the house.

“Val, come on. I just want to see her.”

“No, Brian. You waited all this time to apologize to her; you can wait a few more hours. Go home, shower, and look fucking decent, okay?”

“Fine,” he said, and turned around, dejected.

Inside the house, Eliza finally wrestled herself free of Katie. She moved to the front door where Val stood.

“Why can’t I see him?”

“It has to be the right moment, and you look like shit right now.”

“I wouldn’t look like shit if you would tell me where the hell my shit is. Why are all my clothes gone? Where are my shoes and make-up, and everything else?”

“They’re where they’re supposed to be, dammit.”

Eliza knew Val wasn’t going to give her any more information, and she stopped her questioning. She crossed her arms over her chest, but moved back to the bedroom to finish getting ready when Val made a motion for her to move.



He was working on his fourth drink by ten. The girls still hadn’t shown up and he was losing his mind. Matt sat down at the bar beside him. They looked out at the packed club. Friends of Eliza’s and the guys were there. Joel and the rest of his band had been the ones to set up the party for her. Brian even saw that Jennifer Donnelly woman drinking a beer.

“They’re on their way.”

“Are you sure?” Brian asked.

“Yeah, Val just told me.”

“Good.”

“You got it?”

“Yeah, I’ve got it,” Brian said, and patted his coat pocket.

Of course he had suits, but that wasn’t his style. Each of the guys had on a pair of either black dress pants or dark-washed jeans. Zacky was wearing his collared shirt and bowtie, Matt had on a nice shirt, and Jimmy didn’t care. Johnny and Brian took an alternate route and put on a jacket over a regular t-shirt.

The girls, however, put them to shame.

Val was wearing a red dress with matching heels. Her hair was pulled away from her face and her makeup was barely there. Katie was wearing a grey dress with black heels. Her hair was curled and she made a beeline for Zacky.

Eliza was the last to enter, and Brian couldn’t breathe. She was wearing a white lace dress with a black lace band around her middle, attached with a bow. It was short and strapless and he knew he made an audible gulp. Her pink hair was straightened and pushed to one side and her shoes matched her hair. She had small pearls in each ear, and the necklace the guys had sent her for her birthday around her neck. She’d added another one, and he laughed as she got closer. It was a coffin with “A7X” in the middle, and wings coming out of either side of it. Her wrists were completely bare except for the bracelet he gave her, and the only ring on her finger was the on Val had given her.

She made eye contact with him, smiled, and made her way right to him as he stood up from the stool. They didn’t say anything as they hugged each other. Brian felt her arms tighten around him, and he pulled her closer, burying his head in the crook of her neck.

They pulled away after a few minutes, and they both opened their mouths to speak, but Eliza was pulled away by Jimmy wanting to dance.

Brian watched as she sent him an apologetic look and went with Jimmy.



It had been four hours.

Four fucking hours and Brian still hadn’t been able to talk to Eliza alone. It seemed as if everytime he got close, someone saw and wanted to make sure they didn’t talk. She was always taken some place else away from him. Finally, taking about as much as he could, he headed straight for Eliza.

Unfortunately, that was when Jimmy decided to announce over the microphone there was going to be an after party at his house.

Brian watched as Eliza was pulled by Katie and Val in the direction of the door. Before she disappeared, she turned around and met his eyes and Brian knew she wanted to talk to him as much as he wanted to talk to her.

Having no choice, he walked out with the guys for the trip back to Jimmy’s.

The house was packed to the gills, and it seemed no one could move without bumping into anyone. Brian had never seen so many people at one party. He hadn’t seen Eliza since he arrived and now he was just plain pissed off.

He was tired of the crowd of people and the noise, so he escaped upstairs. He quickly entered Jimmy’s room. Shutting the door, he leaned his head against it and sighed.

“Noisy, isn’t it?”

He whirled around and his breath stopped. Eliza was standing at the window, looking out of it. She wasn’t looking at him, but somehow knew he was there. He smiled as she finally turned around.

“Eliza…”

Before he could blink, Eliza was standing in front of him.

“I’m sorry,” they both said at the same time and smiled.

“I’m sorry Eliza,” Brian started. “I did so many fucked up things to you and I can’t even begin to name them all. I know it’s gonna take some time for you to forgive me and—”

“Brian,” Eliza said. “Shut up. Did you say some fucked up things?”

“Yes.”

“Do you apologize for all of them?”

“Yes.”

“Do you promise not to do any of them again?” Eliza asked, sticking up her pinky.

Brian smiled and hooked his pinky in hers. He watched as Eliza leaned in and kissed her fist. He did the same thing. “I promise.”

“Do you love me?”

“Yes,” he breathed.

Eliza smiled and leaned in to kiss him. Their lips had barely touched when they both reached and pulled the other one into them, crushing their lips together. Eliza could feel Brian smile into the kiss and she deepened it.

When they pulled away, Eliza couldn’t quit smiling.

“Will you go somewhere with me?” Eliza asked him, and silently Brian nodded.

“Yes, I will if you go somewhere with me afterward.”

Eliza smiled.

They knew they didn’t want to go out through the front door as people would see them. They decided to go out the window. Unfortunately, they were on the second floor. Brian climbed down the roof and jumped to the ground. Eliza climbed out after him and threw her shoes to the ground. She scooted herself to the edge of the roof and saw Brian standing there, looking up at her. She pushed herself up on her hands and dropped down to the ground. Brian helped her straighten up and they walked through the backyard, across the street and through Central Park. They didn’t speak at all, just held hands as Eliza led them across the park. In her other hand, she carried her shoes.

As they walked clear across the park, Brian realized they were heading to the cemetery. She wanted him to visit her Dad’s grave with her.

“Have you been since the funeral?”

“No, I haven’t. It didn’t feel right.”

“Does it feel right now?”

“Now that you’re with me, yes, it does.”

They stood in front of his grave for a few minutes, letting Eliza reflect.

When she finally stood up, she sighed and smiled at him.

“Where are we going now?”

“Home.”

“We’re going to Val’s?”

“No. Eliza… I want to ask you something.”

“Alright.”

He reached into his pocket where he knew the box was sitting. He pulled it out and held it in front of her. Eliza just looked from him to the box in his hands.

“Brian, I don’t…”

“Just open it before you think anymore. I jumped to way too many conclusions in the past few months, and I don’t want you to do the same. Open it.”

Eliza took the box and opened it. Inside was a silver key.

“I don’t understand,” Eliza said, her eyebrows drawing together.

“You will,” he said.

They walked hand in hand back to Jimmy’s house where they went directly to Brian’s car and left. Eliza watched as the scenery became more and more familiar as they drove. Soon, she gasped as she realized where they were. Her head whipped to look at Brian.

“Are you serious?”

Brian smiled as Eliza jumped out of the SUV. She walked to the center of the lawn and stared at her childhood home. She felt Brian’s arms wrap around her middle and leaned back into him.

“Elizabeth Allison Grey, will you move in with me?”

She whirled around in his arms and smiled.

“You bought the house?”

“Yeah, I did. It seemed wrong to let someone else have the house.”

“Yes, Brian Elwin Haner, Jr., I will live with you.”

They kissed, and Eliza pulled Brian to the front door dying to try out her key. She opened the door and found everything was still the same. Most of the furniture she had taken out and put in storage in Boston had been brought back. She ran up the steps into her room and found it empty. She moved to the master bedroom and found her bed there, along with all her clothes as well as Brian’s in the closet. In the bathroom, all of their stuff was placed on the sink. She understood then what Val meant by her things were where they were supposed to be.
At the sound of footsteps, she whirled around to face Brian.

“This is the best gift ever, Brian,” she said, and pulled his face close to hers for a kiss.

“Am I completely forgiven now?”

“Completely forgiven,” she said and kissed him again.

“Good, because I have one more surprise for you.”

“What’s that?”

“Get changed, and meet me out back.”

He left her alone in the room and she spun around, completely happy. A thought hit her as she remembered Brian’s words.

“Meet me out back.”

She knew what he was up to and was out of her dress as fast as she could. She pulled on her bathing suit and a cotton dress and ran down the steps.

Brian was standing on the beach in just his swim trunks. The bench from the deck was sitting on the beach a few steps behind him and Eliza could see her guitar along with Brian’s sitting on top of it. She dropped the couple of steps to the sand and ran along the beach, jumping on Brian’s back.

“You didn’t make any coffee,” she said, leaning over his shoulder to kiss his cheek.

“Trust me; I’ll be all the caffeine you need.”

Eliza laughed and dropped back to the sand. They walked to the bench and sat down opposite of each other. Brian had one leg underneath the other as he faced Eliza, and she sat cross-legged facing him. They picked up their guitars and started to play together.

“I know I’ve been mistaken…”

The end...
for now.