Close Your Eyes to See

She wasn't dressed right. Every girl was in a pair of skinny jeans and band shirt with heavy makeup or they were showing too much skin in an outfit that wasn't appropriate for their age. The Marquee in Tempe was completely packed with Maine fans, Edie felt foolish for not realizing how popular John's band really was – especially in their own hometown. But she couldn't lie, she had spent the past few weeks listening to their music and she adored it completely and was happy she was with a guy with a decent taste in music for both listening pleasure and creating.

As a promise for John dealing with the family dinner, Edie was currently walking down the line of fans waiting outside the venue, every single girl eyeing her as she walked. She felt so out of place and uncomfortable, her eyes focusing on the ground as she walked towards the back of the venue where John said to meet her.

Once she made it to the gate, she dug in her bag for the laminate that John had given to her this morning and flashed it to the security guard who allowed her through as she passed fans with glaring looks who were watching for one of the guys to pass by. John had been gone all day, finishing up some tweaks on the set list and heading to the venue for soundcheck and a meet and greet earlier, leaving Edie to sit and worry about her outfit and how things were going to go tonight.

She quickly texted John to let her know that she had arrived, hoping that he would appear quickly – she was only here for John for quite honestly. Edie walked with nerves in her step towards the back entrance where people were loitering, eyeing her suggestively. Most of them looked like they worked in the venue and were helping to set everything up for the night.

Edie knew John had a really busy day, but she really wanted to see him before the show. She had been to one of Eric's shows and guessed that they had the same agendas which means after the show, he was going to be talking to fans for quite a while.

To ease her nerves, she paced around the back lot and lit up a cigarette – a nervous habit she had tried to quit the past few weeks to help make her healthier. It clearly wasn't working. As a girl who used to smoke a lot, Edie knew it was an unattractive quality to have and that was just one more thing she didn't want to be seen as. Like that was going to help her self esteem.

As she waited, her mind began to swirl with each puff. Maybe he was taking so long because he didn't want to be out with Edie in public, in front of his friends and fans. Was he ashamed of her? Edie glanced down at her outfit – he was going to think she overdid it. Completely. A vintage floral skirt and a grey elephant tank top with a tan sweater over her shoulders was the outfit of chose for tonight. Edie was going to stick out like a sore thumb compared to all of these other girls. She wasn't a stick or twelve years old. Her clothes weren't neon or skin baring. All Edie could do was tell herself to keep breathing. Everything was going to be fine.

“There you are.” A pair of arms snaked around her and kissed her temple as she breathed out the smoke from her lungs, almost choking from being startled. At the touch of his skin and the sound of his voice, Edie felt more at ease. Or it was the Nicotine doing all of the work.

“Sorry I took so long, we were having sound problems. Soundcheck happened way late today.” He mumbled into her hair causing shivers to run down her spine.

Edie quickly dropped the cigarette on the ground and smashed it underneath her foot before turning around and accepting John's lips as he leaned into her.

“I thought you stopped smoking?” She could feel her cheeks start to warm up as John's arms rested on her waist.

“I kind of did, its kind of just occasional, ya know?” She lied through her teeth, something that John instantly caught on to. He shook his head and rested his forehead against her own,

“Ed, don't be nervous. Tonight is going to be fun. Eric and Tessa and Gabi are going to be here. And I will hang out with you until the show and after the show. I am really excited for you to finally see us.” Edie couldn't help but smile. John looked like a kid on Christmas morning, excited to open his presents. She attached her lips to his once more before dropping her hands from his neck,

“I am happy I'm here John, its just....a lot of people ya know?” More like a lot of GIRLS. Pretty girls. Pretty girls who like to stare and judge other girls. John's hands fell and one of them found Edie's, their fingers intertwining together as they began to walk back inside the venue.

“Its almost a sold out show, but you are the only person I care about being here. I am really happy you are here.” John was hoping today would go smoothly. He knew the show was going to be ten times better if he could glance over at Edie during the set. He was putting out all the stops to impress this girl, he wanted her to be proud.

“You look beautiful tonight, Edie.” John would never get tired of telling her how beautiful she was. Or seeing her face turn bright red every time he said it. It was the cutest thing in his eyes.

“I was walking past the line outside when I got here, your fans don't really dress like I do.” Edie mumbled as the two walked backstage down the long hallway towards the green room. She closed her eyes and saw the most beautiful girls with their hands all over John and she found herself almost getting sick.

“Yeah, we have the ones that rock the Converse and the neon colored shirts we sold back in 2008. And then there are the girls that don't know any songs and wear the sluttiest outfits and ten pounds of makeup to try and get our attention. Its the worst. But you, Edie, are the type of girl who just wears whatever she wants to and that's what I love about you.” His hand left hers as he stretched his arm across her shoulders and brought her in close as they entered the green room.

All of the boys were spread out – Pat in the middle of making a sandwich, Kennedy in the middle of eating a sandwich, Garrett messing around with a guitar and Jared sitting on the couch with Tessa as they talked.

“Edie you made it!” Kennedy said with his mouth full as the rest of the guys told her 'hey' in unison. Edie blushed again slightly and waved her hand at the boys before John's arm left Edie's shoulders and begin filling two cups up for them. John always had a drink before a show to get loose, but he definitely wasn't going to drink a lot tonight – he had a girl to impress.

“Hey Ed, you remember Dirk right?” Her brown eyes glanced over to see a tall, lanky dark haired boy with a camera in one hand and a drink in the other. She vaguely remembered him from a party a while back, but nevertheless, she gave him a quiet 'hello' before turning back to John who filled the two plastic cups with copper liquid – a fair more amount in John's cup than in her's.

Absentmindedly, Edie wrapped her arms around John's bicep and leaned into him as he finished mixing the two drinks for them, not really knowing how to interact with the others in the room. Besides, she just really wanted to spend her night with John and try and soak this whole atmosphere in while she could.

Edie found herself jumping slightly when a bright flash went off in the corner of her eye, catching her by complete surprise. She looked over and noticed that Dirk had just taken a picture of her and John, the blush from earlier a now permanent resident on her cheeks.

“Yeah, Dirk is kind of our photographer,” he handed the designated cup to her and turned over to Dirk, “maybe kind of wait to take photos until tonight when the show starts, ya know?” Edie knew that John was implying that she was uncomfortable with getting her photo taken and to be honest, she was. But Dirk was a cool guy and she didn't want to interfere with what he was doing.

“No Dirk, its fine really. I don't mind.” Edie took a sip of her drink, surprised that John was able to mix the drink just for her liking. Maybe this would help her with social anxiety for the night. The two of them moved to sit on one of the couches located in the green room, John's arm instinctively going around her and pulling her in close.

“So, heard from Jean at all lately?” John's famous smirk was on his face as she shook her head instantly, resting the drink of her crossed knee – their legs brushing against each other.

“Not since the dinner and I don't plan on talking to her any time soon,” she glanced down at the liquid in her cup before taking another sip, “but let's not talk about her. There is no way this night can be ruined by her. Did you finally get the set list figured out?” She knew that John and the guys had been struggling about what songs to play tonight – should they stay new or go old or go SUPER old?

“Yeah, we figured it out finally. Its been so long since we have played a show – its weird. Its like, we got forty or some odd days in a row playing shows every night and then we come home and take a break and then get back into it again. Normally, the first few shows are pretty rough so we will see how tonight goes.”

“Is the O'Callaghan clan coming tonight?” A smile came across his face, giving Edie the answer she was wondering about.

“Yeah – the whole fam will be here. My mom is excited to see you.” Edie smiled and looked away from John – she hadn't seen Jenny since they had their family barbecue, but she completely adored that woman. She was how a mother was supposed to be.

The two continued to talk about how the show was going to go – Austin Gibbs and Sweet Talker would be hitting the stage before they played their set that was well over an hour and a half long. They packed in as many shows as they possibly could. Edie loved seeing John this way, he was in complete bliss talking about how the meet and greet was going and how soundcheck was almost completely flawless this afternoon,

“I swear, every single meet and greet has a girl with our lyrics tattooed on them. Its the coolest thing ever. I wonder what their parents think about it.” John continued to talk about everything that had had happened so far today, so glad to be able to share this side of him to Edie. He had been wanting to open up to her about his life as a musician and how much it means to him.

As Edie continued to listen to her boyfriend with a smile permanently on her face, she would every once and a while hear the faint shutter clicks of Dirk's camera, her mind overanalyzing the silly action. Was she sitting right? Was she going to look okay? The camera did add ten pounds after all. Was he going to post these photos somewhere for everywhere to see?

Edie just wanted to be perfect. She wanted to be perfect for the photo, for everyone she knew and for John. It did matter what onlookers thought of her because it reflected about what everyone thought about her. What if John wasn't happy with her or didn't want to be with her, but couldn't break up with her because she appeared too clingy? Oh god, was she being to clingy to him? Edie found herself indiscreetly scooting a little bit away from John to make it seem like she wasn't being too much of an attached girlfriend.

“Hey guys, get together.” John stopped what he was saying to look at Dirk who was standing in front of them, waiting to take their photo. John set down his drink down on the ground by his shoes and brought Edie in closer with his arm. Edie leaned into him, instinctively resting her hand on his chest and trying her best to smile as pretty as she could for the camera – she didn't know where this was going to end up, but she didn't care.

Edie got a whiff of his perfect scent – cigarettes and spearmint, causing the negative thoughts to leave her mind. She was close enough to him to count the freckles on his nose and the colors in his eyes. She loved the way his hair was perfect, yet so messy at the same time and how he had a hole in the knees of all of his jeans and the way his voice was forever raspy.

“Did I tell you you look beautiful tonight yet?” He asked her, their foreheads meeting once more. He watched as she rolled her perfect eyes, her beautiful face not caked in makeup and her hair flowing perfectly over her shoulders and down to the small of her back.

“You might have mentioned it.” She giggled softly as John's breath tickled her nose before his perfect lips met her's in an instant, all of the nerves finally hitting her body. At this point, she didn't even care if tonight ended up shitty. She was still going to have John and that was all she needed.

++++++++++++

“Eric owww, stop.” She shooed her friend away with her hand as he continued to pull her hair to irritate the hell out of her. She was waiting on the side of the stage with Eric as the boys got ready to hit the stage in a minute. The entire venue was filled with energy, the whole place completely packed with people. Edie glanced at the other side of the stage and noticed the girls that were standing there – half naked with perfect legs and heels that could break people's necks and sun kissed blonde hair that was perfectly straighten. All Edie could think about was how these where the types of girls musicians were supposed to be with, but she quickly shook that thought of her head as soon as the stage and house lights dimmed and roars of high pitched screams filled the entire venue.

She watched as one by one, each member of The Maine made their way onstage to their designated positions, the screams getting louder as each and every member stepped on. John reached out and grabbed Edie's arm and slowly pulled her towards him so he could kiss her one more time before beginning the show. This time, the kiss was electrifying. With the sounds of Pat beating on the drums and the shouts from the audience, the kiss Edie was sharing with John hit her like a ton of bricks.

“I love you.” John said to her with a smile before he ran out onstage as the band kicked it in with “Like We Did”. It took Edie a few seconds to process what had happened before she found herself smiling like a complete idiot and Eric poking her side with his elbow as a way of making fun of her.

“Shut up Eric.” Edie shouted over the music, the stupid smile unable to leave her face. Eric began to laugh before he wrapped his arm around her and brought her into a brotherly hug.

“I'm happy for you, Edith. I really am.” He chuckled, so relieved that his best friend was with his other best friend. Though there was a pinch of room for a disaster to happen, he trusted John to take care of his Edie.

“Thanks Eric, I'm really happy to.” It was the first time in a long time that she was able to say that out loud – just how happy she was. And it was all because of that geek on the stage in front of her. The way his tshirt hung on his body, strapped down by suspenders that kept his baggy skinny jeans from completely falling down. The way he stomped his feet in his big boots and how his microphone stand was raised too short so he was hunched over as he sang.

Edie allowed herself to feel the music that was running through her ears. She watched as John grasped the microphone with one hand and used the other to put emphasis on the words he was singing, that hand combing through his hair every minute or so. When there was a long pause, he would lick his lips and look up towards the top of the venue and at the crowd.

She was finally seeing a different side of John and she loved it. She found herself pinching herself to see if the moment was real – she couldn't believe that John was actually her's. She was allowed to hug him, kiss him and hold his hand whenever she wanted. Edie could make fun of his red patterned pants or the fact that he owned more denim clothes than anyone she knew. Every once and while, his perfect eyes would look up to meet her's and she felt her soul melt all over again at just the sight of him.

Halfway through the set, Edie was proud to say she knew most of the words to the songs that were being played – old or new. She could tell by the crowd's reactions which ones were their favorites. Edie glanced out at the crowd and noticed that almost all of them were girls, the ones in the front row always reaching out to touch John's hand or get his attention even for a second. It made Edie feel both special and depressed at the same time. She had the perfect guy that girls looked up to and just wanted to reach out and touch. But she also had the perfect guy that every girl wanted and that could have any girl he chose. Yet for some reason, out of all of the women at his disposal – he chose her. Edie didn't know if her brain was ever going to be wrapped around that concept. What was so special about her?

“So the guys and I were talking earlier this week about some big plans we have coming up,” John spoke into the microphone as the audience roared, “and we thought that this hometown show tonight would be the perfect time to make the announcement.” John strolled around the stage as the entire room irrupted with cheers and screams, a smirk on his face as he continued to tease them all.

“Well, we recently took a break for about a month and a half to just hang out. But all of his downtime made us realize how much we miss being on the road,” more shouts ensued, “so we are going to be back on tour in a month across North America!” The microphone left his mouth as all of the girls in the crowd went wild.

Edie didn't know if she should be acting like one of those girls or not, but she found her brown eyes filling with tears as she heard the news. John hadn't mentioned anything about a tour. She swallowed harshly as they kicked into another song, thoughts flooding her entire brain.

She knew it was only a matter of time before he was on the road again – she was used to with Eric, but John......what was she going to do while he was gone. That was how it worked, bands always toured. She had only ever known John as the boy who was friends with Eric and who was always around to see and hang out with. But in a month, he was going to be across an entire freaking country from her.

The thought about him leaving had never really crossed her mind. She knew that he was going to be gone for a while too, tours weren't just a few weeks – they were MONTHS at a time. Edie pinched herself to distract the tears that were forming her eyes and tried to blink them away and not think about the news she had just heard. She could feel Eric's eyes on her, but she ignored them and continued to watch the guys as they jammed onstage.

After the boys finished their set and exited one by one off the stage, Edie put on the bravest face she could muster up as John approached her and quickly attached his lips to hers. He was dripping with sweat, but Edie didn't mind at that point. His hands were resting on her back as she rested her's on his damp t-shirt that rested against his chest.

“It was perfect John. You guys were perfect.” She mumbled against his perfect lips as he grabbed her hand and walked with her back into the green room where the guys were toweling off. John reached for one of the fresh towels on the table, running in against his face and through his hair before peeling off his damp shirt that was sticking to his body. Edie took in her perfect body, something she had lusted over before.

“I am glad I was able to impress.” He cocked one of his eyebrows and smirked before patting his torso with the towel and reaching for a fresh shirt he had brought to change in to after the show.

There was clear elephant in the room. John had been avoiding talking to Edie about the tour because he didn't know how to break the news to her. He didn't know what was going to happen to them when he left and that scared him, he worked so hard to get her and he didn't want to let her go. Especially now, he wanted her to be there for him when he got back. But he wasn't sure how Edie was going to take it. John wouldn't blame her if she decided to break it all off because he was going to be gone for months at a time. He tried to avoid talking to her about it for now, they had a month to sort everything out.

“I am going to head out and meet some fans for a bit, are you going to stick around?”He walked over to Edie and rested his hands on the small of her back, something he had grown used to doing.

“Yeah, definitely. I'll just hang here for a bit.” John quickly kissed her before giving her a smile and following Jared out the back door to great the groups of girls that were waiting outside for them.

Edie found herself plopping down on the couch and scrolling through her social media sites on her phone to pass the time – she knew that they could be out there for a really long time. At one of Eric's shows, he was out there for a last an hour and a half.

“Oh Edie, there you are,” Edie's ears perked up as she looked over towards the door and saw Jenny making her way in with a smile, “I am guessing my son has already made his way outside to greet the fans?” She took a seat next to Edie as she nodded her head and fixed her posture on the couch.

“Yeah, he will probably be out there for a while.” Edie tucked a pierce of her long brown hair before he ear and tried her best to not be awkward – she wasn't the best with adults.

“Figures. I think its great the boys still go out and greet their fans. Did you enjoy the show?”

“Yeah, it was perfect. I had never seen them before, I have only been to one or two of Eric's shows, it was really nice finally seeing John do what he loves.” Jenny nodded at everything Edie was saying, so happy to hear her speak so highly of her son.

“John was talking about how excited he was for you to come tonight, I am so glad that you enjoyed it. I know it meant a lot to him. I remember when John was younger – he would also go see his friend's play in Battle of the Bands and in little coffee shops and things. He has always had a passion for music, but never thought he had the talent to be in a band. I am so glad he has finally found what he wants to do.” Edie's heart warmed listening to Jenny gush about John, she has never really heard a parent talk about a child as much as Jenny did of John.

“So are you and John together now?” The question took Edie off guard, making a red tint creep across her face as she thought quickly and then nodded her head.

“Oh I am so glad, I knew I liked you from when I met at our family dinner. You have something special about you dear and I know you were good for my son.” Edie didn't know how to take all of the things Jenny was saying towards her, she didn't even have words – she didn't take compliments well.

“Have you two talked about what you are going to do when he leaves for Europe?” And just like that, all of the happiness Edie was feeling was gone. Had John and her talked about it? Of course not. Edie didn't even know about up until an hour again. John never told her which is what hurt the most. She wished she would have known sooner instead of being taken by surprise like that.

“Uhhh no,we uhh haven't.” She whispered as she stared down at her hands that were rested in her lap. She thought about John heading off to Europe and realizing that he was better than her and was better off finding someone else to be with. John was going to meet some six foot, size zero model with perfect hair and skin and run off with her and completely forget about Edie. It scared her. She was going to sit around waiting for him to call or text or Skype while he was off meeting her new halfway around the world.

Edie glanced at her phone and looked at the time, deciding that she wanted to go home for the night and maybe see John in the morning. She needed some time to think about everything.

“You know, I better be heading home now. I told my brother I wouldn't be too late. Will you tell John I will call him later?” Edie stood up and spoke to Jenny who looked confused at her abrupt decision to leave.

“Of course I will sweetly. It was great seeing you.” The two women exchanged hugs as Edie gathered her purse and made her way towards the front of the venue to get the hell out of her. She came from the backstage area and girls who were waiting in line for merch immediately caught her as Edie walked towards them to get outside.

All of the girls, around the age of seventeen, glanced at her with dagger eyes and whispered back and forth to each other as she tried to wave through the sea of girls waiting to buy a t shirt. Every girl she passed gave her a stare and analyzed Edie's outfit and body with their hands, making her want to completely break down and cry.

“She isn't pretty enough to be with a musician.” She heard one of the fans whisper, causing everything to slowly unravel inside of her. Edie made her way towards the front entrance as quick as she could, letting the fresh air fill her lungs and fresh tears slowly slip from her eyes. Why were girls so mean and critical of others?

Edie looked from afar and noticed huge groups of girls swarming the guys with pens to sign their clothes and CDs with. John was in the middle of talking to a girl that looked about twenty, a skimpy tank top and shorts showing off her perfectly tanned skin. He was smiling brightly and laughing truthfully as he talked to this girl making Edie both proud and sad. Edie found herself walking back to her car as fast as she could that night, trying her best to escape the thoughts that were chasing her in her head.

++++++++++++

The paintbrush fell to the ground, hitting the newspaper with a crunch. Finally, she was done. She wiped the sweat beads that had formed on her head and stepped back to admire the work she had slaved over the past few weeks. A huge black tree covered the entire wall in Eric and Beth's living room. With thorny and rugged branches, the tree had managed to come out exactly as she had hoped.

Beth and Eric's apartment was vacant, the two of them going out for lunch to give Edie time to finish up the tree in peace. She hadn't drawn or painted much since John came into the picture. As much as she loved it, she only ever knew how to use it in a way of making her feel less alone. But now she had John and Eric and Beth and all of the guys too, she was too busy these days to pick up her pencil. She knew, however, that once John was gone on tour, most of her days would be spent drawing and watching How I Met Your Mother marathons with Harley – back to the usual.

John had been texting her, wondering why she bailed after the show last night. She felt foolish about the whole thing, but she couldn't help how she felt. Part of her was angry that John never mentioned anything about the tour next month and the other part was angry that she had gotten involved with John, knowing that he wasn't always going to be there when she needed to. But Edie would rather have John partially in her life than not at all.

“Why did you decide on the tree?” A shiver ran down her spine as John's voice echoed through her ears. She never wanted that sound to go away. An awkward tension filled the room as John walked from the front door to where Edie stood, overlooking the beautiful tree that was now on the wall.

He had been trying to call her all morning and when she didn't answer, he knew something was wrong. John didn't understand why she bailed last night after the show. After talking to his mom, who wasn't sure about it either, he was worried. Her excuse that her brother wanted her home was a bunch of crap.

“In some cultures, tress represent knowledge. Since I was little, I have always seen trees as a symbol for home and safety. If you think about, trees are everywhere. It doesn't matter where you are in the world, you are bound to see some form of tree in most places. Its a constant in life, ya know? It reminds you of the living things on this Earth. Trees are the homes for different organisms. They use the branches and leaves as a form of safety and comfort from everything that is out to get them. They hide in the trunks and nest in the holes of the branches. I figured that since it was a living room, that a tree would make sense, ya know?”

John smiled as Edie spoke with such detail and thought – it was another thing he loved about her. You could ask her what a leaf represented and she would have some logical and in depth story about how it can represent a million different things and all of it would make sense to him. Edie was one of the most intelligent people he'd ever met. She saw the world in different colors than anyone else in the world which made her who she was.

He watched as she began to clean up her mess, placing the used brushes into the paint tray and crumbling up the newspaper that was laid out on the ground.

“So what happened last night?” The breath caught in Edie's throat, not expecting that subject to come up so soon. She rose from the ground with her hands full of garbage and crossed into the kitchen as John followed right on her heels. Putting her brushes in the sink to rinse them and throwing the rest of the supplies in the trash, she didn't respond to his question.

“Its about the tour, isn't it?” John had a hunch about it, he should have told her. John leaned against the kitchen counter and watched as Edie ran the brushes under the water in the sink, the black substance swirling down the drain in a timely matter.

“I should be used to it, ya know? I mean, Eric is gone all of the time. I knew you were going to leave eventually, it just,” she paused and shook her head, “I don't know, I was expecting it I guess. You should have told me earlier.” Edie moved on to cleaning the last brush of the bunch as John's posture slouched, feeling a weight fall on his shoulders.

“The plans weren't finalized until around the time we didn't talk for a few days. I was worried that if I told you I was going to be gone, you would run away from me when we were so close to getting things to work,” he leaned over and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear, “please don't be mad.”

“I'm not mad John,” she turned off the water and placed the clean brushes on the counter before turning to look at him, “I've just spent a lot of my life alone. And finally, I am getting to this point in my life where things are starting to work out for the first time and I am doing something with my life and something that makes me feel good. And in a month, you are going to be gone for weeks and I am going to be back to the same routine as before – the routine that was ruining me. Up until yesterday, you were just John O'Callaghan – the kid that was friends with my best friend. But now, you are John O'Callaghan – lead singer of a band who is going to be jetting off around the world in a matter of weeks.”

John placed his hands on the sides of her face and used his thumbs to wipe the stray tears that were slowly leaving her perfect dark eyes, a sight that was slowly starting to break his heart.

“None of that stuff matters, Edie. I am still your John. I am more myself with her than with anyone else. I love you and I want you and I don't want to leave you.” With his words, Edie shut her eyes and moved to rest against his chest, more tears pouring out of her eyes. She wasn't ready for him to leave. She wasn't ready to give him to his fans while she laid around rotting in her pathetic life. John made things exciting for her – he made her smile and laugh and feel like she was worth something and not just wasting away. He made her feel good about herself, he made her feel alive.

“Come with me.” John mumbled into her hair, the thought that was in his mind since this morning finally reaching the surface. He watched as Edie's head lifted from his chest with wide eyes.

“John, I can't go with you.”

“Why not? We can find something for you to do. You can be on the road with us and write and draw and be with me.” John eagerly licked his lips just thinking about having Edie on tour with them. Chilling on their bus, in the venues and them getting to explore new places on his days off. It was perfect.

John's heart sank when Edie wiped the tears from her face and shook her head at his offer. He was insane. She backed away from him and started pacing around the kitchen with one hand rested on her forehead.

“I have work, John.”

“Ask for some time off,” he scratched the back of his neck, “or quit. You said yourself that you hated your jobs and you weren't getting enough hours away. I can help with the money, Edie. I want to.”

“What about Harley? Who is going to watch her?” A playful smirk appeared on John's face as he slowly made his way towards Edie, knowing he was slowly getting her to give in.

“Eric will be in town or Beth. We can find someone to watch her and hang with her.” He placed his arms on her hips as she continued to stare at the ground on thought.

“What would my mother say though?” That remark had John letting out a loud laugh at the thought of Jean White, the infamous woman.

“Ed, since when do you care what your mother thinks about you and your decisions?” Her eyes moved up to lock with his, a smile playing on her lips now as well.

This idea was completely insane. She couldn't just pack up her life for months at a time and be on the road with her boyfriend's band. Who the fuck does that? But Edie wanted to be able to see John and see more of what he does with his life, it was all so new and exciting and interesting for her.

“John, this is in-” Her remark was cut off by John's lips of her's, the feeling causing her to be complete putty in his hands.

“I know, its insane. But its going to happen. I want you there with me and getting you out of Arizona sounds perfect, am I right?” Edie playfully shoved his chest and his hands on her lips brought Edie right back into his chest.

“I mean, I have always wanted to visit some of the other states.....” she rolled her eyes and kissed her boyfriend once more on the lips, not believing she was giving into his ridiculous idea in the matter of a minute. His hands moved to rest on her back, deepening in the kiss slightly. There was no way he could go months without having something like that, it wasn't possible.

“You know I love you right? And you look beautiful today?” His raspy voice mumbled against her lips causing her entire soul to melt onto the floor. She wasn't sure when she was going to be able to hear that and feel normal about it. Edie's arm wrapped around John's neck as their noses touched,

“I love you too.” John's eyes widened a little at the words leaving Edie's mouth. She could finally say it and mean it. Edie wasn't sure if she was ever going to be able to tell something that she loved them especially someone that was her boyfriend. John went in for a kiss, but she stopped his movement,

“Ahh ah ah, no more kissing. We have to go and get me a bigger suitcase.”