Picking Up the Pieces

The next few shows went on as normal, with me singing Lindsey’s part in Hold on Till May. Tony and I continued to talk to each other, but we didn’t have anymore date nights or smoochies like we had in Vegas. Despite how much I wanted them, it was hard to find time. Being tour manager is a very exhausting, time-consuming job. My job is part babysitting, part business,part heavy lifting, and part covering their asses when they get in trouble. *Cough, Mike, cough*

But today it was Saturday, and we had today off, as well as Sunday. Monday we were set to play in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Right now, we were driving through Middle Of Nowhere, Wyoming. Joe told me we were driving through Yellowstone. It wasn’t as beautiful as the books made it out to be, considering it was pouring rain. I had on ripped jeans and one of Tony’s key street hoodies I had stolen. It smelled like him; godly.

“Yo Greenie Bean!” Jaime said, bringing me back into reality. “What are you doing up this early?”

I crossed my arms and looked at him accusingly. “Only Tony is allowed to call me that. And it’s not that early, it’s nine o’clock,” I told him.

“Whatever,” he replied, taking a seat beside me on the couch in the back lounge. “What’s up with you and him anyways?”

“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “In Vegas he kissed me and gave me roses and told me I was pretty...but maybe that was just making up for high school.”

“What happened in high school?” He asked curiously.

“Well, Tony and I were friends as kids. Best friends. We’d play on the playground together, go to Chuck-e-Cheese, have sleepovers. He held my hand all through my mom’s funeral when she died in eighth grade. I’d always had a little crush on him,” I explained. I pulled my knees up to my chest. Just talking about it gave me chills. “Then we got to high school, and it’s like he didn’t even know who I was. He started hanging out with new friends, and we didn’t have any classes together. We talked less and less, and soon he started to bully me. Like, pranking me, making fun of me, humiliating me in front of the whole school. I even did his homework. It fucking sucked. I had no friends, nobody even tried to talk to me. All because of him and his stupid friends. In junior year, he asked me to prom. When I showed up at his house before the dance, all dressed up, nobody was there. He made fun of me for months about that.

“But I knew deep down he didn’t really hate me like he said he did. Sometimes he’d smile at me when no one was around, stare a bit too long. But that didn't make it hurt any less. But then I graduated, and I was hellbound to get away from Tony Perry. That’s why I became a tour manager, I’d be traveling all the time, I’d hardly be in San Diego. What were the chances I’d see him again? I hoped never. But look at me now. I’m working for him. Seven years later and he’s still my superior, still basically has my life in his hands. But he’s not the asshole he was in high school. It’s almost as if nothing ever changed between us, like we’re still in eighth grade. But something inside me doesn’t want to forgive him. But then he looks at me with his cute little face with his hot body and I’m putty in his hands. And then he kissed me in Vegas, on top of the Stratosphere....and I just....ugh.” I ran a hand through my hair.

Jaime just sat there, staring at me. He looked appalled, totally shocked. “Well shit,” he whispered exasperatedly.

“I know right?” I scoffed, wiping away the one tear that managed to escape.

“Aw, come here,” he cooed, pulling me into a hug. I gladly accepted and leaned into his teddy bear-like chest. He smelled good, but not as good as Tony. I sniffled pathetically and buried my face into his shoulder. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “Everything’s gonna be just fine.”

“But what do I do?” I whined like a little kid. “I just like him so much but I don’t wanna get hurt again. What if this is just another prank?”

“Don’t you even say that,” Jaime assured me. “I know Tony, he wouldn’t do this if he didn’t like like you.” He rubbed my back comfortingly.

“How would you know, you’ve never kissed Tony,” I whined.

I felt him shrug then smile. “That’s true,” he said.

“What do I doooooo Hiiiiimeeeee???” I asked again, hugging him tighter.

“Just let things run their course, Zoe. If Tony wants you, he’ll make a move. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen,” he told me. “Que será, será.”

“You sound like my mom,” I answered, giggling. Oh shit.

I felt Jaime look down at me and tighten his grip on my shoulder and waist. “Do you miss her?” he whispered.

I nodded, which was basically all I could do. “She always spoke Spanish to me whenever I felt bad,” I choked out.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

It was silent for a few seconds. It wasn’t uncomfortable, though. I bit my lip, trying not to cry, while Jaime just rocked me back and forth, as if I was a baby. I sure as hell felt like one.

I heard footsteps approaching the back lounge, but honestly I was too busy wallowing in self pity to give a shit.

“Hey guys what’s goin-- Oh jesus, okay nevermind.” Tony started to say but then turned around to leave.

“Tone, come here,” Jaime commanded. “You’ve got shit to take care of.” He stood up, carrying me bridal style and handing me off to Tony, who sat down in Jaime’s place on the couch, me on his lap, head in his chest.

“I’ll leave you lovebirds to it,” he said, winking at me then closing the door carefully behind him.

“What’s wrong, Zo?” He whispered in my ear gently.

“I just miss my mom,” I said. It wasn’t a total lie, but that wasn’t my main issue at the moment.

He paused for a moment before speaking up. “I miss her too,” he admitted.

“Why are you being so nice to me?” I asked suddenly.

I felt him stiffen from underneath me. He hesitated and stuttered, a nervous habit of his I remembered from when we were kids, before sighing and fessing up. “I feel really bad about what I did to you in highschool, Zoe,” he said. “I wanted so badly to apologize, but I never saw you again after graduation.”

“You had four years to apologize, Tony,” I said quietly, clenching my jaw.

“I know,” he said, sighing. “I just- I don’t know. What I did was terrible. Nothing can make up for it. I know that. But, I just want you to know how sorry I am.” He squeezed me tightly and I grudgingly leaned into his chest.

“Why’d you do it?” I whispered. His face immediately grew angry. I suddenly regretted my question.

“I don’t know,” he confessed after a bit. “I was young and stupid. I gave in to peer pressure, and I just wanted to have friends.” He gulped and let out a shaky breath before continuing. “And actually...I had a huge crush on you. But the people I hung out with didn’t like you, so I couldn’t let them find out. So I just kept on being an ass to you so they wouldn’t know.”

I blushed and looked down, taken aback by his sudden honesty. “Really?”

He laughed and nodded. “Yeah.”

“I liked you, too,” I told him.

It was his turn to be shocked this time. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

It was quiet between us for a minute, just the noises of our breathing and the hum of the bus’ engine. He held me close, and I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in the crook of his neck.

I felt his head move above me after a while, and he leaned into my ear. For a second, I thought he might say something cute, but instead he said-

“You look hot in my sweater.”

I froze, having totally forgotten I was wearing his hoodie that he didn’t know I had taken. “Sorry,” I said. “Do you want it back?” Please say no, please say no.

“No, it’s fine,” he answered. Thank god. After a slight pause, he spoke again. “You know, I still like you. That kiss in Vegas wasn’t a prank, Zoe.”

Oh god. “You heard that?” I asked, eyes wide.

He nodded. “Just about everything. I’m really, really, really sorry, Zoe. Can we just put high school behind us, please?”

I looked up at him and saw his lower lip was sticking out in a pouty expression. I couldn’t resist. “Fine,” I agreed.

“Did you like that kiss as much as I did?” He asked, smirking.

I blushed and shoved my face back into his neck, which really wasn’t helping my situation. After a few seconds, I nodded hesitantly.

I felt him smile above me. “Can we see if you still do?”

I looked up at him and nodded again, unable to speak. I shifted myself so I was straddling his hips and put my hands on either side of his adorable face. Where this confidence came from, I have no idea. But I didn’t have any time to think about it further because our lips crashed together and he planted his hands on my hips, fingertips on my butt, and pulled me closer to him.

This kiss was so much better than the last one. It was hot, passionate and full of want, rather than gentle and delicate. I prayed Tony wasn’t as turned on as I was, because I was not in the mood to deal with a boner.

He sucked on my bottom lip, rather than licking it, and I granted him entrance gladly. His tongue entered my mouth, and painted pictures on my teeth and tongue whilst I tilted my head to give him better access. I moved my hands from his cheeks to his hair, where I knocked his snapback off his head and pulled on his black, curly locks. He moaned lightly into me, and I smiled into the kiss, knowing I had succeeded.

His hands left my hips suddenly, and he pulled back with a huge, giddy grin on his face. I leaned back so we weren’t quite as close, and sat back down on his lap.

“I didn’t like that kiss,” he whispered breathlessly. I frowned. Sure seemed like it. Then he smiled. “I fucking loved it.”