Going Full Throttle

Chapter 45

~ Pia ~

I woke up to an empty bed and a phone that wouldn't shut up. Groaning, I twisted between the sheets and looked around for Tyler. He wasn't in my room and the cabin was otherwise silent.

By the time I had gotten out of the shower last night, Tyler was already passed out. I'd been grateful honestly, to be able to slip into bed and hold him without any more talk of the future. I knew that he was put off by me shutting down the conversation, but it must have been worse than I thought if he disappeared in the night.

My phone dinged again, making something akin to a growl rumble from my chest. I snapped my hand onto the bedside table and grabbed the phone to silence it. As I did, I remembered the video I'd posted last night.

Taking a deep breath, I opened Instagram and peaked at the response I'd gotten. Warmth spread across my cheeks as my heart thumped heavily in my chest as I scanned the comments. It felt so crazy to put myself out there like this, especially after the initial hate I'd gotten. I still didn't even know what I wanted to come from it. As I read over what people were saying though, I was glad I'd bit the bullet.

Overwhelmingly, people seemed to like it. My eyes widened as I read comment after comment of these strangers celebrating me like we were best friends. Of course, Tyler was still a part of the equation. The fact that he'd filmed the video for me, even his little laugh in the middle, all got added to the growing conspiracy of whether we were together or not.

I noticed more than a few comments mentioning the picture he'd posted so I went to his profile to look. Not surprisingly, his post had way more engagement than mine. My follower count looked paltry compared to his millions.

That wasn't what caught my eye though. Tyler had somewhat veered away from his promise not to declare anything. It wasn't explicit, but he'd written, "You and me are the lucky ones." His fans had obviously connected this to the song I'd sung, and come to the only logical explanation that we were madly in love.

If only they knew.

My breath caught in my chest as tears blurred my vision. Today was the day. It had to be. It was time to buck up and rip the bandaid off. My throat tightened while I practiced what I would say in my head. Except for no matter how I tried to word it, it never sounded right. The truth was, there was nothing I could say that would somehow make this feel okay in my heart.

I flipped onto my stomach and let my frustrated tears fall onto the pillow. My anger turned inward since I didn't have anyone but myself to blame. I had allowed Tyler and I to get this far. I knew from the beginning he would leave at the end of summer. Sure, I hadn't known he was locked into a six-month contract, but that was beside the point.

The morning trudged by like an old black and white movie. I went through the motions of coffee, helping Finn, going outside—but nothing felt real. There was no colour, no light. I couldn't hear the birds sing or Finn laughing at Petey. The world around me was cold as I prepared for when I'd see Tyler.

I didn't have to wait long.

By late morning, I heard the backdoor swing open, and I knew it was him. I kept my eyes locked on the floor as his footsteps came toward me, then stopped.

"Pia, I'm not waiting any longer."

"I know," I nodded. Taking a deep breath, I went to the stairs and called Finn down. My back was to Tyler but I felt how intensely he stared. The hairs on my neck stood at attention as I avoided his gaze like the coward I was.

"Yeah?" Finn chirped as he hopped down the stairs.

I stretched some imitation of a smile across my face and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Tyler and I need to chat for a while. Can you grab some toys and go to Twyla's?"