Beside You

4 - shocking revelations

"I don't blame you." Grace said as we both laid on the couch. "When I saw him at that ball two night ago, it just made me angry too. Like he picked up his entire life and left. No goodbyes. He left all of us that day. I don't know.." she sighed. "It's more annoying because I know it wasn't like him to do. It wasn't who he was. But he never gave us the chance to ask."

I nod, agreeing with her. "After I saw the announcement of him signing a record deal eight years ago, I just didn't pay attention to what he was doing. Didn't keep up with him."

Grace smirked at me as she whipped her phone out. "Well I'm determined to find some kind of answers. Even if I have to find them myself." She scrolled intensely through her phone as she eventually pulls up an interview Trent did years ago.

It was about six months after he left, a week before he went on his first tour.

"So..this new album? It blew up!" The reporter exclaimed. "I've never seen a country star rise to fame as rapidly as you are. So tell us..what was the inspiration behind your best selling song on the album, Roam?"

Trent shuffled in the seat he was sitting in. "Well.." Trent paused as a sad glint flickered briefly over his eyes. "I wrote it before I left Texas. I wrote it when I was 17 actually, in this bandstand which sat on top of a big hill. I'd sit and watch the sun set over the small town and the lyrics just came naturally I guess..."

Trent sighed again. "It's easy to write when your heart is just so full of love and adoration for someone."

I looked up at Grace, slightly shocked after watching the interview. "He looks so.." she started. "Sad." I added at the end, finishing her sentence. She nods.

"Hey..are you alright to hang round here for a little while? I need to run out and do something." I asked her and she nodded.

I slipped into my car and drove for ten minutes until I pulled up at my destination. Climbing out the car, I walked through the vibrant green grass as the colours of the setting sun washed over the large field.

I finally reached the top of the small hill as I admired a structure I hadn't visited since I was 18. The white stone bandstand stood as elegantly as I remember, small green vines twisting around the columns.

I walked up the step, my feet wandering round as my fingers trailed along the stone. I pulled out my phone, searching until my finger hovered over it.

Roam.

I hadn't listened to any of his songs. I guess I just couldn't bring myself to.

But after watching that interview, watching the emotion he held as he looked back, I felt like I just had to.

So I clicked it and let the guitar sounds echo through the peaceful bandstand as I watched the sun set. It became apparent so quickly that this was about me. It was like he was telling our story.

My heart ached slightly listening to how in love he sounded. But one part in particular got me.

"The sun will set around us every night.
But I swear to you that I will fight
for you to be the last person I see
before I take my final breath.
Just you and me and the memories."

I turned the song off, watching as the final light fell below the surface, night starting to take captive of the night. I guess I was just more confused than anything. This. This sounded like the Trent Donovan I knew. It just didn't make sense to me how it went so wrong.

Later, I found myself driving home. But my eyes landed on someone sitting on the bench outside the ice cream parlour we all used to go to as kids. I'm not sure why, but I pulled over and got out the car without even thinking.

I sat on the bench too, staring forward as I sighed. "I missed you.." a whisper spoke next to me, making my body relax slightly. My head slowly turned as I was met with emerald eyes. "Me too.."

"I listened to my first Trent Donovan song tonight.." I spoke quietly which made Trent laugh beside me. "You didn't listen to any?"

I shook my head. "I'd turn the radio or the tv off when your name was mentioned. But Grace pulled up this interview and I..I just had to listen to one." I admit which makes him chuckle again.

"Roam?" He asked and I nod in agreement. "I even drove to the bandstand to listen to it. Thought it was fitting to listen to it there whilst the sun set."

"You know why I called it that?" Trent asked me and I shrugged. "Roam. Romano." He said, which made me smile slightly. He used my last name to name the song which is still, to this day, his biggest song.

"Seemed only fitting, considering the whole thing is about you." He chuckled deeply which made me laugh slightly with him.

"Why did you do it?" I asked out of nowhere and he cocked a brow at me, not understanding my question. "Leave..I mean."

He leaned back on the bench, his laughing stopping as his eyes fixed in front of us. "We spoke that day, under our tree, about college. You told me how excited you were to go. And I remember distinctly, you made a joke about me becoming a famous singer one day. You said that you don't think you'd like the spotlight. How you'd feel too on edge all the time. The idea of everyone's eyes on you made you feel anxious. You went on to talk about different celebrities and how relationships were publicly torn apart, how self-esteems were crushed by the media. I was going to tell you that day about my record deal. But after listening to you say how much you would hate it, it just.."

He sighed and looked up at the stars, as my heart truly was hurting now. "I was young and stupid. I thought the best thing to do would be to just leave. Leave in the worst way possible. Because I'd rather end it with you hating me than you hurting over the fact that you would have to give me up because that wasn't the life you wanted to live. But I knew deep down you'd never walk away from me. You'd let the pressure break you down. It was selfish of me. Cruel. But I truly did think it was the best thing to do. That way, you got a chance to live the life you deserved. I thought about turning the deal down..but I knew too that wasn't something I wanted to do."

I looked at him, tears threatening my eyes but I quickly pushed them back. "I'm sorry.." I whispered and we just sat in a comfortable silence, the cold air whirling around us.

Finally! A breakthrough!
Who saw that coming? His reason for leaving turned out to be kind of thoughtful in some weird way.
Please leave comments and feedback as you go! I'll read all of them.