Trent stuck to his promise, calling as I was tucking Aria into bed. Her little face lit up as he showered her with love. As I left her room, he asked to talk more. He promised he'd call me as much as he could.
That was a week ago. He did call, every night. It was just...something wasn't the same. It's as if he's holding something back.
But I haven't let myself fall into a spiral of stressing about it. Instead, I pushed it to the side and was currently cleaning the house as Aria was at preschool.
"Hey girl!" Ellie called as she walked through the front door with Antonio. "Hey guys!" I call back, scrubbing the kitchen sink.
"She's cleaning..." Ellie whispers to Antonio but I roll my eyes. "Yes, I am cleaning. Let's not read too deep into this people. No, I'm not in the middle of a breakdown. I am a woman trying to clean her house. That's all. Let's move on." I sigh out.
Everyone's been treating me like I'm fragile. Like I'll just snap at any second because my relationship wasn't running smooth. Not me though. I've been through a lot worse. I've learned how to push past my feelings.
"Just stopped by drop these off." Ellie said, giving me Aria's shoes she left last night. "I'll see you later." She said, patting my brother on the back as she left.
"Giovanna.." Antonio sighed, making me drop the sponge in the sink, peeling back my gloves as I look at him. "Why don't you just go and see him? Aria can stay with me. It might help." He suggests.
"I don't know if he'd want me there.." I confess quietly. And that's the truth. The first month of him being gone, he'd spend all his time telling me how much he missed me. But I haven't heard that in weeks.
"Of course he would. He loves you. Where is he playing this weekend?" He asked me as we both sat on the seats around the counter. "Tennessee. He's stopping there for a few days. Has three shows."
"Nashville?" Antonio asked as I nod my head. "Well get your ass over to Tennessee. Go surprise him. It might be exactly what you both need. Because I bet he's just as miserable as you are."
I sit for a while, thinking it over before finally agreeing. I book tickets to fly for Friday. His first show in Nashville is that night, so I might as well surprise him there.
It's Wednesday today. So it's not long until I can finally see him. Hold him. And I just hope Antonio's right. I hope this is what we need to get back to how we used to be.
Friday morning rolls around. I say my goodbyes to Aria as Hudson drops me off at the airport. The flight lasts just under two hours, landing in Nashville.
As I wait for my luggage, I pull out my phone, dialling a number. "Hey cracker. What has you calling me of all people?" He chuckles down the phone. "What are you doing right now?"
"I'm about to go get some food. Rented a car when we got here so I didn't have to keep waiting to go get my food. Why'd you ask?"
I sigh out. "Can you come pick me up from the airport?"
I heard him chuckle. "You came to surprise your man. How cliche." He joked, instantly agreeing to come and get me.
And, within twenty minutes, his car was coming to a stop in front of me. I threw my bag in the trunk as we drove towards the stadium Trent was playing at tonight.
"I don't want him to know I'm here yet. Not until his show." I tell Mitch. "Yeah I wouldn't worry about that. He stays in his room on the tour bus until the last minute now. We barely see him."
My heart aches, my brother's words swirling in my head. 'Maybe he is miserable too'..
"You can hang out in our dressing room instead of his. He won't know you're here." Mitch reassured me as pull up in the back entrance of the arena.
He grabs me a backstage pass from one of the workers there, guiding me through the maze of a backstage until we finally reach their dressing room.
I swing the door open, a few shocked eyes landing on me. "I know I said I was craving Mexican. But we've ended up with a last minute change to Italian." Mitch jokes to the other guys as they all stand and hug me.
"Finally! Hopefully you being here cheers up Trent. He's miserable to be around!" Chris admits as I sit on the couch beside him.
"What's been going on with him anyway? We've barely spoke in weeks." I ask them as Chris looks at Mitch. As if they're trying to come up with a story.
"Yeah I'm not going to fall for some bullshit story you two are trying to telepathically trying to come up with." I say bluntly, making Mitch chuckle.
"He's been getting pressure from the label. Big time. As in people higher up than Andrew. They think he's been too distracted lately. Basically, they don't think he's producing his music quick enough to meet the demand of his growing listeners." Chris admits.
That makes sense. This is why he's been off. "I even heard them on the phone the other night, warning him that he needs to focus on this tour or they'd drop him. But the guy can't focus without you. You always keep him balanced. Inspire him. So pushing you away is what he thinks he should do for a while. But you can tell..that's not what he wants. What he needs."
A knock at the door startled me. "Come on lads. Sound check and then show time." I heard Andrew call from the hall. "Someone go and drag Trent out of that damn bus too please!"
"I'm on it!" Chris calls back as we hear Andrew walk away. "See you soon, cracker." Mitch smiles at me as the room clears out.
That was a lot to take in. And it makes so much sense. He's conflicted. Can't decide what's the best thing to do.
He's swimming with sharks, and needs someone to pull him out now more than ever.
YOU ARE READING
Beside You
Romance***BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES!!*** (Book 2 currently being written) Giovanna Romano, having been abandoned by her husband as she learns about carrying his child, she spends three years raising her child alone. A single mother who had completely given up...
