Love is a Broken Window | Cricky [C]

26 | Talking

| Ricky's POV |

Once the show was out, we all headed back to the bus. Chris seemed a little dim spirited, but he was talking to me like we were best friends again. He acted like that comment he made last night, never happened. Okay if he wants to be that way. I understand he's under a lot of stress.

So am I...

"Jani?" I softly asked as I approached him.

The others suddenly cleared out like rats on a sinking ship. They moved to the back lounge. The only person close enough to hear now was Chris, but he was driving. He couldn't go anywhere.

Jani muted the TV and looked at me blankly. "What?" There was a sense of distaste in his words.

"Are you still mad at me?" I fearfully asked. I'm only asking because we have to share a bunk.

He leaned forward a bit. "What do you think?" Jani sneered.

"O-o-okay." I stuttered.

"Ricky!" Chris called from the front. "Come sit up here with me."

I looked at Jani. He gestured towards the front cabin to say "go ahead, I don't fucking care." He's been so moody. Fuck.

I went up to the driver's quarters and closed the door that was previously open. Then I sat down in the passenger seat, staring out at the open road. The icky Rocky Mountains were still in our view, as we headed towards Salt Lake City.

"What's up with you two?" Chris asked at a low tone.

"We got in a little argument last night." I mumbled.

"About?"

"You remember right before tour, I gave you and Ghost a flier for two apartments that had opened up on my floor?"

"Yeah." He said.

"Well," I sighed. "Ghost is moving into one of them. When Jani found out, he flipped. He's never going to move in with he now!"

Chris ran his hand across his lips as he thought. "Would it make it better or worse if he knew I was considering renting the other apartment?"

That strangely made me happy. "You are?" I asked, to which he nodded. "Well I don't know if it'll help Jani feel better, but it makes me happier."

"You know you shouldn't have to apologize for something that isn't your fault."

"I know, but I kind of do have to sleep in a bunk with him tonight." I said.

"No you don't." Chris responded. "Sleep in my bunk with me. Give him time to cool off."

"Where's Shiloh going to sleep though?"

"Ghost's bunk." He scoffed.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be." He said as he glanced over at me, then back at the road. "They're good for each other. I knew Shiloh and I weren't going to last once I got to know him."

"Why's that?" I asked.

He thought about it for a second. "Because," Chris paused, getting a smirk. "You really wanna know why? He is a lot like you. Timid, shy, sweet and overly loving. But, he doesn't have your spunk."

I looked at him strangely. "Spunk?"

"Yeaaah, or at least when we met you had a lot of spunk. You were really energetic, happy all the time, and the master of sass and sarcasm. A few months later, I called you to come play bass for the band. You moved to Scranton, met Jani, and within a few months, all that spunk was gone. You had an amazing spark to you that he stole."

"I never felt that way." I mumbled.

"Ricky, you weren't diagnosed with chronic depression until after you and Jani started dating." He stated.

"I also had just moved across the country! I was really homesick."

"You love Scranton. You love your friends there, you said you'd never leave and go back to Seattle. I know it's not that, I know it's not us. Face the facts, Ricky. It's Jani that's been pulling you down these past few years."

I didn't want to believe it. Even if all the facts added up, I didn't want to admit that Jani would hurt me like that! Pull that much life out of me! No no no! Chris has to be wrong about this! Is he?...