Tough Love

Part 22

You looked at Paul, just to make sure he wasn't messing with you. But his facial expression said it all. He wasn't lying.

"Well, maybe then I shouldn't go. You both have stuff to deal with. Hell even before I came into the picture. I didn't want to tell Evan that I got tickets to see you guys in concert and lied about it to him when he went to go back to visit his mom out in Texas," you admitted, all the feelings of guilt coming back to you about how you handled the breakup with Evan.

And now you were in a more than complex relationship with his dad.

"See that's the thing. He asked me about you and I didn't know what to say. Because of everything. But I don't want to hide you from the world though y/n. This relationship goes both ways. And I don't want you to have to feel like you have to be hidden away just because you are with me and we have more than an interesting story about how we met and got together,''Paul said as he stood up from his desk.

"Yeah but-" you said, as his hands rested on your shoulders, squeezing them.

"You are coming to the party and I don't care if Evan is an ass the entire time. I want you to be around the band more, hell you should because you'll have to get used to being around them," he mentioned as he leaned down to kiss you.

"It's going to be fine I promise," he said, as you still felt anxiety about this news twisting inside of you at the thought of being around Evan since the last time that you ran into him in public outside of that coffee shop with Paul.

***

You stood outside on the back patio of the house tables and decorations and still felt the pit of anxiety twisting your stomach around at the thought of waiting around for Evan to show up. Paul had made a point of trying to get your mind off of it. But you knew Evan finding out this way that you were still together with Paul. And Paul not mentioning it on the call would not end well.

You bunched your fingers in the loops of your jeans and then put your hands in your pockets, feeling the nerves getting worse as you grab your phone and check the time again.

Only a minute had passed since the last time you checked it.

"Hey, I've been looking everywhere for you," Paul said from behind you as he wrapped his arms around you from behind. Feeling his lips brush against the side of your face. His teeth nipping at your ear, as your concentration broke from your phone from the feeling.

"I'm going to need to get a drink if I want to survive this party," you said, taking his arms from around you and walking in the direction of where the booze was laid out for the party for people to make themselves their own drinks.

"I wanted you to come to meet everyone officially. I know you already met them but that was in a different capacity. But if the idea of being around him is stressing you out,"

You waved him off, as you went to grab a water, lifting it to your mouth and taking a sip of it. Only then realizing how dry your throat became at the thought of Evan showing up to this party.

"No, it's going to be fine. Plus, I should get over this anxiety feeling about being around him. Especially if I'm going to be with you. He's just always going to be involved. I can be polite to him for the duration of a party," you said to try and reassure him.

"You sure? I would understand you leaving. Hell, if I could leave I would. But see it's always held here. And we've been doing this thing since Eric and Tommy joined the band. It's now a tradition of sorts. One that I know they would hate for me to bail on," Paul said moving his hand through his hair as he looked out further into the backyard, as your eyes followed where he was looking.