The Amazing Technicolor Love

Flights #14

Peyton's POV

"He finally left," Grace said. I stirred in bed and opened my eyes. It was now dark outside. I wasn't sure when I had fallen asleep, I just knew my mom, Grace, and I had been watching a cheesy Netflix movie. Grace walked back into my room and crawled into bed next to me. "Sorry I fell asleep," I said while sitting up and leaning back against the headboard. "It's okay, it was good to give your body a rest," she said. We sat in silence for a little. "When did he leave?" I asked reluctantly, not really wanting to talk about him. "About ten minutes ago," she said. My eyes widened. He had sat out there for hours. "And he left this," Grace said while handing me a little envelope. "Great," I murmured. "Do you want me to stay while you read it?" Grace asked me. I shook my head no. "It's okay, Gracie. You've done a lot today, you should go home and get some rest." I told her. She nodded and stood up. "Well you call me if you need anything, P. I love you with my whole heart." With that she left my room and quietly closed the door behind her. I took a breath and then opened the envelope. I was surprised to find a CD inside. Who uses CD's anymore? I thought to myself. A little piece of paper fell out from behind it. I picked it up from my lap and read Jack's scribble he called handwriting.

Please take the time to listen. I truly am sorry, Peyton. I love you. ~J

I sighed and folded the paper back up. I spun the CD around in my hands. I couldn't decide if I wanted to listen to it or not. I figured it wouldn't hurt to listen to it; nothing was changing my mind at this point. I stood up and put it in my stereo. I pressed play and then laid back down on my bed. Johnson's voice came through the speakers. I listened closely to the lyrics. He was talking about the days passing and how the heartbreak set in. The verse finished and suddenly Jack's voice came ringing into my room. I gasped. It seemed like forever since I heard that voice. "Give me a chance, I need the soft touch of your skin. All I want to hear is baby I'm in, yeah. You're the girl for me and I know that, you ain't gotta cut me no slack. Go step by step take it slow, yeah." I got up and turned the song off. I didn't want to hear it anymore. Jack could sit on my porch for hours and he could write me songs but nothing was going to change. I was never going back to Jack. I rolled over and picked up my phone off the nightstand. I scrolled through my contacts when I finally landed on Nick. Without a second thought, I pressed call. If Jack could move on so easily, then why the hell couldn't I?

Jack's POV

"No luck?" Sam asked me as I trudged into the hotel room in North Carolina. It was late but Nate, Johnson, and Sam were chilling watching TV. I shook my head and flopped down on the bed next to Nate. "I fucking lost her. For good." I said. Everyone was quiet. Nate finally spoke up. "Everything happens for a reason, Jack. I promise you bro." I didn't even have the energy to nod. I just stood up and left the room. I walked into my hotel room and sat on the bed. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't move, my whole body hurt. I felt weak and alone. It was as though my whole world had just shattered and it was all my fault. In that moment, I had never hated myself more. I was such a fucking dumbass. Peyton deserved better, I knew that, but it didn't change the fact that I had lost her. I turned off the light and laid against the pillow. In the darkness, all alone, I finally let myself fall apart. I cried. I cried until I couldn't anymore. I fell asleep, my dreams filled with Peyton.

Peyton's POV

I stood at Nick's front door. It had been years since I had been here. I looked around, taking in the familiar setting. A few moments passed before he came to the front door. "We meet again," he said, a smirk on his face. I just smiled. "Come in," he said, opening the door wider. I gazed into his house. "Lets go somewhere else," I quickly suggested, realizing I didn't want to go back into that house. Nick eyed me but agreed. "Okay, lets go," he said, walking out the door. I smiled and nodded while following Nick to his car. We climbed into his car and began backing out of the driveway. "So is anything actually going to happen this time?" he said, looking over his shoulder as he backed out. I rolled my eyes at his dick comment but answered sweetly. "If you earn it," I said, attempting to flirt. He chuckled as we drove down the street. Nick went on and on about things I didn't care about, like his fraternity and all these parties. I just smiled and nodded. We had decided to go see a cheap movie at a random theater in town. Just then, we pulled up to a stoplight. As we sat at the intersection, we watched a car run the red light. I gasped as the car got completely T-boned. It seemed to happen in slow mode. Nick's eyes widened. He reacted before I did. He quickly hopped out of the car. "Peyton, call 911!" he called to me. I got out of the passenger seat but stood frozen next to the car. I couldn't move. "Peyton!" he called again. He eventually gave up and pulled his own phone out. More people began to rush to the scene. The car that ran the read light was flipped upside down and smoke billowed upwards. I stood frozen. Everything seemed to be happening around me but I couldn't do anything about it. I stared but couldn't speak or move. Everything inside me shut down. "I can't be here," I said to myself. "I can't be here." Next thing I knew, I was running.

Jack's POV

I woke up the next morning with a major headache. I figured it was from crying myself to sleep the night before. I met the guys for breakfast in the lobby. The mood was somber. They tried their best to cheer me up but nothing helped. I couldn't even find a voice to speak. I had no clue how I was going to find the energy or heart to perform that night. The day was a blur as I was brought to rehearsal, to lunch, and then back to rehearsing. At some point during the day, my dad pulled me aside. The guys we're all running through the set. "Jack, let's talk." My dad said. I followed him backstage. "I know you're heartbroken. But put all that hurt and pain into your concert tonight. Use all those feelings to motivate you. You owe it to yourself to have an amazing concert tonight. You love doing it. Embrace it and take advantage of it." I nodded at what my dad said. I agreed with it but it was hard to do. I loved performing but I loved Peyton even more. I sighed and went back on stage, trying my best to give it my all.

~

The music finally ended and the lights went dark. The cheers from the crowd were deafening. Johnson and I ran off stage. I had never felt so relieved to finish a show. The whole crew was packed up and ready to go. We had to quickly leave the venue to avoid the crowds but also to make it the next state on time. Everyone congratulated Johnson and I while also helping us make our way to the bus. We were almost to the bus when I realized I had left my phone charger in one of the dressing rooms. "I'll meet you guys on the bus," I told them. "Alright, be quick," my dad told me. I nodded and jogged back into the venue. I realized I was still shirtless since someone must have grabbed my shirt along with all of the other supplies. I searched around for my charger but eventually found it. I then jogged threw the maze of hallways before finally making it outside. I realized then that it was torrentially down pouring. I began to jog to the bus across the parking lot when I saw someone standing a little ways in front of the bus. I could tell it was a girl by the petite frame and the long hair. I groaned. Great. I thought. A fan somehow jumped the barrier.As I got closer, I squinted my eyes. I stopped in my tracks. My heart stopped. "Peyton?" I said, refusing to believe my eyes. "Hi Jack," she answered quietly, the rain dripping down from her hair. I was frozen in place, I didn't know what to do or say. I had never been so shocked in my life. "What are you doing here?" I finally managed to say. She just shook her head. I stepped closer to her. "Kiss me," she said softly. I stared at her but moved a little closer. The rain poured harder on us. She gazed up at me. Eventually we were a mere few inches apart. It felt like years since I had been close to her. "Kiss me," she said again, hardly above a whisper. I reluctantly rubbed my thumb across her cheek. Our eyes studied each other before I finally leaned in. Our lips met gently, like they were strangers. She eventually ran her fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck, pulling my face closer to hers. I pulled away and looked down into her blue eyes. They sparkled with tears. I wasn't sure what happened next but suddenly I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her against me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and then we were dancing. Slowly, I rocked her back and forth. It was quiet. It was raining and Peyton was in my arms. We were quiet but she eventually broke the silence. "I love you."