What If I Can't Forget You?

{27}

Claire's POV

The boys, Alex and I walked out to the front of our hotel to meet Jaime and Vic as they rolled up in the tour van.

"I'm alive, bitches!" Jaime screamed as Vic helped him hop out of the passenger seat.

We enveloped him, once again becoming an emotional Mexican- American group hug. Once we had settled down, life resumed like normal. The boys and their cripple had to go off to sound check for the day, and Alex and I wandered back to my room.

"So are you and Jaime a thing yet?" I asked, nudging her playfully.

"HAH. Hardly." She said, not removing her stare from the ground. "He hates me."

"Are you kidding me? He loves you. You're too blind to see it, but he does."

"I'm too blind?" She asked sharply, stopping to face me. "I've been in love with this guy for months now, searching for any sign WHATSOEVER that he was even remotely into me. And you're saying I'm too blind?" I stared back apologetically.

"Al, you know I didn't mean it that way..."

"It doesn't matter. I have Ian anyway." She started walking again.

"You what?"

"I've got Ian. We're a thing now."

"Since when?" I was confused. I thought she was done with him.

"Since last night."

"Alex- but you and Jaime." She stopped again, facing me and fuming.

"I AM TIRED OF HEARING THAT. I'm tired of hearing 'oh you and Jaime' and 'you're so cute together.' I'm done. Do you know why? Because it's never. Going. To. Work."

I stared back at her, shocked at her outburst.

She sighed and stormed down the hall to her room, slamming the door behind her.

•••

Jaime's POV

I sat, slumped in a chair watching the band, my band, practice with someone who wasn't me. I'm not sure I knew how torturous it was before I was in the situation.

I was lost in thought, staring at my friends as they danced across the stage, laughing and occasionally goofing off as they prepared for the show. I couldn't believe how fast Ian memorized the songs; I even had a hard time remembering the notes sometimes. He made it look effortless, and that made me feel inferior in so many ways- maybe I wouldn't get to play after all, maybe this stupid injury would end my career.

I looked down at my cast, staring at the white thing that swallowed my arm as if just by looking at it I could melt it off and be done with it.

•••

The lights went down, and the beginning of the concert came. I'd never seen it from the perspective of the crowd before, and I sat in an actual chair a safe distance from the pit. I'd have to say it was kind of exciting, seeing the stage from the angle of a fan. I wished I could mosh with all the kids towards the front, but dammit, no, I couldn't.

I sat, singing along to my band's songs the whole night. God, this was so wrong. No band member should ever be put through the torture of watching his own band play without him. It's just so wrong.

But sit I did, and listen I did, and when it was over and the lights went out, I was there in the darkness, wondering how I got into such an amazing band.