MOON

12

"Fuck you!"

Evan decided to make an appearance the day that I am supposed to be meeting Renee in Pittsburgh before her show tonight. I have to leave in an hour but he won't leave my house.

"Me? Tatum, I love you!" He screams at me as I try to prepare my camera for tonight.

"You love me? Then why were you at seven different girls houses every single day this week? Explain that, you fucking moron!"

"I wasn't!"

I scoff and look at him. Evan is a pretty man from a distance but when you look at him for a while, he's anything but pretty. "Get out of my house. I have places to be today."

"Oh right, how could I forget? You have to go fuck that celebrity fag." Evan rolls his eyes. "Y'know Tatum, I never would've thought of you as the gay type. You're too pretty for that."

I glare at him, "What did you call her?"

"A fag?"

I scowl and grab his shirt collar, "Get the fuck out of my house and never talk to me, Vivian, or Wyatt ever again." I release him, "GO!"

Evan scoffs and rolls his eyes, "Whatever, Tatum. I can get better than you anyway." Then he leaves.

I check the time and sigh, I'm going to be late.

On my way out, I grab my phone and call Vivian. "Hello?"

"Hey.. if Evan contacts you, ignore it. Okay?"

"I was going to anyway, why? What did he do this time?"

I start up my car and begin driving toward the city, "He called Renee the F slur, twice, after I refused to sleep with him this morning."

She's silent for a moment before she bursts out into laughter, "He's mad because you said no? This man has got to learn what respect is.. He should also buy a mirror because-"

"That's besides my point. I'm driving to meet up with Renee before her show tonight, we have to discuss-"

"Wait. Meeting up and hanging out before her show.. isn't that against the rules that Julia gave you?"

She has a point..

But fuck the rules.

"I don't care about some dumb rules, Vivi. She's my friend, these headlines won't stop us from discussing business." I stop at the red light and sigh.

"Is she just your friend though?" She asks. When I don't answer, she continues, "I don't want you getting hurt by all of this, Tatum.. you're not used to publicity. You're a huge introvert."

"I'll be fine."

—————

"Tate!" As soon as I walk into the recording studio, Renee leaps off of the couch and runs toward me. I smile and engulf her in my arms, "You made it!"

"Sorry I'm a little late, I had.. a dilemma before I left this morning."

"Don't be sorry, I missed you." She pulls away partially from the hug, keeping her arms around my neck. She smiles softly as me as we both keep eye contact, I rub her hips with my thumbs.

"Ehem.. Ladies." Julia's voice makes us tear apart. I put my hands behind my back and smile at Julia but she disregards it and takes a bite into her unusually large donut. "Renee, music. What do you have so far?"

"Um.." Renee hands Julia an opened notebook with words scribbled on the pages, "It's called I Do."

Julia reads over the lyrics and begins smiling, "This is good, Nae.. this is really good."

"Can I read?" I reach for the notebook. Julia is about to hand it to me but Renee grabs it quickly and shakes her head. "Renee."

"Private."

I grin and take a few steps toward her, she hugs the notebook against her chest. "Is it another song about me?"

"Paws off, Tatum." She raises her eyebrow in warning but I just smirk and raise my hands in defeat.

"So it is about me.."

Renee shrugs, "Can I go record it now?" She asks Julia. I take a seat on the couch and grin as Renee enters the recording booth.

Music starts that I can't hear but I know Renee can because she begins humming along. We're all completely silent as we wait for her to begin.

"I leave the key in my mailbox just for you
So you don't call when you're coming over, you just do."

I catch Julia smiling in my peripheral vision. It's either because she likes the song or because of her large chocolate donut.. I hope it's because of Renee.

"We fall asleep on the couch, I refuse to move
'Cause it's the only time that I'm ever sleeping next to you
And then you get comfortable on my shoulder"

I bring my knees up to my chest as I listen to her sing these beautiful lyrics, she sounds incredible.

"I'd thank my lucky stars but
It's tearing me apart 'cause" Renee opens her eyes and looks at me as she sings, "You don't see us like I do
You don't see us from my view
It's like we're both looking up
And I'm under a storm, and you're seeing sky-blue"

My heart begins to race, the song is about me.

This beautiful song, these beautiful lyrics, belong to me.

"When we're saying, "I love you"
I mean it different than you do
Terrified I always will even after the day
You look at somebody else and you say
"I do"

I smile softly as her eyes close again, she begins tapping her foot to the rhythm. Her hands are fists as they rest of her thighs.

"When you go on and on about things that you believe
Yeah, that's the closest to God that I will ever be
We don't need to talk, our eyes can speak
I only need one sign to match your energy"

"It's about you, isn't it?" Julia places a reassuring hand on my knee. I just nod.

"And everyone knows it's us against the world
I'd thank my lucky stars but
It's tearing me apart 'cause"

Julia sighs but turns to face me, Renee continues to sing her chorus. "She likes you, Tatum.. She really does. I've never seen her like this since she was with Alissa earlier this year.."

I take my gaze away from the stunning blonde and look at Julia, "I like her too, Julia."

She nods, "I can tell. The way you look at her.. it's like nothing else matters."

I nod and look back at Renee, her eyes are open and she's looking right at me. "I do"