MOON

30

"Tate."

There it is, that familiar voice that could bring me out of any darkness. No matter how wide, no matter how deep, she always will be able to save me from drowning. Or in this case, she's saving me from myself.

"I told everyone to leave." I mumble into the blankets that are swaddled around me as tight as possible.

"I'm not just anyone." She states before I feel the bed dip down behind me.

Renee doesn't say anything as she pulls some of the blanket off of me and covers herself with it. I turn around to face her and nearly gasp when I realize how close she actually is. She smiles softly and pulls me close, just holding me. I rest my head against her chest and sigh, she rests her chin on top of my head.

It has been only a week but it might as well have been 50 years. I missed Renee so much and it seems like she missed me just as much, if not more.

"You'll be okay, Tate. Believe me, I went through the same thing. You don't know what happened and you probably never will.. but you'll get over it and you'll live again. It just takes time."

I nod and cuddle in closer to her. "I missed you.." I whisper.

"I missed you more. A lot more actually.. I think Julia was planning on throwing me out of the plane on our flight to New York last night because I kept talking about you."

I lift my head, "You were in New York?"

Renee nods and pulls out her phone, she opens YouTube and shows me a short video of her singing The Wedding Song and having to stop halfway through to pull herself together. "I performed on GMA. If you couldn't tell, I didn't pick the song. Hell, I would've picked fucking Poison Poison over this song if I had the choice."

As she smiles, I catch myself admiring her a little too long. My thumb caresses her cheek as her smile slowly fades, "What's wrong?" She asks.

I shake my head, "Nothing."

You're my ex and I want to kiss you, no big deal.

"Tatum, talk to me baby."

I huff and shake my head again, looking away from her briefly before she speaks again, "You want to kiss me, don't you." She says more as a statement than a question. When I don't answer, Renee positions herself so we are face to face, "What are you so afraid of?" She smirks, "Kiss me."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"You're my ex."

Renee rolls her eyes and tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear, "No I'm not.." She shakes her head, "Kiss me."

I gulp as I look at her, she always looks so beautiful.

So when she inches closer, I do too until our noses touch. We stop for a moment just to enjoy our close proximity before our lips meet in a soft and gentle kiss.

My hand, that's still on her face, moves down to gently cup her jaw. My thumb rubs gentle circles on her cheek before I pull away slightly, still keeping our foreheads together.

"I love you." Renee says quietly, "And I'd really like to be your girlfriend again."

I smile and nod, "I'd like that too." I kiss her forehead, "But maybe this time, let's keep it between us, okay? The media was too much."

She nods in agreement and kisses me again. I smile against her lips and pull her closer.

Our make out session is interrupted when my bedroom door opens. I sigh when Renee pulls away, Vivian walks in and gasps.

"You guys were kissing!" She squeals, "Please tell me you're back together!"

Renee nods, "We're back together."

Vivian squeals and leaps onto my bed, landing between me and Renee with a laugh. "Finally! No offense T, but if you weren't going to bag her again, I was about to hop on her."

"Hey, hands off." I pull Vivian's ankles so she falls onto the floor, then I sit next to where Renee lays. "She's mine."

Renee's hand rests on my thigh, "Damn straight."

Vivian smiles, "You guys are too fucking cute."

Renee sits up behind me and holds me in her arms, I lean back into her embrace and look up at her.

She's real. She's here. She's mine again.

"As cute as this is, Renee's phone was ringing with a call from some woman named Julia?"

"Shit." She mumbles as Vivian hands her the phone, "Hello?"

From my close proximity, I can hear Julia's voice over the phone. "You're done, Renee."

"What?"

"Running away to be with that girl after we discussed our plans? You're so fucking stupid. I just landed in Pittsburgh and I'm on my way to Calvin's office, get here in an hour or else I'm done with you and your career is over."

Julia hangs up the phone. Renee's body goes stiff as she pulls the phone from her ear, I sit up and turn around to face her, Vivian sits on the bed beside us.

"I have to go.."

"What did she mean when she said you discussed something?" I ask, suddenly feeling nervous.

"I'll explain everything later."

"Who's Calvin?" I ask as Renee gets off of my bed and grabs her coat, "Renee."

"I'll explain everything later, Tate. I have to go, my job is on the line right now." She pecks my lips, "Don't worry. I love you, I'll be back soon."

I don't have a chance to reply before she's out of sight. I run my hands through my hair and sigh.

"Is she okay?" Vivian asks.

I shrug. "I don't know."