Not So Picture Perfect

Chapter 5

I don't know what to think. I can't open my mouth to speak, I don't know what to say. So I don't say anything at all. I give Chase's hand a squeeze, kiss his cheek and stand up, walking in the direction of his car, it's getting late and I need to be back for the show tomorrow afternoon.

"Denny! Wait! I'm sorry I didn't mean to say it, it just kinda slipped out" Chase says, gathering up our blanket and scrambling after me.

I turn back to look at him.

"Why are you sorry?" I ask quietly, peering up at him as he walks closer.

"You don't have to apologize" I say my voice so low it almost can't be heard, as I grip his shirt and pull him closer to me, kissing him deeply.

"I might be falling in love with you too"

Shawns POV
I should have known. I mean she did say that she couldn't kiss me. I should have gotten the message. I'm so stupid. Ugh.

"Hey Shawny boy I'm back" I hear Hayden call as the bus door creeks open.

"Hey Ms. March, did you have a good time?" I say trying not to be sarcastic as I head to meet her.

She nods and smiles a little too wide. "I had an amazing time. Well for the most part" she says mumbling the last part. I decide not to ask about it and, grin back.

"Hey I know it's a little short notice but we need to head out of Dallas by Wednesday instead of Friday there's some stuff I have to get done before our next show" I say quickly

Hayden's smile fades slightly but she nods. "Yeah, no it's fine"

Ugh I know I'm taking away from her family time but this tour is really important to me. I need to put her back in the good mood she was in when she walked back onto the bus.

Thinking quickly I grab my guitar and slide into the couch, patting the seat next to me. Hayden rolls her eyes but slides next to me smiling a little more as I start to play the tune to No Promises.

Eventually she starts to sway to the beat closing her eyes as she hums.

Hayden's POV
I will not sing. I will not sing. I tell my self over and over as I hum. I can't feel that way about him again. I can't let him get to me. No Hayden, not now.

"Sing with me" he whispers, his lips are so close to my neck I can feel his breath.

I close my eyes and take in a shuttery breath, hoping he won't notice the goose bumps on my arms.

He starts to sing. Oh how I want to sing with this boy right now. This beautiful Canadian boy, who will do anything to try to make me smile. Who will forgive me even after everything I do that would make him hate me.

Ugh, screw it.

"Oh no we don't need to over complicate it. Yeah I've been there once before don't need to say it"

"Baby please no promises, cus we won't keep our promises"

"And I know the consequences. So baby please, baby please no promises"

I'm getting that feeling again, the feeling like I'm on top of the world. Like Shawn and I are the only two people on earth, and no one else can hear sing.

The sound of his voice reaching the bridge snaps me back to reality and I open my mouth to sing again.

"I've been living only for this moment. And I don't want to let it slip away"

I keep singing, but all I can think about is that line. Because I really really don't want moments like this to slip away.

______

"So how has tour been?" Sophie says reaching across the booth to steal one of my fries.

I shrug only responding with a light smile. "So how's Hunter been?" I ask raising my eyebrows, smirking.

Sophie turns beet red. "Uhh um it's been good. Yeah it's been really good" she says finally with a satisfied smile.

I have known Hunter for as long as I can remember. He was like my big brother even though he is only two years older than me. My mom loves to show me pictures of him at two years old kissing the fuzzy top of my little new born head. It was actually Hunter who introduced me to Chase. And of corse Chase and I are bomb at playing matchmaker, now boom, adorable couple.

"What have you two been doing" I ask with a wink, sneaking a sip from her Nutella Strawberry Milkshake.

"Ya know stuff" she says snatching her drink back. I shoot her a look that says, what kind of stuff. So she tells me, and I settle in the back of the booth to listen just like old times.

"So how did he take it when you introduced him to Chase?" Sophie asks as we head back to her car.

I stop at the passenger side and look down at my flip-flops. "Not so well" I answer finally, opening the car door.

"Spill" she says placing the key in the ignition before looking me dead in the eye. And I know I have no choice now. So I do. I tell her about the singing and my new feelings for Chase, I tell her about my feelings for Shawn and his reaction to Chase, I tell her about the nights on tour where I thought about everything that has gone on between Chase and I. By the time I finish we are at the lake, and I can see Hunter and Jenna are waving at us from the back of Chase's pick up tuck.
(A/N:Hunter is played by Neels Vesser😉)

_____
"Hey, my two favorite girls" Hunter says hopping out of the truck bed, he kisses Sophie sweetly, and hugs her tight. Then he wraps me in a bear hug, swinging me around.

"I haven't seen your pretty little face in ages, how've you been?" He asks itching the skin where his new tattoo is.

I took him to get one on his 20th birthday the day before I graduated. I got one too, a small camera with a music note in the lense, nestling above my right ankle. His is some inspirational quote written in Latin or something, I don't really know. When I asked him what it said he shrugged and wouldn't tell me, I'm guessing it has something to do with his older brother who died overseas three years ago. I wonder what Shawn's tattoo means. It's a guitar but there is something so unbelievably special about it, I can't seem to figure it out. Maybe I should ask him.

"Denny bug" Hunter says poking me in my side, "I said how have you been"

"Pretty great actually" I reply, my cheeks flushing a light shade of pink from the embarrassment that everyone is now starring at me.

"So, are we gonna go have some fun now or what" Chase says clearing his throat.

______
I'm not exaggerating when I say that, tonight was the best night of my life. It reminded me of when we were all still in Highschool, hanging out like we used to on warm summer nights. A light breeze blowing across the water. A bonfire raging in the open field. The boys out on the water pulling an inflatable trampoline out into the middle of the lake with Hunters boat. Sophie's speakers blasting everything from, Fall Out Boy to Nick Jonas. Jenna's guitar, and Chase's drumsticks leaning against the log seats around the fire. Sophie and I singing at the top of our lungs as we jump and flip on the inflatable. Occasionally one of us would go tumbling and sliding off sending everyone into a fit of laughter.

At around nine Jenna announced that she needed to head home, she does have work tomorrow morning after all. So we all climbed onto Hunters boat and rode back to the dock wrapped in warm patterned towels.

We sat around the fire, just the four of us talking and eating s'mores, Chase and I cuddled up against each other, so we're Hunter and Sophie. The stars twinkling above us.

Chase grabbed his drum sticks and Hunter grabbed the guitar that Jenna left behind. Together they started to play the tune to Ohio by Jacob Whitesides. I smiled, this is Sophie's and my favorite song.

"Im safer here in side my submarine, cus when I'm underwater you can't throw words at me"

"O-o-Ohio. I don't need Hollywood. I don't need New York heights or Las Vegas lights. I need O-o-Ohio, I've never even been there, but I'd rather fall asleep in an open field in Ohio"