Best of Me

Chapter 16

Brantley's POV

The first part of the tour has been nonstop it has been a couple of weeks and tonight and tomorrow night we are gonna be playing the same place. It's one of the first festivals we are playing this year. I'm pretty sure that Chase is scheduled to play sometime and I hope it is where Bells can spend some time with him. I know she is tired and we all need a break from traveling. People call me a workaholic but she puts me to shame. She's up before me and stays up after I head to bed but I can say her pictures capture so much. It really is a picture says a thousand words. She's amazing.
       So the band has decided to set the fire pit up tonight and party with the other artists. Things have been going good with getting to know each other and her pictures have been amazing! We get parked and unloaded to set up the pit and outside TV's. Justin comes around and sets up the table for beer pong and his chairs, Katie was supposed to be coming in today for this next part of the tour. Thomas Rhett and Lauren are there setting up down the way and I think I see Chase's bus pull in. It gets parked and he hops off looking around. I know he has to be looking for Bells, so I wave at him. He comes down and I say hello and he asks how it's going? I tell him it's going good and Justin shakes his hand. I tell him that she has went inside with Ben to scope out where she wants to shoot from tonight during my performance. He nods and said," I guess she told you if you know I'm looking for her." I say" yeah she told me and she's nervous about seeing you again. She text your old number a couple of weeks ago." Chase told me," yeah I got it but this can't be done on a text it has to be face to face so there are no misunderstandings."  About that time Ben and Bells came around the corner and she just stops and puts her hands over her mouth. Tears start falling and Chase turns to her and opens his arms and she runs and jumps into them and cries and tells him she's so sorry. He said," Izzy it's okay I understand you had to deal with it in your way"
I look at Chase and tell him they can go on my bus or his but they need to take this inside somewhere. He nods and Bells gets down and pulls him toward my bus. She comes back to me and hugs me and said," thank you B" I smile and she said," don't look at me like that B I might have to make Chase leave and you get on the bus with me." I laugh and whisper in her ear that I will be on the bus all night long" She moans and said," you are so bad" then she walks to the bus and gets on.

Isabella POV

I take Chase into Brantley's bus and we sit down. I look at him and I tell him that he looks great that the years have been good to him. He smiles and said," Izzy I can't believe that we are sitting here together again. I have missed you so much and wanted to call and tell you all the things that have happened over the past 5 years."
She laughed," I know the feeling, I'm so sorry that I was so stubborn and I pushed you away when we should have been leaning on each other. For so long I wanted to blame you that if you had been with him that he would still be alive and then I realized that I would have lost both of you and that would have killed me and it hit me 2 weeks ago. I had lost you when I should have been keeping us together and celebrating all the good things in our lives instead of letting my grief tear us apart. I'm sorry Chase can you ever forgive me?"
Chase said," You were grieving and we all dealt with losing Brady in different ways, me it was music, Dale was focus on racing, you making a great photographer. I kept up with you through everyone. I know what you have been through and from what I have seen you are amazing at your job. So I want us to put it behind us and move forward Iz, be the family we are meant to be."
I look at him," we just pick up and go forward?"
Chase said," yeah I think that is what is important and I got your text but all this needed to be done face to face. Your text was what I had been praying for, you letting me know that you were healing. Not that any of us will ever get over losing Brady but we can smile at the times we had with him."
I said," two weeks ago was the first time that I was able to watch the movies and smiled and laughed and actually shared them with B. I knew then it was time"
Chase looks at me and said," B huh, just what is this with you and him"
I groan," not you too, Justin is about to drive me crazy on this tour playing big brother."
Chase said," he's not a boy Iz, he's a grown ass man and I want you to be careful"
I tell him," I know exactly what he is Chase I'm on a bus with him 24/7 and I will be honest we flirt like crazy and have shared a small kiss here or there but he isn't like everyone makes him out to be."
Chase said," that's good to know that he respects you now I won't have to kick his ass"
I look at him and said," I love you brother, but my love life is my love life and none of no ones business. If and when I decide to sleep with B it's my decision I'm 29 years old and been on my own for years. Okay"
Chase looks at me," Iz you know I take this role seriously I promised Brady and it means something to me. So let me be big brother without fussing"
"Okay if you don't go overboard I won't kick up a fuss" I tell him. I look at the time and tell him I need to get to work and he said," okay but save me a song and dance by the pit tonight"
I grin and tell him," you got it brother" I go fix my makeup and Chase and I exit the bus.
BG looks at me and smiles and I go to him and hug him and tell him thanks. He just looks at me and I tell him it's time for us to go to work and he takes my hand and we walk to the stage.