To the Moon and Back

Red

The Thanksgiving weekend was all I could have hoped for. I met some of Hunter's extended family and family-friends. Lynette's dinner was incredible and as the weekend wore down, the dreadful anticipation of parting ways crept up again.

"What's next," Hunter and I laid on his bed, we had to leave soon to catch my flight, "Christmas, New Years...." My voice drifted off and a tear escaped my eye.

"Babe," Hunter wiped away my tear, "whats wrong?"

I sniffled and hugged him tighter. "I'm fine, I promise."

"You don't have to pretend to be strong," he said, gently brushing his hand through my hair, "I don't want you to leave." His voice was soft and comforting, his chest was comfortable and I heard the rhythmic beat of his heart. "Christmas is only a few weeks away." I nodded and sat up, rubbing my eyes. Hunter sat up, cuddling closer to me. 

"I'm already counting down the days." Hunter kissed my cheek and caught a glimpse of the time. He didn't have to speak, his face said it all. I hugged his parents and thanked them again. Hunter drove us back to Lafayette and he hugged me hard before letting me go into the airport. "Just a few weeks, Jenna." He kissed my forehead and we parted.

I carried my bag into the airport, through security and onto the plane. I landed in Toronto about 5 hours later, and walked out of the airport to hear a familiar voice calling my name. Stephanie.

"Thank you so much for getting me," I hugged her and a few tears slipped.

"Are you okay?" her tone was worried. She and I walked to her car, once inside I broke down completely, shaking and struggling to catch my breath. "Jenna," Steph reached her hand over the console, holding my arm, "try and breathe,  hun. What's going on? Did something happen?"

"I just miss him so much it physically hurts," I caught my his breath, wiping my tears. "this is so hard." 

"I'm sorry I cannot understand," she squeezed my hand, "but I know true love when I see it. You and Hunter will make it through this." Once I had calmed down, we left the airport and I realized we weren't going toward home. 

"I don't know where we are going but I trust you." I said, taking ot my phone to text Hunter.

J: Arrived home alive. Steph has abducted me and is taking me on some kind of adventure. XO Love you

H: Glad you're safe. Missing you like crazy. Love you.

After what felt like an hour, Steph pulled up to a cabin. "Why are we at your cabin?" I looked at the temperature on the dashboard, it read eight degrees. "You know I have no clothes right? Louisiana was three times as warm..."

She laughed and retorted, "I raided your closet at home, the red bag is yours." She pointed toward a backpack in the trunk and hauled out my guitar as well as a cooler of food. "We are having an impromptu girls night." I hugged her, she knew exactly what I needed.

We threw on an extra layer and made a fire. I got comfy in the Adirondack chair and tuned the guitar. I began strumming aimlessly until I saw Steph's eyes watching me. "Yes?" I laughed, picking at the strings.

"Have you told him?" I acted like I didn't know what she was talking about. "Jenna, he's gonna find out one day." 

"Maybe he will but it won't be right now. My dad already told him I play guitar and piano." I never pursued music, mostly out of a discomfort for performing in front of huge crowds. I didn't plan on telling Hunter that I could sing anytime soon. "I got my CTRS to work in the states, so that's what I'm pursuing right now. You know how many people pursue music and never do more than play on club stages?"

 Steph shrugged and sipped her Corona, "They're not dating Hunter flipping Hayes."

"I'm not using my relationship to get a record deal. The retaliation on Instagram would be psychotic." I thought of the comments from the summertime. I sipped on my beer and continued strumming.

"Just saying, he's gonna find out," she tossed a few more sticks into the fire.

"It will be a pleasant surprise won't it?" I smirked. "Pick a song, any song...."

"Red." Stephanie said without hesitation.

 "Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead-end street
Faster than the wind, passionate as sin ending so suddenly
Loving him is like trying to change your mind once you're already flying through the free fall
Like the colors in autumn, so bright just before they lose it all "