The Switch [COMPLETED]

Chapter 40

Asher Halen:

I was an idiot. 

I was the biggest moron on the planet, and now Paisley was leaving and there was nothing I could do about it. 

I sat miserably on the bottom bunk as I watched her pack her suitcase, replaying in my mind exactly where things had gone wrong. 

"Um...what...what were you about to say back there? I mean, before Tucker interrupted you. You were about to say something..."

Yeah, I was. Something along the lines of, "Hey, you crazy, beautiful girl. I am completely in love with you, and I want you to stay with me."

But, of course, I hadn't said that. My mouth had started spewing some random garbage about a pink sweater before my brain could fully comprehend what was going on. There was so much I had wanted to say to Paisley; That she was the reason we switched back. SHE was what I needed to have it all. That because of her, I was a better man and a better person in general. That it had taken living her life to realize that I couldn't imagine mine without her in it. 

But no. 

Freakin' sweater. 

As if it was taunting me, the pink sweater itself suddenly appeared in my line of vision. Paisley was holding it up in front of her before neatly folding it and stacking it on top of the other clothes in her suitcase. 

"Wouldn't want to forget this," she said wryly, patting the sweater and sending me a rueful smile before zipping her suitcase and hoisting it off of the bed. 

My mouth tried to form words, but none would come. I just sat there, watching her as she stared at me. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and a few long pieces had fallen out and were tickling her collarbones. I wanted desperately to reach out and brush them back into their rightful place, but I resisted the urge. 

After a few moments of tense silence, Paisley took a deep breath and smiled. "Well...I guess that's everything," she said in a cheerful tone that sounded a bit forced. She swung her arms a few times before finally crossing them over her chest and looking down at the floor. "We should be there soon. I should probably go call Jenny."

"Right," I said stiffly, not taking my eyes off of her. I wanted to drink in every last moment; every tiny detail - the way she talked, and the way her eyes looked right now, and the softness of her mouth as she smiled at me.

All too soon, I felt the bus rolling to a stop. I wasn't sure exactly where in New York we were, and I didn't care. All I knew was that this was it. Paisley was leaving. On the other side of those bus doors was a future without Paisley; a future that I could have prevented if I hadn't been such a coward. 

The guys and I stood in a sort of semi-circle around Paisley in the sitting area of the bus. She held her suitcase in one hand and a sweatshirt in the other, and smiled at each of us in turn. She came to me last, and I wasn't sure if I was imagining a sudden downturn to her lips or not. 

"Well...this is my stop," she said lightly, shifting her sweatshirt to her other arm so that it draped over her suitcase. "I don't think I can thank you guys enough for everything you've done for me these past few weeks," she said sincerely. "Thanks for letting me crash your band."

Tucker was the first to speak, stepping forward and wrapping Paisley in a tight hug.

"You're welcome to crash our band whenever you want, girl," he said before pulling away and playfully tugging on a strand of Paisley's hair. "And just remember, if you ever change your mind about you and I, you know where to find me," he added with a suggestive eyebrow waggle. "We could be magic."

Paisley laughed and shook her head.

"Oh, Tucker," she said fondly, "I think I've had enough magic in my life for a while."

Zack was next, giving Paisley a silent hug and ruffling her hair. Leo followed, wrapping Paisley up in a brotherly embrace and patting her back comfortingly before stepping back to his place in line and looking at me expectantly. 

All of the guys were staring at me now, waiting to see what I would do. Paisley seemed to realize that I was the last goodbye left, and she was looking nervously between me and her shoelaces with her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. 

"Paisley..." I said softly.

She looked up expectantly, a small trace of a smile on her face.

"...Take care, yeah?" I said lamely, stepping forward and clapping her on the shoulder like we were two bros on a football team. 

She laughed weakly and nodded.

"You too, Halen," she said, sarcastically mimicking my gesture and slapping my arm. "It's been real." 

"Yeah...look, if you need anything -"

"Then I know where to find you. Yeah," she finished my sentence with a soft smile and a nod of her head. "Thanks."

She held my gaze for a few more moments before sighing and turning to include the rest of the group. 

"Thank you ALL," she said again. "Good luck with the rest of your tour. You guys deserve the world and more," she said sincerely, readjusting her grip on her suitcase and backing towards the door. 

With the push of a button, the doors slid open and Paisley stepped out. With one foot on the top step, she turned and gave one last look over her shoulder, her eyes boring into mine. 

"Bye," she whispered before turning and bounding down the rest of the steps, her suitcase dragging behind her. 

"Bye, Paisley," I whispered, but it was too late. The doors closed behind her before she could hear me, and I was left standing there staring at nothing as the bus slowly pulled away from the curb and away from the girl I loved.