Tonight's not over

Chapter 23

Taylor's POV

I strolled down the corridor of 606 towards the recording room where I knew Dave would be waiting. I didn't know what new ideas he wanted to demo but it was always exciting. I pushed open the door and went in to find him sat at a table nervously playing with a mug of coffee. "Dave?" I asked wondering what the problem was.
He looked up and gave a small smile.
"Taylor! Take a seat there's something I need to talk to you about."
"What's going on?"
"Please just come and sit down." Dave waved a hand at the seat opposite him and apprehensively I went over and did as he'd asked.

I watched as Dave, lost in thought, continued to play with his mug.
"So?" I asked eventually.
I could see he was trying hard to find the right words, which was not like him at all, he normally knew exactly what to say. He sighed before looking up at me.
"About the other day with Chris..."
"OK you can stop right there!" I exclaimed starting to get up.
"Taylor sit down!" he demanded as he too rose from his seat.
"Look I don't want to fucking talk about it." I yelled.
"You're gonna have to fucking talk about it sooner or later."
"Really?! He broke my fucking nose. I don't even want to think about that dick." I shouted.
"Well he's a part of the Foo Fighters so you need to get over it."
"Yeah? Well what if I don't wanna work with him anymore?"

For a few moments we glared at each other in silence before Dave sighed and dropped his head. He ran his hands through his hair before looking back up, putting his glassen in place on his head.
"Taylor let's just sit back down and talk about this. I don't really want either of you to leave the fucking band."
"I told you I don't wanna talk about it." I said again firmly but quieter this time.
"OK so just listen to what I have to say and then I won't fucking mention it again."
He fixed me with an intense stare and I knew I had to agree. I flopped back down into the chair, folded my arms and scowled. Dave stood just looking at me for a few seconds before taking his seat opposite me.

"Taylor.." he said but I was determined I wasn't going to look up. "Look Taylor..." he went on "Chris should not have punched you..." That made me look up, I had not been expecting him to say that. "but you have to admit you treated that girl fucking badly..."
There it was, the but!
"According to him maybe...."
"According to me." Dave answered sternly. I huffed angrily and scowled again. "I know you've had a rough time of it recently but that doesn't give you the right to treat other women that way.."
"What way?!" I demanded, glaring at him. "She's an adult I didn't make her do anything she didn't want to."
"I know that." Dave continued calmly "but did you make sure she understood what sort of relationship you wanted from the start?"
"Well....." I paused, unsure of how to answer that.
I felt Dave's intense stare on me even though I wasn't looking at him anymore. The silence was deafening while he waited for me to continue and I searched for an answer to his question. I knew the answer all along really but the thought of saying it out loud made a wave of guilt rush over me.
"...no I didn't." I muttered in the end.

"Taylor you have daughters how would you feel if someone treated them like that? Would it make a fucking difference if they were adults?"
I shook my head a little. I felt like a fucking dick. How could I have stooped so low?
"If someone treated one of my girls like that I'd want to do more than break his fucking nose that's for sure."
The tone in Dave's voice had changed and when I looked up he was grinning. I gave a snort of laughter. Dave smiled at me.
"Look Taylor I know you didn't set out to hurt anyone..."
"No I just didn't think...." I let my words trail off.
What I'd done didn't sound any better put that way either. I sighed.
"So what are you gonna do about it?"
"What can I do?" I asked desperately "I can't fucking take back what I did."
"No, but you could talk to them. Fucking apologise."
I sighed again. I really had been a total jerk and I wasn't sure that if I was in their position I'd ever be able to forgive that behaviour no matter how many times that person apologised.
"I will." I told Dave, I knew I had to try. "As soon as they get back from the tour."

I watched Dave get up from his chair and walk away without saying a word. I guess I'd managed to damage my friendship with him too. Not that I could blame him. Who'd want a total dick that treated people like I had as a best friend anyway?
I was deep in thought when an envelope landed on the table in front of me. It was a plane ticket. I looked up at Dave confused.
"I was hoping you'd want to apologise because me, Rami and Christine are heading out to New York tomorrow to catch one of Chris' gigs. I bought you a plane ticket in case you wanted to join us."
"I'm not sure I should..." I felt panic rising inside me.
I doubted Chris or Mia would want to see me there.
"Why not?"
"They won't want to see me. Not after......well.....you know."
"You can apologise in New York, then you can come home and you all get a few days before you have to fucking see each other again."
I looked at the plane ticket on the table.
"What do ya say?" Dave asked
I looked back up at Dave. Maybe that was the best way. Apologise and then give them time to think about it. 
"Maybe you're right." I said finally.
"You know I'm always right!" Dave chuckled and slung his arm around my shoulders. "How about we jam for a bit now?"
I smile back at him and nodded. Banging the shit out of some skins seemed like the best idea ever!