Future Days

Found

Hey babes, this chapter is from Chris' POV. 🖤

"Syd, if you want to lick me, I gotta tell you it'd be much better if you went a little further down south." A sly cocky smile rested on my face.  My voice still raspy from sleep. 

"Ah, what the fu-" I opened my still blurry eyes and tried to see what was going on in the darkness. A pool of slobber drenched my bare chest. A pain shot through my left arm letting me know Sydney was still sleeping on my now numb arm. "Ah, shit that means-" I looked over to my right to see Chickens big dumb head cocked to the side with his tongue hanging just slightly out of his mouth staring down at me.

"Can I fucking help you, dude?" I groaned pushing him away with a pillow. He grunted at me before spinning in a circle and laying at my feet.

Sydney's phone lit up and buzzed across the night stand. Without thinking I grabbed it, not wanting it to wake her, and I answered it.

"Hello?" I tried to clear my gravely voice.

"Cornell? What the fuck are you doing there? It's 1:30 in the morning there! Is everything okay?" He sounded irritated, worried, and drunk. Not a good combination, I know from experience.

"Uh, yeah. She's okay. I'll have her call you when she wakes up and explain everything. She had a nightmare last night so I stayed with her." I feel guilty not telling him of the break in but Sydney was right, he'd drop everything and fly back home and everything here is under control. I'll make sure she tells him after his last show tonight.

"Okay, Chris, then why are you there now?" His voice dropped a eerie growl.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, we've kept it PG man. We just got carried away writing a new song for Temple and passed out." Again, I wasn't lying, just leaving out the parts where it's fucking killing me not telling her how I really feel about her.

"So are you on the couch, or in bed with my girlfriend? His irritation turned into a intimidating calmness when he spoke.

"It's not like that Eddie. She needs someone right now, man. I just need to know she's okay."

His response was quick and leaked of venom. "Thanks for keeping my spot warm while I'm gone, I'll be on the first flight back after the show tomorrow night and she won't need you there anymore." His words cut right through me. He's right. She won't need me. I'm just a filler for him while he's away. I hadn't even notice he had hung up the phone.

I rolled over on my side facing Syd as she used my arm as her own personal pillow. I swept her ashy blonde hair off of her delicate features and wrapped it behind her ear. She looked so at peace and content, even after the rollercoaster of events in the last twenty four hours. I've never seen such a strong and resilient person before. Andy would be so fucking proud of the woman she's become. I want her to have every opportunity he robbed from himself.

I watched the way she slept. Her chest slowly rising and falling. Her beautiful eyes hidden, dancing behind her porcelain eyelids. The way the corner of her mouth would turn up into a small smile when I rubbed circles over the back of her hand that was holding onto my bicep. How could anyone not fall in love with her?

"Chris?" She whispered softly in her sleep.

"It's me, love. I'm right here." I ran my available hand through her hair and thanked the heavens the dark room hid the tears that managed to escape the barriers of my eyelids.

"I love you." She mumbled, barely audible.

"I love you too, Sydney. More than you could ever know." Soft snores escaped her baby pink lips as I kissed her forehead and tried to drift back to sleep.