Just Once - A Peterick Fic

Chapter 31

        "Alright guys, we're good. Thanks!" called the sound guy as we finished up sound check, heading off stage and going to put our instruments up. To say I was nervous or on edge would be an understatement. My hands were shaking still from Pete's almost explosion earlier, making playing guitar very difficult. I had to tell him, I just did, even if it hurt him. The guilt was pressing down on me as if it weighed a thousand pounds, and I didn't know how much longer I could take it.

        However Pete reacted, whatever he did to me, I deserved it. I regretted it with all my heart, but that doesn't change the fact that I did it, but Pete doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve the hurt I was going to cause him, not one bit. He deserved so, so much better than me and my shitty, drunk decisions.

        As I put my guitar up, I heard a familiar laugh float around the corner, the owner of the laugh having been on my mind all too often lately for all the wrong reasons.

        Gabe.

       I could tell Pete heard it too, because his eyes seemed to narrow slightly, evidently the thoughts about why I'd been acting strange about Gabe floating through his head.

        Luckily, Joe spoke up and drowned it all out for a moment, saying, "I can't wait for tonight. This tour is going to be awesome." I was grateful for the sound of his voice distracting me from the other that seemed to infiltrate my ears and slither around in my head like a snake, wrapping itself around my every thought like a constrictor. God did I hate snakes. Especially the ones that threatened to destroy my relationship with the man I loved.

        "Definitely. I'm psyched," Pete agreed, a hint of malice to his tone. He put emphasis on the last word, nearly spitting it out in a poorly suppressed anger. I worried about him. His every word seemed passive aggressive at this point, and I was afraid telling him would only do more harm. But at least then the possibilities, the scenarios wouldn't be running rampant through his head. Once he found out what actually happened, maybe he could start to work past it, maybe even forgive me eventually although I knew I didn't deserve it.

        That's when just the guy I didn't want to see rounded the corner, coming into sight. I had my back to him, was facing Joe, and I knew Gabe was there because Joe paled, his eyes going wide. He knew that whatever was wrong between Pete and I had to do with Gabe. He and Andy didn't want to stick around to see it, Joe grabbing his boyfriend's hand and pulling him in the direction of the dressing rooms. Jack had been walking with Gabe, and he soon took off too, hurrying off when he realized this was going to be a tense interaction.

       He just stood there a moment after I'd turned around and our gazes had locked, seemingly stuck in place. Or maybe it was the death glare Pete was sending him that cemented him to his spot. I couldn't imagine Gabe knew why Pete was glaring at him though, because Joe, Andy, and the majority of our crew were the only people who knew Pete and I were together, and they wouldn't have told him. Gabe didn't even know half the problem he'd help to cause.

        "Hey Pete, Patrick," he said, his feet seemingly glued to that spot in the floor. His voice was stiff, emotionless, as if he were trying a bit too hard to act casual.

        "Hey Gabe," Pete said, his tone way too friendly for the expression clouding his features.

        "How're you guys?" he asked after a moment of clear hesitation, unsure of whether or not it would be suspicious if he came up with a bullshit excuse to get out of the conversation. Obviously he decided that yes, it would be suspicious because he spoke, beginning to walk towards us so we weren't yelling across the room anymore.