You To Miss

chapter 3

Summer

"Kennedy, am I ever glad to hear your voice"  "What's wrong Summer? You sound like you've just been through hell' I told Kennedy everything that had happened today including the fact that I'd bought tickets for Love And Theft, Which led to my confession that I went to every show in a 200 mile radius of where I lived, and bought every CD and every magazine or anything with pictures and interviews. By the time I was done telling Kennedy everything I was crying so hard I could barely talk but I think getting it out made me feel so much better. Realizing I'd been on the phone with Kennedy for about an hour and I still hadn't asked her why she called I felt bad. Kennedy was busy and even though she always said she had time for me I always felt bad taking it. Kennedy sounded hesitant as she told me that Lucas had his first birthday coming up and she was taking him to the beach house in Florida for a few weeks and the week of his actual birthday Jason was taking off so he could be there. Did I want to join her for three weeks of sitting on the beach and swimming in the ocean? I couldn't miss my godson's first birthday of course but could I handle three weeks in the house where my whole world had once been turned upside down? I wasn't sure, but for Kennedy and Lucas I'd do anything. Plus I hadn't seen the little guy since he was 2 months old and Jason was on tour and they were in the area. So yeah three weeks in the beginning of July I could handle. I needed a vacation. Question was, Am I going to need a vacation at the end of this vacation?

We handed the man our tickets and walked in, Melody couldn't stop going on and on about how happy she was to be here. I didn't blame her I'd be pretty excited, too. Except I already knew that as soon as they came out I'd be holding back tears. I should have moved out here to be an actress instead of a teacher, Maybe if I could find a job that's what I'd do next. I was getting pretty good at acting like seeing Stephen smile didn't break my heart into a million pieces. I had long ago mastered acting happy when all I wanted to do was cry. I was good at walking away from everything I loved and acting like I didn't care. You wouldn't imagine the acting skills it took to convince Kennedy I was happy with life. Melody was so happy about this concert and that I had invited her. I didn't want to keep up the facade that everything was alright but for Melody I would keep it up. Just for one night. We headed to our seats and sat down the seats were closer than I'd normally get which made me a little uncomfortable. We were only a few rows from the stage. This would be the closest I'd been to Stephen since walking away five years ago. I was genuinely having a good time with Melody dancing and singing and drinking the night away. There was an intermission which we used to go get more drinks and use the bathroom. As soon as we got back into our seats Love And Theft came out on stage. Seeing Stephen completely took my breath away. The room was loud but I couldn't hear a sound. And I couldn't see a thing but him. I quickly gathered myself together before Melody noticed although she was staring so hard at the stage I think she forgot I was there. Halfway through the third song we were standing and dancing Melody decided to yell something, I don't remember what, really loud during a quiet part of the song. Which of course brought attention to our area and both Stephen and Eric looked in our direction. Shit. I sat down really fast. I waited for a minute and glanced up. Stephen was still looking in this direction and he seemed to have stopped playing his guitar and singing. He seemed to have stopped moving. I hope he didn't see me. Maybe if he did and I stay down here long enough he'll think he was seeing things. "What are you doing down there" I look up at Melody. Ahh shit I have some explaining to do.

After the concert was over we went back to Melody's house. After making up some excuse about my feet hurting she hadn't asked me again why I had sat down. Or why I had sat down so fast. But every so often I could see her looking at me funny like she was trying to understand something. I realized that I should have told Melody the truth a long time ago. Melody wasn't like the other friends I'd made since moving to L.A., friends I hadn't heard from since getting the news I was being let go by the way, She was the best friend I had in California and she deserved to know the truth. Where do I start? Do I start with the fact that two of my best and longest friends are country singer Jason Aldean and his wife Kennedy? Do I start with the story of a heartbroken young girl that snuck into a bar in southern Florida one June night five years ago?  She's going to hate me for not telling her and trusting her with this long ago. Melody knows about my ex fiance Mike running off with my friend Brooke. She knows my bestfriend's name is Kennedy and that she helped me through everything but I was always vague about the details of the summer before senior year. I was that way with everyone though. Not even my parents knew everything. Kennedy didn't even know all of it until last week. I took a deep breath and made myself a drink. This was going to take awhile.