Find me in Stonebrook

Four

*Parker's POV*

"It's can't have been her." I rolled my eyes, pulling the bottle up to my lips, leaning my elbow onto the bar. "Maybe Ethan's girlfriend?"

"Explain her saying it's her house, Ethan not being home and her answering to Tessa then." It was her. No question about it. Tessa was back in town for a grand total of 19 fucking days. I don't even know what to say. The girl stood there in front of me this morning looked exactly like my Tess. Identical to the last time I'd seen her. Only this time she wasn't crying. She looked like she could though. That shine in her eyes, her eyebrows pulling down. Something was going on. Tessa doesn't change plans. Tessa will do everything in her power to make sure things go to her plan and she doesn't just drop everything at a moment's notice and drive 4 hours without anyone knowing she's coming. She doesn't come home.

She told me I'd never see her again. I believed her. I knew Tessa would do everything to make sure I never saw her again. I honestly wouldn't put it past her sitting me behind a pillar at the wedding so I couldn't see the bridal party and she'd be hiding in the crowd all night. That would have killed me. Knowing she was in the room but I couldn't see her.

"So, she's back?" Nate pushed his fingers through his hair. "What are you going to do?"

"What can I do Nate? She's home for less than 3 weeks. Not like she's gonna drop being on fucking Broadway to come back here is it?"

"Why does she have to drop it?" Tyler picked up, twisting slightly on his stool. "Why does Tessa have to come home? She's not that far away. 4 hours isn't terrible. You could drive up on a Friday for the weekend. Pretty sure people could hold off on having things done over the weekend if you two were-"

"It's not gonna happen guys." Regrettably, I fucked up. She was happy. Laughing in the front seat of my truck. Neither of us wanted her to go inside but I could see her Mom watching from the window like she always did when we were past curfew. I tried to get her in but she refused. Over and over and over. She'd say it's fine. I'm in the drive. She can see me. Then she'd lay her head back in my lap and I'd go back to counting her freckles and the greens in her eyes. I asked her to stay. Told her I wanted her here with me forever. I asked her not to go. And I watched the happiness in her face fade so quickly. the laughter turned to conversation and the conversation turned to argument and the argument turned to crying and slamming doors and screaming and me driving away.

Selfish.

That's exactly what I'd been. I wanted her to myself. By myside. I didn't want her to go off and chase this dream and like 90% of this fucking town I genuinely didn't think she'd make it. The odds were just so tight and the plan she had was so precise just one external decision could have thrown it out of whack.

It took me a matter of days to realize how stupid I'd been and by that time it was too late. She was gone. I waited for her to come home for the holidays and it never came. Her Mom's birthday, Ethan's birthday, Jayde's 18th birthday. Nothing. She never came home. I couldn't tell her I messed up and that I did believe in her and that I'm glad she did want to go and that I loved her. God I loved her more than anything.

"I wouldn't forgive me for that. She has a lot more respect for herself than to take back the guy who told her she shouldn't chase her dream and should stay home and be his wife instead." I scowled at myself, downing the bottle in one. I have a feeling the next 3 weeks are going to be a lot of drinking.

"It was 7 years ago man. I doubt she even remembers why you were arguing."

"The girls are here. Do they know?" I shook my head. Not unless she'd told them. It's no surprise to anyone that Jayde was the first to get married out of our little group. She'd met Aiden almost immediately after graduation. I know Aiden didn't meet Tess until a few years ago. They took a trip up when she was got her first big lead. He came back singing her praises. How phenomenal the show was and he didn't even like theatre but he loved watching her. I'd had to walk away.

"Oh, we are so walking into a conversation." Jules waved her fingers, forcing Tyler out of his spot so she could steal it.

"I thought so." Jayde looked around us all, narrowing her eyes on me. "Spill it."

"Not a clue what you're on about blondie."

"Oh please. You've got your guilty look on your face."

"I don't have any look on my face." I ordered a Jack and Coke, needing something stronger than beer tonight.

"Naatteee." Jules turned in her chair, pouting slightly. "Tell us."

"No can do."

"You know you guys avoiding telling us just makes it look more suspicious right?" Aiden handed Jayde a drink, standing opposite her in our little circle. I glared at him, only breaking when he took a sip of his drink.

"Just tell us!" Jayde spun in her stool, pulling on my arm until my drink splashed to the floor. I whispered a few choice words at her, putting my hand down and shaking it from my skin. The whole bar went quiet and I didn't need to turn around to know why. "TESSA?!" She screeched, jumping out of her seat and running across the bar as fast as her heels could carry her. The rest of the group were a little slower to walk over. I stayed out of the way, downing my drink as quickly as I could and ordering another.

"Tessa's drinks," I told the bartender. "I'm paying. She'll be difficult about it but don't tell her I'm paying. Not a single drink is out of her pocket tonight and if you can make mine a little stronger, I've got a 100 dollar tip with your name on it." He nodded.

18 days.

I've got 18 days to undo what I've done and find a way to make her forgive me. To come home more often. Not permanent. Just more. I need her in my life. I don't care how that looks right now but I miss her. So fucking bad.