Tennessee Line to LA Lights (A Matthew Gray Gubler FanFiction)

Chapter 13

Matthew laughed, holding the door open for them both as they slipped inside the darkened building. The pulsing increased in intensity and as they pushed back the heavy velvet curtain, revealing several of Matthew's friends, the shouts of 'surprise' echoed above the din of the music.

Stephanie slipped away, as the crowd that surrounded him grew. She made a beeline for the stage, weaving her way through the trong of people that occupied the large dance floor. This party was so over the top, she had to laugh at how much it wasn't like Matthew. She needed to remind herself not to let Adrienne plan another surprise party. She reached the backstage door and slipped through it. Her tuned guitar was propped up in the corner where she was told it would be and the studio musicians were beginning to gather, getting their own instruments ready. She was going to perform two songs, one she was ready for, the other, she wasn't quite sure. She walked up onto the stage, the curtain blocking her from the masses, and took her spot, right in the center. Her guitar was pressed into her back, and her heart pounded in her chest. This was the largest crowd, to date, that she would be standing in front of, and it was on a night when she was about to bear her soul to the man that she was undoubtedly in love with. The other musicians joined her, and she nodded to Adrienne when the woman stuck her head through the slip in the drapery.

"Ladies and gentlemen, and the birthday boy," Adrienne's voice boomed through the spacious club, "You are all entitled to quite the treat tonight. For only the second time on a live stage, let's hear it for Stephanie Wright."

The crowd erupted in applause and cheers of support and as the darkness gave way to a flood of lights, Stephanie took her guitar in her hands, strumming out the chords of the song that she'd created with Matthew's words.

She couldn't see his face, but from the reaction of the crowd, she had to guess that his face would match their excitement. Her breathing picked up and her heart pounded in her chest as she leaned into the microphone, "So, I have one more song to play for you all tonight. I've never been good with words unless I'm putting them down on paper and adding music to them, but I would like to say that this year has been a complete roller coaster. I've had some highs and some very ugly lows but I've had one person standing next to me through it all and I just want to say, Matthew...I wrote this for you..."

She took a deep breath, knowing that she needed to get her voice under control if she was going to get through it....

You never know when you're gonna meet someone

And your whole wide world in a moment comes undone

You're just walking around and suddenly

Everything that you thought that you knew about love is gone

You find out it's all been wrong

And all my scars don't seem to matter anymore

Cause they led me here to you

The last fifteen or so years that she had spent with Dustin were a fading memory. Here marriage was over and her life was on the path of new adventures. She knew that Matthew would be by her side through it all and she would be by his. She looked out into the audience and saw that he had moved through the crowd and was standing near the front of the stage.

I know that it's gonna take some time

I've got to admit that the thought has crossed my mind

This might end up like it should

And I'm gonna say what I need to say