Won't Give Up on You - Kane Brown Love Story

What Ifs

*Kane's POV*

Backstage. Hair. Makeup. Wardrobe. All the same things and me just going through the motions. I was too tired to cry any more and too tired to really listen to anyone. Mama had called me after my last few shows and told me that I wasn't myself. She was all too right. I knew it was for the fans so I put on a smile, but it didn't feel like me. I was there but I wasn't.

I heard the crowd cheering my name as I was handed a microphone. I made my entrance to the stage. I had been so tired and worn down that I had stopped imagining her voice. I even stopped hallucinating that she was here. All of that had stopped two shows ago. Maybe it was just my way of moving on.

We started into What Ifs and I tried to get into it but I couldn't do more than pace a few steps in either direction of the stage. She was there again. The hallucinating came back stronger than ever. She was there and she was crying like how she had been in Georgia. My heart ached so I turned to go the other way, but she was there too. I closed my eyes to block it out but it was an even more clear picture of her in my head. I pulled the microphone up and pulled out one of my ear pieces.

"Hold it. Hold up! Can we cut guys?" I said and my team cut the music.

"Can I be real with you for a minute?" I asked and the crowed shouted back their support.

"You see, when I was in Georgia, I met this girl there. I didn't ever intend to meet someone but I did. I felt at home an' she helped with my recovery. But now I'm up here an' I feel lost without her and I've got this aching in my chest because I left her back there and left without a goodbye or ever telling her that I love her. I know y'all paid to hear me sing, but my heart is back there an..."

I heard some of my fans in the front screaming. I thought that they had been boo-ing me until I took out my other ear piece. They were screaming at me to go. It wasn't just the front row either. It echoed around the stadium. I smiled and thanked them before running off stage.

Security tried to stop me but I slipped out the back exit and down a fire escape. Last thing I heard was them requesting for someone to find my manager. I grabbed the first taxi I could.

*Sawyer's POV*

I had been cooped up in my room for long enough. I had gotten a new memory card and was determined to move on. Photography would be a good way of doing that. I had already hiked every trail in Emery Creek for pictures and I was working on pictures of downtown. 

I wanted to get the perfect shot of the stands and the fountain. It had always been a view I enjoyed and I wanted to capture it. I squatted down and positioned my camera so I was looking through the viewfinder. I waited until the car passed by on the road and focused my camera in. I snapped a few pictures until something caught my eye. I pulled back and looked up to see if I was just imagining things.

Across the way, there was a guy about 6-foot-2 and dark brown hair. He was covered in tattoos and was looking lazily at the vending carts of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. No. He's not looking at the carts. Is he looking at me? He looked so much like Kane and he was walking over to me. I held my breath and prayed that this was a dream. I didn't feel like I could face him. I wanted to run. Should I run? I'm gonna run. Too late. He was right in front of me and I stood up. I opened and closed my mouth as I blindly grasped for words but found none. I felt all the pain flood back and I shrugged my shoulders and sighed and shook my head as I looked at the ground

"Sawyer... I wanted to stay but..." Kane said

"But you came here to get better so you could get back on tour. And you're better. So go to your fans. I understand." I sighed, trying to understand

"I wanted to stay here. An I still want to be with you." Kane said

"What about your career? Your fans? What about your mother? What about your team? Do they even know you're here? What about what happens if they find you here? There's so much that could go wrong. There's too many possibilities and risks." I rambled on

"What if I was made for you and you were made for me. What if this is it, what if it's meant to be. What if I ain't one of them fools just playin' some game." Kane said while lifting my chin so I looked at him.

"What if I just pulled you close. What if I leaned in. And the stars line up and it's our last first kiss. What if one of these days, I go and change your name." Kane said, looking me directly in the eyes.

"And what if I loved all these what ifs away?" Kane finished

He pushed some loose strands of my hair behind my ear. He leaned in to kiss me, but I ducked my head to look down at the sidewalk between us.

"Using your own song to get the girl. I hope you know how ridiculous and cheesy and how cliche that is." I said peaking up at him through my lashes with a smirk

"Well I didn't exactly have time to drive all night here and write that song about you. Had to go with the second best cliche." He smiled, "So I'm also gonna guess tryin' to kiss you would be too cliche right now too."

I groaned at his sense of humor and laid my head against his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in closer and tighter. I nuzzled my face deeper into his chest and held onto his shirt tight when he started to laugh. I felt tears prick at my eyes and they flowed over before I could stop them. I was mad at him for not defending me and I was scared that he was gonna leave again. I was afraid of his manager and team. I just wanted to be back at his house and be curled up outside by the fire. I tightened my grip and balled up his shirt in my fists as I sobbed into his chest.

He tried to pull back but I didn't want him to. I didn't care if people were looking and, frankly, I didn't know if they were. I was afraid to let go of him. He took his hands and pried mine off of his shirt. He picked me up like I was a little kid. I wrapped my legs around his waist and buried my face in his neck and clung to his shoulders. He carried me for a while and supported me so I wouldn't fall off.

I heard the click of a car unlocking and he swung a door open. He took a large step up while holding onto something to keep his balance. I felt the cushion underneath me and pulled back as I realized he had sat me inside his truck. He closed the door and got in on the driver side. I wiped away at my damp face as he was getting in and tried to steady my breathing. He grabbed my hand that was closest to him and held it. He leaned over and kissed my forehead.

"What are you doing here? How'd you get here? I thought you were on tour." I asked

"I was on tour. I still am supposed to be. I ducked out of a show to come here." He said

"You didn't! What about your fans?! They'll be so mad! That could hurt your career! What is your manager going to say?! You can't just run away!" I panicked

"My fans weren't mad. They supported me. I never wanted to leave in the first place. I haven't been able to sleep without thinking of you. I can't perform without thinking about you. I can't do anything because I see you in everything. Hear you in everything. So I had to come back." Kane said

"I love you. I'm sorry I didn't say it earlier. I still have your damn note and shirt. It's all I thought I had left. I was so mad at you for not defending me. I still am, even. And I don't know what to think now. There's so many questions and so many issues and things we need to talk about. Like what about--" I rambled

"I know we need to talk but I need you to buckle up so we can get out of here. There's a van of reporters and I think that's a paparazzi over there in that truck." Kane cut me off

I looked where he had been looking and there was a guy in a blue truck who had sunglasses on and was looking at something on his lap. I didn't see how he was a paparazzi until he lifted a large camera off of his lap and pointed it at Kane and me. Kane pulled out and we were off. The van and the truck both following.

Kane squeezed my hand as we drove, trying to lose them. He kept assuring me that things would be alright. I watched in the mirrors as they stayed a ways back but remained with us. Kane didn't seem worried about them. He was worried more about me. I took a deep breath as we continued to drive. This is where I wanted to be. And all those what ifs fell out of my mind as my shoulders relaxed and a smile pulled at the edges of my mouth. Kane was here.