Ronnie's POV:
Then I realized my mistake.
I had blocked him on every social media platform, but I had forgotten to block his number.
Why was he calling me now? What did he want from me?
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should answer or ignore the call. Maybe he had something important to say, maybe he wanted to apologize, maybe he wanted to give me closure.
Or maybe he wanted to hurt me again, to manipulate me again, to make me feel worthless again.
I decided to answer, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.
"Hello?" I said, trying to sound calm.
"Hey, Ronnie, it's me, John," he said in a cheerful voice. "How are you?"
I felt a pang of anger. How could he act so casual after everything he had put me through? How could he pretend that nothing had happened?
"I'm fine," I said coldly. "What do you want?"
"I just wanted to talk to you, see how you're doing," he said. "I miss you, Ronnie. I miss us."
I felt a wave of disbelief. He missed me? He missed us? How dare he say that after he had betrayed me and broken my heart?
"You miss me?" I repeated incredulously. "You miss us? Are you kidding me, John? You cheated on me! You lied to me, you hurt me, you made me depressed! And now you have the nerve to call me and say you miss me?"
John sighed. "I know, I know, I made a mistake. A big mistake. But I'm sorry, Ronnie. I'm sorry. I love you, Ronnie. I always loved you. I was just confused, I didn't know what I wanted. But now I do. I want you back, Ronnie. Please, give me another chance."
I felt a mix of emotions. A part of me still loved John, despite everything he had done. A part of me still remembered the good times we had together, the laughs, the kisses, the cuddles. A part of me still hoped that he would change, that he would be the man I fell in love with.
But another part of me hated John, for what he had done. Another part of me hated him for breaking my trust, for shattering my self-esteem, for making me cry myself to sleep every night. Another part of me hated him for being selfish, for being manipulative, for being a jerk.
And another part of me liked Tanner.
He made me feel happy again.
He made me feel alive again.
He made me feel loved again.
I knew what I wanted.
And it wasn't John.
I took a deep breath and said the words that I had been rehearsing in my head for months.
"No, John," I said firmly. "I don't want you back. I don't want to talk to you ever again. You're not sorry, John. You're not confused. You're just a liar and a cheater and a jerk. And I'm done with you."
I hung up the phone and blocked his number.
I felt a rush of relief and pride. I had done it. I had stood up to him. I had closed the door on him.
I smiled and put my phone away. I was free.
Tanner's POV:
I love writing songs for Ronnie. She's the most talented pop star I've ever worked with. She has a beautiful voice, a charming personality, and a creative mind. She always brings out the best in me.
But I also love Ronnie more than her music. I love her for her smile, her laugh, her eyes, her heart. I love her for the way she makes me feel when we're together. We've been working together for a year now, and we've grown closer every day. We've gone on coffee dates, movie nights, and walks in the park. We've shared our dreams, our fears, our secrets. We've kissed, we've cuddled, we've held hands. We've established that we like each other, but we haven't labeled anything. We haven't made it official.
And that's driving me crazy. I want to ask Ronnie to be my girlfriend. I want to tell her how much I love her. I want to make her mine. But I'm nervous. I'm scared of ruining what we have. I'm scared of losing her as a friend, as a partner, as a muse. I'm scared of being rejected. So every time I try to make myself ask her, I freak out.
Like a few days ago. We were in the studio, working on a new song. It was a romantic ballad, inspired by our feelings for each other. Ronnie was singing the chorus, and I was playing the piano. She sounded amazing, as always. She finished the song and looked at me with a smile.
"That was perfect," she said.
"No, you're perfect," I said without thinking.
She blushed and giggled. "You're so sweet."
I felt a surge of courage. This is it. This is the moment. I'm going to do it. I stand up and walk towards her. She stands up and meets me halfway. I took her hands in mine and looked into her eyes.
"Ronnie," I said softly.
"Yes?" she said expectantly.
I opened my mouth to say the words. But then I heard a knock on the door. It was our producer, Dave.
"Hey guys, sorry to interrupt, but we need to wrap this up," he said. "We have another session booked in an hour." Ronnie and I let go of each other and turned to face him.
"Sure, no problem," Ronnie said politely.
"Yeah, sure," I said disappointedly.
Dave walked in and checks the recording equipment.
"So, how's the song coming along?" he asked.
"It's almost done," Ronnie said. "We just need to polish some details."
"Great," Dave said. "Can I hear it?"
"Sure," Ronnie replied. "Tanner, can you play it?"
I nodded and walked back to the piano. I pressed play and the song started playing through the speakers.
Ronnie and I sat next to each other on the couch and listened to our songs. It's beautiful, it's heartfelt, it's us. But it's not enough. I want more than a song. I want more than friendship. I want more than a collaboration.
I want Ronnie to be my girlfriend.
I closed my eyes as I relived the memory, cringing at my stupidity. Why was it so hard to ask her?
It's been a few days since we last saw each other. Ronnie has been busy writing more songs, and I've been busy with my other projects. We've been texting and calling, but it's not the same as being together.
I missed her. I miss her voice, her smile, her touch. I miss working with her, playing with her, being with her. I want to ask her to be my girlfriend. I want to make it official. But I'm still nervous. I'm still scared. What if she says no? What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if she thinks it's too soon? I don't know what to do.
And as these thoughts flood my mind, I hear my phone vibrating in my pocket. I reach to take it out, revealing that it was Ronnie calling. I smile at the screen and hit accept, lifting it towards my ear.
"Hey, Ronnie."
"Hey, Tanner." Hearing her voice made me feel butterflies, excited to hear what she had to say.
"What's up?" I asked, wondering why she was calling.
"So I have a surprise for you," she said.
"Oh really?" I asked, surprised at the gesture itself. "A surprise?"
"Yeah! I managed to write a new song, and I want you to hear it first. I'll be at the studio in an hour."
"Alright, I'll be there!" I said. "Can't wait to hear it."
"Great! Bye, Tanner!"
I was excited, curious, and hopeful. Maybe this is a sign. Maybe this is the moment. I get ready and head to the studio. I wait for her to arrive. She shows up with a smile and a guitar. She looks gorgeous, as always.
"Hey, Tanner," she says as she hugs me.
"Hey, Ronnie," I say as I hug her back.
"I missed you," she says.
"I missed you too," I say.
She pulls away and looks at me with her sparkling eyes.
"So, are you ready to hear my new song?" she asks.
"Of course," I say. "I can't wait."
She nods and walks to the couch. She sits down and places the guitar on her lap. She tunes it and strums it a few times.
She looks at me and smiles.
"This song is called Speak Now," she says. She starts singing, and I listen attentively.
I am not the kind of girl
Who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion
But you are not the kind of boy
Who should be marrying the wrong girl
I sneak in and see your friends
And her snotty little family all dressed in pastel
And she is yelling at a bridesmaid
Somewhere back inside a room
Wearing a gown shaped like a pastry
This is surely not what you thought it would be
I lose myself in a daydream
Where I stand and say
Don't say yes, run away now
I'll meet you when you're out of the church at the back door
Don't wait, or say a single vow
You need to hear me out
And they said, "Speak now"
Fond gestures are exchanged
And the organ starts to play
A song that sounds like a death march
And I am hiding in the curtains
It seems that I was uninvited by your lovely bride-to-be
She floats down the aisle like a pageant queen
But I know you wish it was me
You wish it was me
Don't you?
Don't say yes, run away now
I'll meet you when you're out of the church at the back door
Don't wait, or say a single vow
You need to hear me out
And they said, "Speak now"
Don't say yes, run away now
I'll meet you when you're out of the church at the back door
Don't wait, or say a single vow
Your time is running out
And they said, "Speak now"
I hear the preacher say, "Speak now or forever hold your peace"
There's the silence, there's my last chance
I stand up with shaky hands, all eyes on me
Horrified looks from everyone in the room
But I'm only looking at you
I am not the kind of girl
Who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion
But you are not the kind of boy
Who should be marrying the wrong girl
So don't say yes, run away now
I'll meet you when you're out of the church at the back door
Don't wait, or say a single vow
You need to hear me out
And they said, "Speak now"
And you'll say, "Let's run away now"
I'll meet you when I'm out of my tux at the back door
Baby, I didn't say my vows
So glad you were around
When they said, "Speak now"
The song is beautiful. It's catchy, it's sweet, it's honest.
It's about us.
Not literally. Obviously, I'm not getting married. But it's about how she doesn't want to wait any longer, how she wants to speak now, how she wants me to speak now.
It's about how she loves me.
And she knew I would catch on to that.
She finishes the song and looks at me expectantly. I'm speechless. I'm stunned. I'm touched.
She wrote this song for me. She wrote this song to tell me how she feels. She loves me. She loves me! And I love her too.
I stand up and walk towards her. She stands up and meets me halfway.
I take her face in my hands and look into her eyes.
"Ronnie," I say softly.
"Yes?" she says eagerly.
I open my mouth and say the words. "Ronnie, I love you," I say sincerely. "I love you so much. You're amazing, you're wonderful, you're everything to me."
She smiles and tears up. "Tanner, I love you too," she says happily. "I love you more than anything."
I lean in and kiss her passionately. She kisses me back eagerly.
We break the kiss and hug each other tightly.
"Ronnie," I say again.
"Yes?" she says again.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" I ask nervously.
"Yes!" she says excitedly. "Yes, yes, yes!"
We kiss again and laugh joyfully.
We did it. We spoke now. We made it official.
We're happy.