Present Day

I open the door and almost fall flat on my face. Laying curled up on the old dirty red and green floral patterned carpet, is Landry. Not even the sound of the door causes him to stir. Carefully, I step over his sleeping body and pull the door closed with a quiet click. I stop and take one last glance to check on him. His shoulders move up and down along with his soft calm breathing. He seems peaceful, until I notice his face. His brows and lips are turned down in a sad pout that I wish I could fix.

I take a single step towards him when his phone begins to ring. He stirs and I jet so fast down the hallway that by the time his groggy voice says, hello, I'm already around the corner.

I press my body against the wall and listen for him.

"I'll be there in a few, I just.." he grunts like he's sitting up. "I screwed up," he says to whomever he's speaking with. "She's not just some girl, Harry. Chill man, I said I'll be there and I mean it. I'm getting into the elevator now."

Shit! I race to get there first and slam the button. When it opens I dart inside and hold the round circle for the main floor. It lights up orange under my finger tip as I tap several times. The doors slowly begin to shut and right before they do I hear, "hey could you hold that please."

As the elevator drops, I slink backwards and rest my head against the ugly wooden paneled wall. The elevator stops two floors down and when the doors open a bunch of girls wearing Thirty Seconds to Midnight shirts pile inside. If only they knew how close they were to meeting their favorite singer.

The entire ride I have to hear how good Landry's ass looks in tight jeans. I close my eyes, wishing I could plug my ears instead. I concentrate on my breathing and everything that isn't Landry.

Once on the main floor the girls walk out first. Knowing Landry could have gotten a ride down on the second elevator, I move with quick feet towards the doors. Through the large hotel windows I catch sight of the dense fog blanketing the grounds. The air is sticky and humid and a misty rain spits over me as I make my way across.

I find my way to the security tent to get a weather update. Lars and Russell spot me right away. Their eyes lift from the tablet they are looking at to me. As if they see every emotion I'm feeling, they dart across the room, leaving the device behind.

Russell runs a hand through his fiery red hair. His freckled face is a bit tan from a weekend in the sun. Warm fatherly eyes find mine as he sets a firm hand on my shoulder.

"Are you sure you want to work today?"

I don't want to, but I'm not going to sit up in my hotel room and cry my eyes out. I've spent the last five years alone and sad on this day, and I need to break the cycle.

"Yeah. Of course. I needed to get out of that stuffy hotel room."

He pulls his hand away and gives me an, are you sure look. A small knot threatens to form in my throat, but I push it down and force a smile. He's not convinced, but doesn't press the issue.

"Thunderstorms are beginning to roll in, they might delay the start of the first shows."

The gates haven't opened yet and it's a good thing because a low rumble of thunder carries through the park. It shakes the tent and lights up the deep gray sky. Russell retreats back to the table where he mulls over the radar, while Lars hangs back.

"How was your date last night?" I ask.

He has a dreamy distant look in his eyes, like he's floating on a cloud. "I kind of did a big thing last night." He tugs his phone from the pocket on the side of his khakis and flips through for a picture. His face lights up when he finds what he's searching for. He turns the phone and it's a shot of the two of them on the top of the Ferris wheel (of course it's the Ferris wheel). She's got her hand turned so the camera can see the huge diamond on her left hand.

"Lars, oh-my-god!"

A genuine smile falls on my lips. Good news is what I needed today, and seeing the toothy grin on Lars's face says it all. I turn and wrap my arms around his large neck. He pats my back.

"I'm so happy for both of you. Do you know when you'll get married?"

"Next August, night two. We booked the hotel."

Eyes wide I hug him again. "That is so amazing. You should ask one of the bands to play your wedding on their off night."

"You should ask Landry for me."

The knot returns to my throat, this time it's fully formed and forcing my eyes to bubble over.

Lars's smile fades. "Oh no, what happened?"

I shake my head trying to dry the tears. "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal."

Lars knows when to back off so instead of dwelling, he pulls me in for another hug, then heads back over to Russell to check the weather.

***

The thunderstorm rolled out around eleven-thirty. Thanks to the many behind the scenes creators of the festival time slots were fixed accordingly and everyone was happy. The weather however couldn't have been more unpredictable. Pockets of rain and wind swept through the festival on and off all day. Gray skies hung low overhead as day began to turn to night. My eight hour shift turned into twelve, but I was happily distracted.

Stage two is my last job of the day, it's nearly nine and the rain is starting to pick up more steadily then before. It's a cool mist and even in the damp summer night air I shiver. I've avoided this stage today, but had a last minute call to come here because of a scheduling conflict. This is where it all happened. Any other day I can handle stage two, but today the moment I lay eyes on it my chest constricts in a pain inflicted grasp.

The crowd is standing around, yellow poncho's glow in the midst of the stage lighting. I stop just a few feet shy of the stage. Lars isn't here, instead some new recruits have been assigned this stage. I don't know what it is, but something feels off. It's like I'm missing a piece of me.

Come on Callie, you've got this! It's just a stage, I try to tell myself. I lift my left foot and plunk it down into the squishy grass at my feet and stall. An intense flash lights up the sky, striking down on one of the trees in the distance. The crack comes seconds later, the whole ground shakes with a tremor. Security yells and suddenly there's a downpour of large wet drops as fans scatter in all different directions.

Another flash close by lights up the sky enough to make it look like daylight. The rumble follows just as quickly as the other. Instead of flocking with the crowd I go against them, towards the stage.

"Come in Callie." My radio buzzes with static, and between the thunder and loud murmurs of the crowd the voice sounds far away.

"Callie are you there?" It's Russell.

I lift the walkie to speak, when a lightning bolt streaks across the sky. It stays above, but crackles right above the stage.

"I'm at stage two," I say into the walkie.

"Callie? Callie? We can't hear you. Are you okay?"

It cuts out and then goes dead as the sky flickers again. Around me is nothing but a mostly empty field with random bouts of people rushing for shelter. Large puddles are forming under the grass soaking through my sneakers. The wind starts whipping the trees behind the stage. They bend like limber gymnasts, branches whipping back and forth and leaves fluttering around.

I stick the walkie back on my belt only to have it slip and fall into a muddy puddle at the foot of the stage. I bend down when a large gust of wind and a loud bang catches me by surprise. Glancing around I realize the spot I'm standing in. It was right here where my father took his last breath all those years ago. I gasp like someone has taken all the air from my lungs. Tears sting my eyes, but I can't tell the difference between the tears and the rain.

"Callie!" A familiar voice calls out from behind me.

I spin and slip into the mud puddle. The water and dirt splash up catching my face. I lift my gaze to Landry running towards me. His hair sags with wetness over his eyes. He pushes the strands away as he runs towards me.

He slides into the pit where I am like he's reaching home base. He collides with my body and wraps his arms around me.

"Come on, it's too dangerous out here."

"I'm not going anywhere with you! I was perfectly fine until you came along!" I yell.

I get to my feet only to slip and land on my ass again. Landry wipes himself down and stands. He ducks down and lifts me up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He yells.

The thunder has settled, and now the rain is the loudest thing. Large drops plop into the puddles at our feet splashing upwards.

"It means this isn't going to work. I'm not a one night stand kind of girl Landry!"

He runs a hand through his unruly soaked hair. "I would never use you as a one night stand. You know me better than that."

"Do I? I knew Landry Ryan and even him I only knew for four days before he ghosted me!"

"I never ghosted you! We had to cut our internet to save money. I moved in with mom and it was only her and I. Dad did his own thing. That's why I vanished before I could get your number. And about last night, I'm sorry. I planned on introducing you to everyone, and when I met up with them they wanted to go on...."

"I saw you!" I interrupt. "I saw you kissing that girl. Not a one night stand, Landry? What was she then?"

He sighs loudly over the thumping of the rain.

"Exactly, you probably slept with her too, then felt guilty so you camped out in front of my door. Well I'll tell you something." I point a finger at his chest. "I'm not falling for your games. It might be ridiculous, but I felt something with you, but I guess I read it all wrong. It was stupid of me to think someone as popular as you would want someone like me. It's high school all over again."

Even in the darkness I catch sight of his intense hazel eyes on me.

"And you wouldn't know this, but it's the anniversary of my father's death and he died right here." I point down to the floor. More intense hot tears sting my cheeks. "You couldn't have picked a worse moment to mess with my head." I reach up and run my hands through my hair, tugging hard at the wet ends. Water droplets drip as if I were squeezing a sponge.

"I can't..."

I spin to run away when his strong hand wraps around my wrist. In one swift gentle motion he tugs me back and pulls me into him. I flatten my hand against his chest and push with all my might to get away, but he won't let go.

The rain is starting to let up, but my tears are just getting started. He hugs me tighter and smooths my hair. He whispers sweet words into my ear, telling me I'll be okay.

"You're the only woman in my life that matters, Cal. You have always been. I spent years scanning the audience for your face, hoping you'd be out there. We were twenty-one when we were signed, so it makes sense that you wouldn't recognize me, but I prayed so hard you'd be there. It may have only been four days, but to me it felt like a lifetime."

I glance up through my lashes, water droplets getting in the way of a clear view. I blink to clear my vision. "What about that girl you kissed?"

"Anne? That was Ashton's girl. She kissed my cheek, not my lips." His eyes dart back and forth, but never leave my face. "I lost track of time when they all showed up and drank a little, then it dawned on me what I'd done. I never meant to hurt you."

"I'm not needy in any way, but with you I can't be your side girl, I'm the kind of person that when I sleep with someone, I give them my whole heart and I expect theirs too."

He removes his hand from my waist and presses it against my cheek. Wiping away the tears and rain, he leans forward and rests his forehead against mine. I suck in a breath, hoping the shiver that follows goes unnoticed.

"My life is hectic and is filled with girls trying to get in my pants. Truth is, none of those girls are you. I missed out on all of those years with you and now that you're here, I don't want to lose you."

I stay quiet, and let the warmth of his skin sink into mine. I love how my nose fits perfectly up against his, and the way his hand cups my cheek.

"I just want you to take a chance on me. I know dating someone in the public eye isn't easy, but if you'd let me try I could make you happy. It will be a lot of distance and lonely nights, but I'm willing to never kiss another girl if it means I get to kiss you for the rest of my life."

Staring into his hazel eyes I want to crumble into his arms right here and now. A soft wind blows as the storm clears out. Silence swirls around us. Mostly everyone has gone to their hotel rooms or tents. The concert is over, and the only ones left are the workers cleaning up and the night guards on duty. They pass us by without batting an eye.

His confession makes me want to jump in. I still can't get the images from the news out of my head. Him with several women, the cheating, the scandals. I wince at the thought. Staring back into his eyes I catch tears rolling down his cheeks. Closing his eyes he rubs his face up against mine.

"We hardly know each other," I whisper.

"Let me know you then. I want to know all about the girl who got away. You changed my life that summer. I'd known the divorce was coming and you distracted me from all the fighting, made me feel whole again. Maybe I'm being selfish for wanting that again, but I don't want to wonder what if? I've already done that."

I lift onto my toes and plant a trembling kiss to his soft eager lips. He sighs into my mouth, his stiff muscles relaxing from my touch. Reaching down around my ass he lifts me off the ground again, like it's the easiest thing in the world.

I wrap my arms around his neck and allow my tongue to slide into his mouth, moaning as he opens up for me and can feel him hard against me.

"Let's go back to my room," he whispers.

He sets me down on the ground, links our hands together, and we run through the field towards the hotel. The lobby is full of concert goers. Landry lifts his shirt, lowers his head and ushers us towards the elevators. We step inside and the doors close before anyone can come in.

He steps in front of me and pushes me towards the wall of the elevator, pressing his lips to my jawline. I hiss at his touch. He leaves a trail of kisses along my neck, and places his hand underneath my tight black denim shorts to cup my ass.

When the elevator dings we immediately unhook. Thankfully it took us right to our floor. We skirt down the hallway towards his room. He kisses me as he scrambles for the key inside his soaked jean pocket. Pulling it out, he never breaks the moment. He swipes the card and pushes us into the room. The door slams shut, leaving the real world behind for at least one more night.