Bea & the Broken Record

Chapter 28: Goodbye's Suck

I pulled on a plain black shirt with a flannel over top and a pair of jeans I hadn't packed yet. As I got my crap together and sat by the door, I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and texted Bea one last time before we left. Just as I sent a text saying "I'll see you around", I heard a tap on my window.

May I remind you that hearing taps on my window was a very rare thing. Unless one of the guys were tossing things at my window, there was never a sound. Until now.

I walked over to my window expecting to see one of the guys on the ground with little pebbles in their hands. Instead, I was shocked to see Bea standing on a ladder outside my window. I was on the second floor of am old barn and she was standing on a ladder looking down at the ground. She hadn't even noticed I was standing there, watching her curiously.

I opened my window and her head snapped towards me. "Bea? What are you doing?" I asked her. She looked up me with wide, scared eyes. After grabbing my arms and allowing me to help her inside safely, she didn't hesitate one second to throw her arms around me. Her scent filled my nose and I knew I wasn't going to be mad at her. I never really was to begin with, but it never would happen.

"I'm sorry Asher," she said barely above a whisper. I only squeezed her tight and kissed the part of her neck I could see.

"I'm sorry, too," I replied as I held her close to me. She looked at me with her big hazel eyes and searched for something I wasn't aware of.

"Why did you climb through the window?" I asked her. "There's a door."

"You always came through my window." She shrugged her shoulders like this barn was no taller than her house. It definitely was.

"That's different -"

"No, it's not. Just like how you always listen to me. You always save me. You always know what to do for me," she explained and took a seat in my bed. "I want to listen to you and save you and always know what to do for you."

"Bea, it's really not a big deal. That's what I'm here for," I said, holding her hands in mine.

"I love you Asher, and I'm not going I give up on us. I don't want to." She sniffled a little, looking away. "I have my days where I can't keep my hopes up. It's a normal thing. But even on those days, I feel like you're the only person who can help me. I want to do that for you."

"You do," I told her as I hugged her right. "You make me so much happier than you think, Bea. I don't get why you don't see that. It's killing me to leave you."

When she leaned forward to kiss me, I let her. I kissed her back, hoping it would last me for a few weeks while we were in New York.

"You don't need to worry about me," Bea told me after our kiss as our foreheads were resting against each other. "You need to worry about your tour and your future and your family. Not just me, okay? Promise me that."

"You're always the first thing on my mind, Bea. No matter what," I explained. She forced her pinky around mine and jerked it between us.

"Promise me anyway," she insisted. I tightened my pinky around hers and licked my dry lips.

"As long as you promise to call me every single time you feel like hurting yourself. I don't give a damn if it's three in the morning - call me," I commanded. "It hurts me just as much as it hurts you."

She lowered her head and I could see the worry on her face. Her anxiety must've been out the window as well as her sadness. It made me hurt for her, even if she didn't believe it.

"I promise," she whispered. I pulled her into me and kissed her over and over again until we had to breathe again.

"I'm walking down with you," Bea told me as she stood up and grabbed a few of my bags. I grabbed the rest and headed downstairs and out the door to our van. The guys were already out there, talking on their phones most likely to their parents and friends. It was bittersweet moment for us all, I think.

After loading all my crap into the van, I twisted around to hug Bea. I swayed us back and forth and heard her giggle. It made me feel better to hear her laugh and I knew that if she didn't call me while I was away, I'd go numb.

I didn't know how I did it, but I'd found the girl that I wanted for the rest of my life. I wanted to marry her and have her by my side through everything. She was perfect to me. I could only hope and pray she felt the same.

"I'm going to miss you," she told me, her chin resting on my chest.

"I'm going to miss you way more," I replied, inwardly groaning at the cheesiness. Bea smiled and I knew she was thinking the same thing.

"Come on guys, we'll miss our flight!" Brody yelled as he hopped in the front seat of the van. I gave Bea another kiss and hug before following everyone and getting in, buckling up and hoping for a safe trip.

As we drove away, I glanced back to see Bea standing in the driveway, watching us leave. I waved, and she waved right back.

I stared out the window of the plane we were on, riding first class since those were the tickets Drew had bought us. The clouds were so fluffy and white as we soared through them. Cars on the roads looked like ants and hay fields looked like green oceans.

Ben was beside of me, already snoring on my shoulder. I looked at him and chuckled quietly at the sight of his mouth hanging slightly open. I decided to go ahead and let him sleep a while in peace and I got my phone out.

I found myself looking at my contacts and finding Bea's already opened. Her picture was of her with her nose pulled up to look like a pig's and her eyes were crossed. She looked adorable in the picture. When I took it, I wasn't allowed to do anything with it as in print it out or post it on social media. So, I made it her contact picture.

It made me smile to see it. Just to see her face and the smile on it.

I plugged my headphones in and put them in my ears, turning my music up loud so I could sound out the whole world for a little while.

And before I knew it, I was asleep.

___________

The song is Distance by Christina Perri and Jason Mraz!

Goodbye's really do suck, don't they?

What do you think is going to happen between Bea and Asher? Will they last or will they fight through it all? Keep reading to find out! Thank you so much for those of you reading, commenting, and voting! It makes me so happy!

School starts very very soon for me and I'm really sad about it. Nothing about it really makes me want to go and that's really sad if you ask me. I have no motivation because my future stresses me out. But, who doesn't street over school?

Anyway, good luck to all you guys going to school starting middle school, high school, or college or whatever else you are doing that you need good luck for!