Beside You

33 - late night adventure

I laughed as Trent pulled me through a dark alleyway as we came out by a river. There were fairy lights wrapped around the trees around us, the faint sounds of music coming from a boat down the water.

"I believe I owe you a proper dance.." Trent smiled down at me as he took my hand is his, the other one wrapping around my waist as we swayed along to the music.

I rested my head on his chest, hearing the way his heart hammered against his chest. Like he was nervous. I couldn't help but smile, knowing how we both still reacted the same when we were near each other.

"I love you.." I whisper to him, his lips kissing the top of my head. "I love you too."

We swayed to the music in a comfortable silence for a while before he broke it. "Move in with me."

I pulled away from him, staring into his eyes. But he wasn't joking. He was serious. The most serious I've ever seen him. "I mean it. Move in with me. We practically already live together. We just alternate between houses." He adds making me chuckle lightly.

"Seriously though..I hate it when you're not with me. It's like something is missing from my life when I'm not constantly tripping over Aria's toys that she leaves in the most random places. I sleep more peacefully when I know your body is wrapped around mine."

I pause for a moment before giving him a light kiss. "Okay. We'll move in with you." I flash him a huge smile as he spins me around, making me laugh.

We make our way slowly back to the house, laughing about the smallest things. As we walk down the long private street filled with all the houses our friends are sleeping in, my eyes flicker to my right as I see one of the doors opening.

"A little late night adventure?" Trent calls out quietly, humour laced in his words as I finally see who was sneaking out of Mitch's house. "Ellie?"

She stops in her tracks, rolling her eyes before she comes over to us. "Say nothing." She warns, as Trent bursts out laughing whilst the three of us walk back to the house together.

"So you and Mitch, huh?" I wiggle my eyebrows at her as she tries to force away a smile. "What? You'd have to be stupid to not find that man attractive!" She giggles out as we slip into the house, trying not to wake anyone up.

We bid each other goodnight before Trent and I walk to the opposite end of the house to our bedroom. As we got in, I felt a phone vibrating in my pocket. Pulling it out, I see it's Trent's phone that was ringing.

He had no pockets, so I slipped in into my jacket for him on the way home. "Baby your phone is ringing.." I whisper as he closes the bedroom door. "Who is it?" He asks as I read the name on the phone.

"It's Andrew."

Trent sighs, answering the phone as he paces across the room as he speaks. "Hey, what's up?" There's a long pause, Trent just looking frustrated the more he listens to his manager.

"We spoke about this yesterday. I can't just.." I'm guessing he gets cut off by his manager. I slip out of my leather jacket, draping it over the back of a chair in the room as Trent sighs. "I'll call you back tomorrow. I'm not talking about this with you tonight." Trent snaps slightly, hanging up the phone.

Okayyy?

"What was that about?" I ask cautiously as Trent runs his fingers through his hair. He sits down on the seat under the large window in our room. I walk over, sitting in between his legs, back pressed against his chest as his fingers play with the curls of my hair.

"With the new album coming out soon, he's planned another tour. And it's..it's the biggest one I've ever done." He sighs out, but I'm just confused. "Why don't you seem happy about that?"

He looks at me like I've just said something completely stupid. "Because I don't want to leave." He said bluntly. I sigh, realising what he means as my fingers run along his legs.

"I don't want to leave you and Aria. But with her in preschool, it's practically impossible for you to come with me. So I'm just...I don't know what I want to do."

"How long will you be gone for?.." I whisper, not sure I want the answer. "Two months. Maybe three or four. With tour dates, interviews, promotion for the album, it's going to be a while." He sighs out again.

Three or four months??

My heart aches at the thought of being away from him for that long. But at the same time, I knew who he'd become when I got back into a relationship with him. I knew that this was inevitable. That he would have to leave for a while.

But now that it's here? It's terrifying to think I'll have to live without him for a while.

"When would you leave?"

"Andrew wants tickets to go on sale tomorrow night. He's been teasing a tour, so everyone's ready for it. First show would be in Dallas, and I'd have to leave straight after it. That show would be in a month."

I knew he was conflicted. But I didn't want him to shorten his tour for me. So I pushed back the emotions I was feeling about this. I had to be the supportive partner here.

"This is your life, Trent. You're not going to shorten your tour for me. Think of all those people wanting to see you. You're going to do the tour. We'll make it work. We will FaceTime every day. Aria and I will fly out and see as many shows as we can. And when you're done? You'll get to come home and see us waiting there for you now too, remember?"

He hugs me tightly. "I don't want to be away from you either. But we had an eight year break. Four months? Light work." I try and joke, but both of us only release a sad chuckle.

"You're right...I'll tell Andrew to release the announcement.." he speaks softly, tapping on his phone screen.

On the outside, I was the supportive girlfriend.

But inside? I felt like I wanted to throw up at the thought of not being with him for that long.