[𝟏] 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 | 𝐟𝐤&𝐜

Chapter 21: Mean ★

Tanner's POV:

As the crowd erupted into applause, I watched Ronnie finish her performance on stage. Her voice had captivated everyone in the room, including me. She had poured her heart and soul into that song, and I couldn't help but feel proud of her. But after my encounter with John, I couldn't stand to talk to her at that moment.

I needed some time alone. Some time to think. Before I left, I looked back at Ronnie, who was searching around the venue, probably looking for me. She pushed her way through the crowd and began to panic as she realized I was nowhere to be found.

But as much as I wanted to race to her, hold her in my arms, and tell her it would all be okay, I needed to prioritize myself for once. I was not okay. And Ronnie couldn't help right now. In fact, she would only make things worse.

Finally, I stepped outside into the cool night air, finding myself some peace from the noise. I tried to understand Ronnie, tried to put myself in her place. But I still couldn't defend her. She could have at least told me the whole truth. Was she just going to keep secrets from me forever? Is there anything else she is hiding?

Was she just using me?

A million thoughts flooded into my mind. My mind traced back to our dates, wondering where we went wrong. And maybe there was a possibility that I loved Ronnie more than she would ever love me. But does that mean she would go back to her toxic ex?

All of a sudden, the door opened revealing Ronnie, who was gasping for air, probably from running. Relief washed over her, but quickly turned into confusion and frustration as she approached me.

"Tanner, where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you," Ronnie said, my voice laced with worry.

I turned to face her, not knowing how to deal with my mix of emotions. "Ronnie, I... I needed some air."

Ronnie took a step closer, trying to understand what was going on. "Are you okay? What happened?"

I hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "Ronnie, we need to talk."

Ronnie's face flushed in panic as she processed my words. "Talk about what?"

I took a deep breath, my voice trembling. "About John."

Ronnie began to tear up, as well as shake from anxiety. "What about him?" she asked, her voice breaking apart.

I looked down, avoiding her gaze. "The song you performed tonight... It was about him. You told me how personal the song was and how much it meant to you, but it was about him, all along."

My mind went blank for a moment. Even saying everything out loud still wasn't enough to convince me that this was real. Ronnie was left speechless, not knowing what to say. "It- It does mean a lot, Tanner."

"Ronnie, have you been falling for John? Has that been why you have been so distant lately?" I looked up at her, my heart shattering once again once I saw her face, covered in tears and sobbing.

"I really don't know what to tell you, Tanner," she cried. "I think," she hesitated. "I always had feelings for him. So I did what I always do. I wrote a song."

Her words hurt me, over and over again. "How could you do this to me, Ronnie?" I softly asked, making sure I wasn't appearing angry since I knew it would trigger her. "I've been here for you, supporting you, loving you. What else do I need to do?"

She looked up at me, tears welling in her eyes. "Tanner, it's not that simple. I thought I had moved on from John, but performing that song made me realize that maybe I haven't."