Where We Left Off (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 2 of the HunTia Trilogy)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

*THE NEXT DAY*

TIA'S POV:

I sit and talk with Ashley for a bit, while Nat goes shopping. She's actually incredibly nice, and she's an amazing singer. We talk about the randomest things, from the baby to unicorns.

"Have you ever done your nails?" she asks me.

"No, I've never really cared for my nails," I say, lightly. "Never really had time for them either."

"Can I do your nails, then?"

"Uh, sure," I say. "I don't have any nail polish on me, though..."

"That's okay," Ashley says brightly. "I have some."

She comes back holding a bottle of deep red polish.

Oh well. How bad could this be? Isn't this what girls are supposed to do anyway?

After a while, my nails are done. I examine them with interest. "Well, there's a first time for everything," I say. "Thanks heaps. This was really fun. We should do it again sometime, okay?"

"Okay!"

"You girls having fun?" asks Hunter, appearing in the doorway.

"Tons of fun. Can I do your nails, Hunter?" I ask.

He laughs. "No, you can't do my nails. I have to do a show tonight."

"Aww," I complain. "Please?"

"Nope."

"Well, if the baby is a girl, you're going to let her do it, aren't you?"

"Depends."

"Well that's okay then," I say. "The baby's not a girl."

Ashley grins. "I dunno, Tia, I think I'm gonna go with Hunter on this one."

I look at her, annoyed. "Pfft. I'm gonna rub it in your faces when my son is born."

"You do that." Ashley stands up and brushes herself off. "I'm gonna go find something to eat. I'll see you later."

I wave to her, and she leaves. Hunter comes up to me and gives me a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Can I show you something, love?"

"Okay! What is it?"

"Come to the room, my guitar's in there."

We walk together, before I settle down on the bed, and Hunter grabs his guitar.

"So, a couple of years ago, Katrina, Bonnie and I were songwriting again, right?"

I nod, remembering Hunter's co-writers. Katrina Elam and Bonnie Baker helped Hunter on a lot of his best songs.

"We ended up writing one song... and it's really personal. I think it's good, but it might take some convincing to get it onto the next record, because it really is deep and soul searching and stuff."

"Will you show me?" I ask.

He smiles a little, and I realise something. He was nervous.

"That was the plan. I want to see what you think of it."

"Go on," I say. "Make me proud."

Hunter half-smiles again, before beginning to strum at his guitar.

"Crowded hallways are the loneliest places,

For outcasts and rebels,

Or anyone who just dares to be different,