Take Me Away From Here

Chapter 15

Tim POV: 

"When they start talkin', she starts walkin', right back to my arms... She can turn every head, but she never lets it go to her heart." I sing, the crowd unbelievably loud tonight. Camera flashes come from every section of the stands, as the fans in the front row bounce nonstop. They reach up onto the stage, trying desperately to attain my attention, even if it's for a millisecond. The band finishes the song, leaving me standing on the stage, out of breath, as they all scream my name. I look back at the band, before spotting her on the side of the stage. 

"I'd like to play a song tonight that I wrote a long time ago, with quite an incredible woman, who just happens to be here tonight. Will everyone please give a hand for Faith Hill!" I announce, watching Faith stand like a deer in headlights. She's been watching from behind the curtain for about an hour now. I just can't imagine playing my final show without singing with her. A roadie hands her a mic, releasing her out onto the stage. When she steps out, the crowd goes wild, one of the fans in the front row bursting into tears, despite the fact that she's simply wearing a cardigan, leggings, and flip flops, without makeup or hair products. She looks like the girl I knew at home. 

"What are you doing?" She mouths to me, before holding the mic up. "Hello Nashville!" She shouts, causing them to roar even louder. 

"I Need You." I tell the band, as they start to play the song. She looks my way, trying to fight a smile. We wrote this song a long time ago, and always wanted to record it. I wanted to put it on my last album, but Live Like You Were Dying was already stacked full of songs. 

"I wanna drink that shot of whiskey..." I start singing, causing the crowd to scream. Faith stands across from me, looking right into my eyes, paying no mind to the tens of thousands of people in the stands. "I wanna smoke that cigarette... I wanna smell that sweet addiction on my breath..." I continue, the words ringing truer now than when we wrote them. "I wanna ride across West Virginia, in the backseat of a Cadillac... You know some cowboys like me go out like that, so I need you..." I sing, taking a step toward her. She cocks her head, getting lost in the words. "Like a needle needs a vein, like my Uncle Joe in Oklahoma needs the rain... I need you... Like a lighthouse on the coast, like the father and the son need the holy ghost... I need you..." I wrap up my part, eager to hear her voice sing it. Her voice always blew me away on this song. 

"I wanna get lost in some corner booth... Cantina Mexico..." She sings, her voice bright and warm at the same time. The crowd erupts as she sings, catching my attention for a moment, before her voice fills my ears again. "I wanna dance to the static of an A.M. radio..." It makes me smile, knowing we used to do some of these things. "I wanna wrap the moon around us and lay beside you skin on skin... Make love 'til the sun comes up, 'til the sun goes down again... 'cause I need you..." She sings soulfully, her eyes narrowing on me, before she reaches her chorus. "Like a needle needs a vein, like Uncle Joe in Oklahoma needs the rain... I need you... Like a lighthouse on a coast, like the father and the son need the holy ghost... I need you... Oh, I need you..." She wraps up, taking a step in toward me. 

"I wanna drink that shot of whiskey, I wanna smoke that cigarette... You know some cowboys like me go out like that... So I need you, oh, I need you..." I sing, slowly lowering the mic from my lips. She breaks a smile, as the band finishes the song. The second the band falls mute, the crowd erupts, screeching at the top of their lungs. We both turn, soaking it in. 

I look over her way, noticing that I much rather watch her, than watch the crowd. The realization is a little stark and ironic. It's taken me years to realize that I care more about her than I do the approval of thousands of fans... Of course, I'm realizing that at my final show. I threw away a lot of what we had for fame, and in the end, I don't think it's worth it. I think standing on stage beside her... now that... that was worth it. I'd give up every sold-out show I've played for another moment on stage beside her, even if the arena were nowhere near full.