False Starts || Dave Grohl

Chapter 20

"All Of These Memories, I'll Never Replace"

July 8, 1991

Nags Head, NC

"I just died in your arms tonight!" The lyrics rolled off my tongue as if I had just listened to the old song yesterday rather than three years ago. "It must have been something your said." I animatedly pointed toward Dave as the song continued in the background.

We have been on the road for over seven hours, losing time while stuck in traffic around Richmond. It wasn't until an hour ago that I got tired of the book I was reading; hardly being about to focus over the lull of the radio and the car bouncing every time we crossed a bridge.

While rummaging around the glove compartment, I discovered an old tape Dave had made full of 80's pop songs which is how we ended up in our current situation.

"The rock scene should disown us for this," I snicker, "Our love for rock is all a façade to mask our true love for overrated pop songs."

Dave shook his head before turning down an unfamiliar road that led to the oceanfront properties, "We can love what we love. Music is fucking music man." After voicing his opinion, he raised the volume to the familiar Eurhythmics song I remember hearing when we flew to London last year.

It wasn't five minutes later that Dave pulled the car we barrowed from his mom up to the one-story shack we'd occupy for the next three days. "It feels like forever since we've been to the beach."

"Let's get this vacation started then!" The driver side door flew open, giving him the chance to jump out before rushing over to my side to open my door. His smile was bright, like that of a giddy child.

In the few days we have spent on the east coast, his entire personality shifted back to the fun-loving wild Dave I grew to love during the late 80's. Reminding me of why I fight so hard for our relationship day in and day out. "What a gentleman. Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?"

"He's a sucker for leaving such a beautiful girl alone," He pressed his lips to the back of my hand before helping me step out of the vehicle. "Who knows what kind of weirdos are lurking around just waiting to prey on women such as yourself."

I bite my lip, hoping to suppress my laughter. He is certainly one of a kind and I am grateful to have the opportunity to call him mine. "Will you protect me?"

The space between us practically evaporated as Dave pressed my back up against his mother's car. "Always." His husky tone and eye contact sent chills up my spine and I knew he noticed the change in my breathing. My senses were on high alert as he brought a finger up to trace my upper lip, but I was only left with disappointment when he pulled away. Silently walking around the car to pull our bags out of the trunk.

"You fuckin tease," I grumble, holding eye contact with the brunette as he smirked back at me.

"What was that?" He slammed the trunk closed after pulling our suitcase out, "I couldn't hear over your panting."

I push off the cool metal of the car in order to follow the cocky man into the front foyer. "You're a real dick."

"I love you too babe."

My annoyance quickly subsided when I noticed the framed photographs lining the hallway, being replaced with awe and slight shock. The standard beach themed artwork had been replaced with four large photographs of Dave and I throughout the years. Each displaying a different milestone in our relationship.

The first was black and white, taken on Ginnie's front porch as I ate an ice cream cone and Dave played guitar next to me. Both of us smiling like idiots, obviously having made a crude joke that his mother probably didn't understand.