“Danny, come on,” Liv yelled. “Don’t worry about him.”
Danny stepped forward. He and Mitch were the exact same height. They were close to the same build too which, if it was ten years ago, wouldn’t have been the same. Mitch had been thick with muscle since high school but now Danny matched him in muscle. Liv hated to think it, but if a fight did break out, it would be a pretty damn even fight.
She looked to the left and saw Chasing Cross getting closer. She waved her hands, almost in disbelief that she was waving down Chasing Cross. Johnnie saw her and started to push harder.
“Hey, Liv, long time no see,” the tall lead singer said.
Liv smiled and caught herself ready to blush. She still pictured Johnnie as this tall, skinny guy wearing a jean jacket and ripped jeans. Much like Danny, time had turned him into a man. He and Danny looked a little more alike now than they did back then, but Liv’s heart only seemed to spin like a top when she looked at Danny.
“It’s Mitch,” Liv said.
“Mitch...?”
“You know, Mitch,” Liv said and pointed.
“Hey, that’s not a good thing,” Davey said.
Liv sort of knew the rest of the band. After all, the towns surrounding Bakersville were about as big as Bakersville itself. Seeing the rest of the band standing there, ready to defend their guitarist had a certain appeal to it.
“You think you can just walk back into town,” Mitch said. “This is our town. My town even. And my girl...”
Mitch pressed his nose against Danny’s.
Liv grabbed Johnnie’s arm. “Do something.”
Rick stepped forward and Johnnie put an arm out, stopping the drummer.
“Nobody do anything,” Johnnie said. “Danny’s a big boy.”
Liv was shocked. Johnnie always took care of his little brother. No matter what.
“I’m not worried about Danny,” Rick said. “I’m worried about the other guy.”
“If Danny starts...,” Davey said.
“Let him,” Johnnie said.
Liv took the initiative then and walked towards Danny and Mitch.
“You two, this is pointless,” Liv said.
“You’re right, it is pointless,” Mitch said. “He’ll leave town and go back to his famous life. His fake whores. His drugs.”
Liv hadn’t considered much of anything like that until then. As she stared at Mitch, she began to really think about it. The second she saw Danny in her backyard, hurt and bleeding, apologizing for smashing through her fence, in her mind it was like she had woken up from a very long nap. It was more then ten years into the future and Danny was there, waiting for her.
But that wasn’t the case, at all.
Danny had come back to lay his father to rest. He had a life, somewhere else. He had a house, maybe two or three. He had cars, guitars, a band to play with, music to record, roads to travel, planes to fly in, and concerts to play across the world.
Liv looked over her shoulder and saw the rest of Chasing Cross. Their presence alone confirmed everything racing through her mind.
What if Danny had other women
?
She didn’t want to believe that her once small town boyfriend could be a stereotypical rockstar, but it could happen. For all she knew, Danny could have a girlfriend in every city across the country, with dozens of groupies waiting or hoping for their shot at a night with the guitarist from Chasing Cross.
So what exactly was Danny doing there?
Right there, right then.
Why was he in Crabley’s, playing a show, having a drink or two, but most of all, why was he kissing Liv?
She tried to keep her composure and tell herself that it was sewing up loose ends. That’s all. They never really had a romantic - or lust filled - goodbye. So why not now? Wouldn’t that be a hell of a story to share with friends for the rest of her life? How Chasing Cross came home and she spent a night in bed with the guitarist?
The thought sounded good and it certainly made her body feel
really
good, but what did it mean then? She’d just be another woman. Another groupie.
“Mitch, Mitch, Mitch,” Danny finally spoke, breaking up Liv’s thoughts.
“Why are you here?” Mitch asked.
“I don’t think a single person in this bar minds,” Danny said, “except you. Why don’t you leave?”
People cheered. It only helped to fuel the fire ready to explode between Danny and Mitch. Years of ignored hatred and petty boys-becoming-men nonsense festered.
Maybe they each needed to take a few shots at each other to get it out.
Maybe they didn’t.
“I see you’re bothering poor Liv here,” Mitch said.
“Poor me?” Liv cut in.
“Don’t worry about Liv,” Danny said. “She’s in good hands.”
“Yeah,” Mitch said. “Mine.”
“Oh, I can see the gracious life you’d give her,” Danny said.
Mitch snarled and Liv felt a piece of her heart break away. She grabbed at Danny’s shirt. “What does that mean?”
Danny looked at Liv. “Nothing. You know... he...”
Liv swallowed and felt the tears rush to her eyes. Just because she didn’t have a mansion or private jet didn’t make her less than Danny, did it? It didn’t make her poor. It didn’t make her useless. And just because she cared for her aging and dying father didn’t make her less of a woman.
Liv took a step back and pointed at Danny. “Don’t.”
It was all she could mutter.
What it meant, she didn’t even know.
Don’t follow me.
Don’t look at me.
Don’t kiss me ever again.
Don’t get into a fight with Mitch...
Liv started to turn as Mitch threw another punch at Danny, this time hitting him in the gut. Another cheap shot and Danny fell to one knee. He stared at Liv and she almost felt guilty for keeping him distracted.
So she kept walking.
She wanted to be out of his sight and she didn’t want to see him.
When she was between two people and out of Danny’s sight, she saw Danny look up at Mitch. The look on his face Liv only saw once... a long time ago after something terrible happened with his father...
Liv swallowed and hurried from the bar.
She almost felt bad for Mitch, almost.
He was about to get his ass kicked. But Liv would have preferred if Danny had chased her down.
(11)
Danny was one second talking, the next second on his knee. The pain in his stomach was brief, along with the feeling of losing his breath. He wasn’t sure if it was Mitch’s punch that took his breath away or the fact that he had insulted Liv and she left.
When he looked up at Mitch, something clicked. Everything hit him at once. The loss of his mother. The death of his father. His troubled childhood. A long lost love that maybe was just that... lost. He wondered where the hell Johnnie was, but he knew it wasn’t Johnnie’s job or battle to step in. Danny was a damn adult and he needed to fend for himself. On top of that he thought about Johnnie going to the funeral home and making all the arrangements for their father’s funeral. He thought about Johnnie on the phone with the lawyer, getting all the details settled.
Mitch moved his left foot and Danny couldn’t be sure if he was going to kick Danny or what. But that little movement was the final straw. Danny came up and as he swung his right fist, he regretted it well before it connected with Mitch’s jaw.
Mitch’s head snapped back, sending his black cap to the floor. He dropped his beer bottle and it shattered. His hands were at his face as he turned and fell into the crowd of people.
“Fuck,” Danny yelled as he turned and found the band.
Johnnie, Davey, Chris, and Rick.
None of them were smiling but they were all there. Danny shook his head and wanted to die. It was one of the most empty feelings he had in a long time. He looked back to Mitch and saw Mitch teetering on what to do next.
“Don’t fucking try it Mitch,” Danny said. “I’m not in the mood.”
“Just relax,” Mitch cried out, sounding more like the Mitch of all those years ago with his prepubescent voice.
A couple people grabbed Mitch’s arms and started to pull him out of the way.
“Let me buy you a drink,” someone said as they bumped into Danny. “I hate that fucking guy so much.”
“I’m okay,” Danny said.
“I’m glad someone smacked him in the mouth.”
Danny didn’t say another word. He walked and pushed past Davey and Chris.
“Danny...,” Davey started to say, but Danny shook his head.
“Let him go,” Johnnie said. “He’s got to figure this one out.”
Danny heard his big brother and for a split second he saw himself smacking Johnnie in the mouth next. But that wouldn’t prove a damn thing. Never in their lives - no matter the disagreement - had Danny and Johnnie ever come down to physical violence to settle something between them.
Through the crowd Danny received pats on the back, a few people grabbing his arms, women confessing their love to him (and Chasing Cross), and plenty of people cheering and wanting to buy him a drink.
Danny wanted nothing to do with it and showed no remorse as he pulled his arms, pushed, and cursed his way to the door. He busted through the door and stood outside, staring into the darkness of Bakersville. It was a haunting reminder of how small the town really was and how easy a person could get lost... or stuck...
“Shit,” he whispered.
He walked around to the side of the bar and saw Liv standing at her car. She wasn’t getting into it, she just stood there. Danny took another step and Liv started to move. She walked to the back of her car and jumped up, sitting on the trunk. It made Danny sigh, thinking of warm summer days (and warm nights) when they would hang out on the hood of Danny’s car, near the lake, and relax. Stare at the clouds, stare at the stars, stare at nothing, but yet they felt so alive together.
Danny approached with caution.
He really hadn’t meant anything bad by what he said...
When he was close enough to hear, he froze at the sound of Liv weeping.
Had he made her cry?
Danny shut his eyes and felt a roaring pain. He felt as useless as his father right then. The damn temper just flying out like that, for no reason. Of all the stages he had to walk onto and the biggest of crowds to play for, the next four steps to the back of Liv’s car were the hardest, most fearful steps he’d taken in since all those steps he took when he ran to his car to leave Bakersville, knowing damn well that in rearview mirror, Liv waited in tears.
Just like now.
Waiting in tears.
Danny purposely scuffled his feet to kick up some of the rocks, making enough noise so he didn’t scare the living hell out of Liv.
She jumped a little and turned her head to wipe her eyes.
“You don’t have to hide from me,” Danny said. He stuck his hands in his pockets and turned, facing Liv as she sat on the trunk of her car.
“You didn’t hide your feelings back there, did you?” she asked, her voice cracking.
“I didn’t mean a thing by that,” Danny said. “I’m sorry if you thought...”
“I’m sorry I didn’t chase my dream around the world and make money at it, okay Danny?”
“Money has nothing to do with this,” Danny said.
“What kind of life would Mitch give me then, huh?”
“You want a guy like that? A drunk? A guy willing to throw a punch because he thinks he
owns
something or someone?”
Liv sighed and closed her eyes. “Fair enough.”
“Liv, I’m so sorry,” Danny said. “I’ve been waiting for years... years to kiss you again...”
“As if I wasn’t right here the whole time.”
Danny hung his head.
Damn.
She knew how to get to his heart. Not that he didn’t deserve it.
“You’re not wrong though,” Liv whispered. “Maybe that’s why I’m so mad. Maybe I’m jealous of you.”
“Jealous of me?” Danny asked.
“You left.”
“You could have left too.”
“Look at it now,” Liv said. “You see my life...”
“And it’s a good life,” Danny said. “I’m sorry about your father, Liv, but he’s alive and he loves you to death.”
“When he remembers me.”
“I’m sorry,” Danny said.
“Everyone always is.”
Danny took his hands from his pockets. His fingers tingled with the same excitement as they had back in the bar. He wanted to touch Liv again. And this time, he never wanted to stop.
He hesitated as he stared at her, wanting to find the words to fix everything.
“Mitch is an asshole,” Liv said.
“I’ve known that for a long time,” Danny said.