A single spotlight glimmered down on the piano as my fingers glided over the keys he just played so beautifully. The space had cleared and Justin has disappeared into a back room. Trace stood at the sound board, watching me, making sure I didn't leave. I had no intentions of leaving; it was simply a daunting task in front of me in which I didn't have any idea how it would end up. But I was ready, I was ready to take whatever was about to happen.

The time had finally come.

Making my way through the empty hallways I couldn't stop thinking of the possibilities of what could happen when I did see him. What was I going to say to him? I could I stand there and pour my heart out to him but knowing I had no right to confess anything to a taken man. I had no right even being here, thinking of tell him how I feel. How I felt.

Standing in a dark room, sipping back what looked like a Jack and Coke, he radiated sexiness in his dark jeans and plaid shirt, he didn't need anything else. It was all I needed.

"Hey." I said softly, gaining his attention.

Turning slowly he looks past my swollen eyelids, and directly into my eyes. "Hey."

Slowly I took steps towards him; he took steps closer to me. "That song..." I said as my voice broke.

"Is heart-wrenching..." He added, saying exactly what we were both thinking about those words.

"I was going to say incredible, but that's more the truth." I smiled at him cautiously.

His hand reached out, latching it into mine, pulling me into his comfortable scene. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist, gripped tightly he held on for dear life.

"I thought..." he whispers as a deep breathe escapes his lungs on my skin, tightening his grip if possible, as we stood in silence swaying back in forth in the silence. His warm, whiskey filled breathe against my skin was comforting in some weird way. I missed these arms, I missed his grip, I missed him.

I loosened the grip slightly, leaning up on my tippy toes, I whisper in his ear. "You were the only. You were my someday. It has always been you."

"Malia..." Justin says, but I interrupted him finishing what I needed to say, while I had the courage. No matter the outcome, I needed to put these words out loud and clear, all of them. "I need to say this..." I stepped back looking right into those gorgeous blues eyes. "I'm on guard with the rest of the world, but with you..." Staring at the floor, I fiddled with the hem of my t-shirt, "It ain't easy loving me, I know that..." I raised my head, watching and waiting for him to say something, but he didn't. "I can't help it, my heart jumps when you walk into a room. It doesn't seem to matter when there is nothing we can undo. After all that has happened... What I want to say... is everything I forgot to. What I want to say is, there is no me without you. So if it's not too late, I don't want to give you away."

Knowing that I shouldn't have said that to a claimed man, I back stepped slightly, not letting Justin get a word in, I bravely said the one thing I never wanted to say. "Let's don't say goodbye, I hate the way it sounds. I want you to be happy... So if you don't mind, let's just say for now, I'll see you when I see you." Goodbye. "Another place, some other time, maybe someday we will look back and laugh about the silliness we created for ourselves, I just hope that someday is sooner rather than later." Water spilled over my eyelids, rolling down my face as the words all finally escaped my lungs and were out for the world to hear.

"If you're done..." Justin finally broke his silence, "You stubborn, gorgeous woman... I love you." His hand went to my face, wiping the tears with his thumbs. Goosebumps cover every millimeter of skin on my body, a tingly sensation makes the tears roll down the goosebumped covered flesh, a smile filled up the space. "I want you back in my bed, lying next to me as the sun rises and shines through the window, waking us up from a long night of making love. I want your head on my shoulder when you fall asleep watching a movie on the couch, even after you promised you would stay awake... I want your arms and legs, tangled up like lace around my body. I want your warm breathe on my skin and your scent lingering..."

             I cut off his words, pulling him into my body, lifting my hand to touch his face gently, stroking my fingers over his temple. I bit down on my lip in anticipation, before I could make the decision his lips were already on mine. Caressing slowly, he takes my lips on for the first time in what felt like an eternity. My eyes fluttered closed, feeling every emotion we both have felt and was feeling at this moment. When I granted him access to enter my mouth, he took full control showing the emotion he himself, had held in for too long.

Our lips finally parted ways, but our fingers still tied together. "Sarah?" I questioned.

"I'm not with her. That would never happen." He shook his head, "It's you. It's only you. It's always just been you."

I felt my heart begin to melt, but there was something standing in my way. There was something he wasn't going to be too happy about. "There's something else I need to tell you." I couldn't say these words to even myself, how in the world was I going to tell him.

"What's wrong babe." He took his left hand free and pushed the hair out of my face.

I pulled back slightly, I didn't deserve his remorse. "I... I slept with someone."

Justin looked confused and slightly scared. "When?"

"Vegas." I admitted. "... I woke up naked, covered in bruises but I don't remember it. Not that it excuses my actions..." Embarrassed I pulled back further from him. He didn't look surprised or even mad that I had not only hooked up with a random person, but I couldn't remember what the person looked like, how it ended up the way it did. I couldn't even state their name. "I know this may end whatever this was but I had to tell you. I couldn't keep that a secret from you." I lowered my head to look at the ground. It was the only thing I had the right to look at.

"Malia honey..." he placed his hand on my chin, pushing my face up to look at him. "I was with you in Vegas. That guy, was me."

His hands, handing my head still looking deep into my intoxicated eyes, "I'm falling in love with you." He says breathlessly.

"I called you." My eyes lit up.  "And you came to me." No one in my life, loved me enough to come to me when I needed them.

"Of course I did. I got on the first flight to Vegas and came to you."

"I'm sorry..." I admitted.

"I..." he paused, "I thought you were running because of what I said to you."

"You said you were falling in love with me." I smiled.

He nodded his head.

"I had already fallen in love with you." I graciously admitted.

            "I love you. I love you." I said taking his lips onto mine, the blackout blinds covering the view of Vegas lowered as I did to the bed.

He pulled me back into him, looking deep into my joyous eyes, "I love the way you say ain't and you look at me... waiting for me to correct you. I love the way you look at me when you think I don't see you." Justin gushed. "I love that you are annoyed when a manicurist cuts your toe nails too short..." he chuckles, "And there's something about the way you say my name... that drives this country boy insane."

"I love you." I finally expressed, feeling the pressure of the world dissipate around us.

"Now what do we do?" Justin asked. "How do we make this work?"

"Let's start with heading back to your place..." My arms went around his slender waist line, intertwining my fingers on the small of his back, "Climbing into bed, getting a good nights sleep and starting with the rest in the morning."

"I have some other ideas... but the rest sounds amazing..."

I planted a smirk on my face. I had other plans in mind as well.

I joined Justin across the room as he loaded up his things. He had brought his acoustic guitar that never made it to the stage with him.

I bent down to the floor, adjusting the guitar back in its place when my eye caught a photo I had never seen before. I reached for it pulling it from its place. My free hand cupped over my face as the tears began to skate down my flushed cheeks yet again. They were different tears this time. A random, hidden moment was captured.

His long fingers were sprawled across my cheeks, the palms of his hands cupped my chin, his lips on my forehead, his eyes closed, my eyes closed...

My heart began to race as I put myself back in that moment. I have found comfort in his arms, comfort in his lips, comfort in him. I had fallen in love with him time and time again.

The sweetest gesture someone could give, that moment of weakness, that moment of just simply being in the presence and arms of the one you loved, breathing in their scent, and holding on for dear life, was captured to carry on for a lifetime.

            "That's my favorite photo." Justin said as he appeared behind me.

            "Who took this?" I asked slowly as I stood back to eye level with him.

            "Rachel. She gave it to me and didn't ask any questions." He took the photo into his hands. "There was no need to ask questions. It was written on both of our faces."

            "This was... I thought we were alone that day..."

"So did I." He admitted.

"It almost looks like it's an..."I stopped with my words.

"An engagement photo?" Justin asked.

"It's a gorgeous photo." I looked down at the photo again.

"Do you want to be engaged?" Justin asked stopping me from any movement.

"Engaged... to be married?" I asked slowly, swallowing the lump in my throat. "We both..." I fumbled with my words.

"Breathe Malia... I'm not proposing right now in this moment but is it something you could want?" His hand took mine, lacing our fingers together.

"Someday." I confessed.

"That's valuable information."

He bounced around the room collecting the rest of his things, placing his hand out for me to place into his he says, "Let's go climb in bed together."