TONY'S POV

I ran back on the bus to see Vic, Jaime, and Julie all staring at me like they had just been talking about me. Julie opened her mouth to speak, but I cut her off.
"We're not playing today." I said to Vic.
Vic's jaw dropped. "What? No, those people paid good money to see us live-"
"Then tell them we'll play a free show for them. We live in San Diego, Vic, we'll just schedule a show later on in the year and if they bring proof that they bought Warped tickets, we'll let them in. We just can't pay today. Or, I can't. You're welcome to go on stage without me, I just have something to do."
"It can't be that important."
"It is. I have to show Piper that I'm sorry. God, I messed up, you guys. I messed up so badly and all I want is my sassy princess back and I just let her go." I felt my eyes fill with tears. "You've got to understand, I have to get her back."
Vic opened his mouth in protest, but Jaime cut him off. "You have to let him do this, man. Seriously."
Vic sighed. "Alright, but the fans aren't going to be happy."
"Right now, all I want is to be happy. I know they'll understand that."
I almost completely forgot Julie was there. She stood up and walked towards me. "Well, I guess I'll be on my way then. I'm sorry, I don't like being used."
I shrugged. "I'm sorry you were just a rebound." Her face turned bright red as she pouted her way out of the bus. Jaime and Vic couldn't help but laugh. "I'll be back before we leave tonight, this is just something I have to do."
And without another word, I ran off the bus and out to the parking lot to catch a cab.

I ran through the apartment, grabbing anything I needed and changing into what clothes I had leftover from packing. Flannel buttoned up to the top, skinny jeans, a bow tie, the whole nine yards. I was going to look good for this. I need her to forgive me.
I grabbed the engagement ring that had been sitting on the kitchen table since she left. I twirled the ring between two fingers. I don't know why I did what I did. She was only trying to help, and I judged her too quickly. She left a different taste in mouth than Stephanie did; a good taste. A taste that will never get old. How could I even compare her to that witch? I'm ashamed to call myself her fiance. I was always afraid she would break my heart, little did I know that I would break hers.
I stuck the ring in the pocket of my shirt, and took off to the cabin, praying that this would work.

PIPER'S POV

I huddled myself underneath a throw blanket in Mike's house, crying my eyes out. Another girl? Already? We aren't together anymore, so I have no right to be upset, but gosh this hurts. I don't want to think about him anymore, I just want to eat ice cream and binge watch Gossip Girl.
I shoved a whole spoonful of ice cream in my mouth, then took a huge gulp of wine out of the bottle to wash it all down. I repeated the process until I was out of ice cream. I threw the pint of Ben & Jerry's to the side and chugged the rest of the wine until that was all gone. 1 in the afternoon and I'm already drunk. This is a new low, even for me. At least when I was doing coke I only got high once a day.
I was searching for another bottle of wine, but only found vodka, when the doorbell rang. I sighed, not wanting to talk to anybody right now. I walked to the door and opened it up to fine Jaime standing outside.
"Jaime?" I said, squinting because the sun was in my eyes. "Shouldn't you be performing right now?"
"I should, but there's something really important I need to do. How drunk are you?"
"I just drank a whole bottle of wine by myself in under an hour if-"
"Good. Just remember that I love you." Then, a sack was pulled over my head.
"What the hell? Jaime, no!" I cried as I felt myself being lifted off my feet. I was kicking, wanting to be put down so I can return to the alcohol that was waiting for me inside the apartment. I heard another familiar voice. "Mike? Mike! What's going on?" I cried, but was then put inside a car.
"She's kicking." I heard Jaime say.
I heard Mike laugh. "Yeah, she's not going down easy."
What the hell is going on? I'm literally terrified of my best friend right now.
The sack was ripped off my head. Jaime was standing over me. "Pipes, it's going to be a long drive. Just go to sleep with the sack on your head. You can't know where you're going, but I promise, we're not going to hurt you, nobody is going to hurt you."
I sighed. "Fine, but only for you guys." I said. I saw Mike smirk as I put the sack back over my head.

I was woken up by the sound of a car driving away. I sat up quickly, ripping the sack off my head to see where I was. I was in the woods, about 20 feet away from a cabin. I turned my head to see Jaime's car speeding down the dirt road.
"Hey!" I shouted, hoping they had the windows down and could hear me. They obviously couldn't.
I sighed, then stood up, dusting all the dirt off my shorts and shirt. I looked around me. I could barely even see the sky above me, there were so many trees. I knew it was day time, but it almost looked like night time. This is some Stranger's crap and they left me here to die. This is the creepiest experience of my life. But, something felt strangely familiar about this place. Confused, I looked back at the cabin, and then it clicked.
This was were the wedding was going to be. Outside, under these trees, then the reception in the cabin. I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. Jaime said they weren't going to hurt me, but they leave me alone at the place we were supposed to get married?
Even if I was stuck here, I knew there was a phone, wine, and gun inside the cabin. I can just call somebody to come get me. I won't be here for more than an hour, and I can probably pick up some more ice cream on the way home.
I walked up to the front door, which was already slightly open. Oh my gosh, I'm dead. I'm just already dead. I don't even get to call for help. This is the end, it's over, I've accepted my fate. I stepped inside and reached for the light switch on the wall. I flicked it up. Nothing. I flicked it down, then up again. Nothing. The power must be off.
I'm tipsy and alone in a cabin in the woods. This has indie horror movie written all over it.
And just when I thought I couldn't be more screwed, I heard the creaking of a wooden floor in the living room. I'm literally leaning against the front door, but since I'm going to be murdered here anyway, I'll just walk into the living room and met my killer there.
As I got closer to the living room, I could smell something. I stopped and took a deep breath. Vanilla. At least my death will smell great. I closed my eyes, then pushed the door open that led to the living room.
The power was off, so the living room should be pitch black. But, it's not. There's candles as far as the eye can see, lighting up the room in the most beautiful way. The room had been clear of all the furniture, leaving a thin blanket on the hardwood floor with pillows. Tulips, purple tulips everywhere. And, right in front of the fireplace where there was a crackling fire, was Tony.
"I messed up." He said. "I shouldn't have left you without hearing your side of the story, and I really shouldn't have slept with Julie." I opened my mouth to comment, but Tony jumped right back in. "Before you make a sassy comment, just let me talk." He took a step closer to me. "Being away from you has given me some time to think, and I know it's given you time to think as well. You probably hate me, and seeing me with Julie didn't make anything easier on you. If it helps, I really hate me too. I hate me for comparing you to that witch of an ex-wife, I hate me for not being reasonable, and I really hate me for sleeping with some little bitty thing who honestly didn't make me happy. The whole time I was with her, I thought of you. I know that isn't going to make you feel any better, but I was thinking about you. In fact, the whole month I was thinking about you. I'm going to be honest, Piper, I really hated you in the beginning of the breakup, even after the first time we slept together I hated you. I called you the selfish machine, and I was convinced you were the selfish machine. My mind hasn't changed about that, I still think you are the selfish machine, but I don't want you any other way. I fell in love with you. I fell in love with the way for drink too much, the way you giggle when you're drunk, the way you hate affection, the way you love the affection I show you, the way you tie your hair up in the bun at night before you go to sleep, and how you never ever wear pants unless you absolutely have too." I didn't want to laugh, but I did. "I love the way that you've pushed me beyond my comfort zone, I love the way that you support me so much, you were selling drugs to save my career. I love the way your nose crinkles when you're mad and the way your eyes squint up when you smile that big, goofy, adorable smile you only get when you're super happy. I love the way you always smell like strawberries, and I hated waking up and not smelling strawberries. I hated waking up and not seeing a black bun stick out of our white comforter. No matter how much I wanted to hate you as a person, I just hated the fact that you were gone, that you weren't mine anymore." Tony looked down, holding a hand to his mouth. When he looked back up at me, his eyes shined with tears. "I never knew true love until I met you, Piper. I never knew what it was like to be loved back. Even though it took you a hell of a long time to actually love me, when you did love me, it was amazing. Every night, I went to bed, and even though you were wrapped in my arms, I thought about you as I fell asleep. Every morning, I would wake up and roll over to kiss your forehead. Some mornings, your eyes would flutter open in the cutest way, and others, you just kept sleeping. These are all little things, but they're the things that I realized I couldn't live without. So what if you're the selfish machine? Even selfish people know how to love. I love you, selfishness and all. I will love you from now until I die because I know that I'm in love with the right girl, who loves me back. I never want to love someone else, I never want to kiss another pair of lips, I never want to be without you ever again, Piper Lynn. You make me the happiest man ever, and I want you to be mine. I want you, in about four months to be Mrs. Perry. I want to be back at this cabin, celebrating the start of a new life together. I want you back, Piper." Tony got down on one knee in front of me. "Please, please, love me once again. Please be with me, for better or for worse. Please, promise to love me until we die." He could barely speak through the tears. "I'm the worse person in the world, but you make me better. Will you please say yes again?" His shaking hand held the engagement ring. I got down on my knees in front of Tony, and hugged him. I hugged him tight, crying into his shoulder.
"I love you." I whispered. "I love you, I love you, I love you and I'm so sorry I messed up."
He moved my head with his hands so I was looking at me. "No, no you didn't do anything. This is my fault. I just-" I kissed him before he could say anything more. We took multiple breaths, crying at the same time we kissed. I pulled away finally, and slipped the ring back on my finger. Everything felt right again.
"Do-don't you have to leave soon?" I asked, gripping onto his flannel. He pulled out his phone to check the time.
"I'll go back to the bus soon, I just-Gosh I missed you so much." His lips met mine again. We fell over onto the blanket, kissing and holding each other, and crying all at the same time.
Making love and sex isn't the same thing. I know this because we made love on that wooden floor, we didn't have sex. We were one, laughing and crying, and just enjoying each other's company. And as he kissed me, I realized there is no drug in the world that can give me the high Tony Perry gives me.

Notes