Crave

chapter three: what once was

~~

I guess I knew this would happen to you

Inside I did, but I refuse to know the truth

I'm heading back inside to sit at home with you

I think I know what's wrong

~~

"Oh, shit!" the tall, messy haired guitarist called out as soon as he saw me standing on his porch. Brian gives me a sarcastic grin, folding his arms against his chest, as he stared me down.

"Chloe, you finally took enough time out of your busy schedule of saving the world to grace us with your presence. I'm touched. Truly." He pats one hand against the left side of his chest for good measure, and I roll my eyes in response. I wouldn't call what Brian and I shared a friendship – more so the two of us coming up with new ways to roast each other mercilessly would be more accurate.

And living up to the precedent that took over a decade of good jabs to build, I straightened and stared him down, too. "Yeah, same. I mean, I'm sure Katrina keeps the place pretty clean, but, I figured you have to go somewhere dirty to have a good time."

He laughed and gave me a quick hug. "It's good to see you. Even better to know that you haven't been kidnapped. Or sex trafficked."

I cast a sideways glance over to my brother. "You should've just checked your "find my friends" app, dude, and you would've seen me sleeping in my hotel. You really told everyone I got kidnapped?"

"You weren't at the airport! You weren't answering your phone! Then I found out you never got onto your flight in Nashville that we booked. You must cut me some slack here."

"Yeah, you really should, Chloe-Bear. He was panicking, about to shit bricks, pacing around his house like that would somehow help. And your poor mother? I've never heard her scream at him louder. Except for when he crashed the 4-wheeler into the garage freshman year..." Brian trails off with a chuckle at the nostalgia swirling the air around us now. "Dude, you left the biggest dent with your head."

It's my brother's turn to laugh. "And somehow no brain damage. I'm practically invincible, you know."

I rolled my eyes. "May we come in, or are we just going to shoot the shit all night out here? Because if we are, at least get me a chair so I don't have to sit in the flower beds."

"Right this way, princess," Brian mutters jokingly, dramatically gesturing for me to enter the house.

I pushed past the sharp-jawed man he'd become and made my way toward the back of the house, where I heard rambunctious laughter and an eerily familiar female's voice.

"Quinn?" I questioned once I spotted the tall brunette sitting on the arm of a sofa, perched right next to Matt. Her bright green eyes darted my way, a grin instantly filling her features.

"Chloe, my love!" She greeted instantly, flying across the room to tackle me into a hug, despite the fact I was several inches taller than she was. "Cory texted and said you were coming so I figured I'd surprise you."

"Chloe!" A chorus of voices called out simultaneously. I laughed as I greeted them all back.

"Oh my god, am I happy to see you," I sighed, holding onto my best friend tightly. She'd come out to visit me just last month, but after everything that's happened in the last two days, she was a welcome energy back in my life.

"Okay, okay, it's my turn!" Johnny, their bass guitarist, cried out then, pushing his cousin aside and pulling me in for a tight hug. All hell broke loose then, and suddenly Matt, Zacky, and Brooks joined in. Brooks was the newest member, but fuck, he fit in so quickly after we lost Jimmy. He immediately became yet another big brother to me. "Oh my god, I'm getting claustrophobic you freaks!" I cried out. They only laughed but finally released me, Zacky brushing my hair out of my face for good measure. "It's been years since you've been home at the same time as us. Can you blame us?" He asks with a small smile.