Chapter 27

By the time the rest of the guys got back later that night, Marlo and Tobias were sitting at the front table, in a heated game of Crazy Eights. They were laughing and joking, which was so refreshing to the other band mates, though their choice of card games had the others confused.

“Why are you guys playing a kids game?” AJ asked.

“Because she was kicking my ass at poker, rummy, and 31, so I figured we’d try to play a game more my speed. Go Fish is next.” Tobias laughed, the love shining in his eyes as he looked up at Marlo while he explained their game selection. His eyes never left hers, and she knew it, causing her to blush furiously.

“I think he was just letting me win.” Marlo laughed.

“No way!” Said Sammy. “Tobias is ruthless. He never throws a card game to let anyone win, under any circumstances.”

Marlo laughed again, knowing the truth behind Sammy’s words. “Well, how about we call this one a draw because I am exhausted.” She looked up at Tobias, stifling a yawn.

“Finally, I at least get a draw!” Tobias shouted, jumping up from the table and doing a victory dance.

Everyone laughed at him, and as Marlo went to move past him to go back to her bunk, Tobias grabbed her and spun her around in a dance a few times before letting her go. “Good night sweetums.” He smirked at her. All she could do was smile, roll her eyes, and shake her head.

Marlo grabbed her pajamas and went to the bathroom to change. As she stood in there, she took a moment to fan herself. She looked in the mirror and saw her flushed face. She was in no way over Tobias, and there was no way they could be just friends for much longer. She loved him, he loved her, and nothing would be able to come between them again. She just needed to figure out how to get him back, and let him know that she did trust him, but she just needed a reminder of it every now and then.

Later, in her bunk as the bus began to roll towards their next destination, she tried to think of a way to get Tobias back. She knew that she had to do it soon, friendship just wasn’t cutting it for her anymore. She knew they would be staying at a hotel at some point in the next few days, so it would be the perfect time to make her move, and get the man she loved back into her life, the way he should be.

OoOoOo

Once Tobias was sure that Marlo had fallen asleep, he asked Dusty if he could talk to him in private. Sammy and AJ seemed to get the hint, and went to the back to play a video game.

“What’s up man? You look like you’re about to shit your pants.” Dusty joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“I need to ask you something serious, and know that you’re on my side.” Tobias told him, looking him straight in the eyes with a look of determination on his face.

Dusty sobered immediately. “Go ahead man, talk to me.”

OoOoOo

The next morning when everyone woke up, the bus was stopped outside of a hotel. “Sweet!” Sammy yelled and ran off the bus, excited because he had forgotten that they would be in a hotel for the next few nights. The rest took their time getting ready, knowing that there was no rush.

A few minutes later, Sammy came running back to the bus. “Guys, they have a kick ass breakfast buffet in there! Hurry up and get ready so we can eat. I’m starved!”

“Maybe you should change out of your pajamas then Sammy. I’d hate to be seen with you in public wearing your cartoon pajama pants.” AJ laughed.

Sammy looked down and smacked his forehead. “No wonder the waitresses were laughing at me.” He hurried to the drawers near his bunk and pulled out some jeans and a retro t-shirt. Not caring who was around, he dropped his pants in the middle of the aisle, and changed his clothes right there.

“Nice underwear Sammy. But I would have figured your for a boxer brief kind of guy, not the tighty whitey variety.” Marlo teased as she came out of the bathroom to see Sammy mid-change.

His face reddened as he turned around. “Its laundry week. This is my version of ‘granny panties’, ok?”

“Whatever you say man.” Dusty chided, walking past and lightly shoving Sammy into the wall.

“Just pull your pants up so that we don’t see any skid marks, ok?”

Marlo looked to the front of the bus where Tobias was sitting quietly. She was a bit surprised that he wasn’t back there picking on Sammy, he was usually the first to bust on any of them. Instead, he sat on one of the couches, biting one of his finger nails and zoning out, staring into space.

She nudged Dusty and nodded her head to the front where Tobias sat. “Is he ok?” She whispered. “He seemed fine last night.”

Dusty looked at Tobias. “Yeah, he’s ok, I think he was up late last night or something.” He offered, avoiding her eyes, and going to sit next to Tobias, the two sat with their heads together, in a hushed conversation.

Marlo shook her head. She just hoped that things between them weren’t going to take a step backwards. She had a great time the night before, and the way that Tobias was looking, it almost appeared as though he regretted it. She walked forward slowly, and the minute they saw her, they stopped talking. “Sorry to interrupt,” She said a bit annoyed. “Are you guys ready to go eat?”

Both of them jumped to their feet. “Yeah, lets go. We’ve got a busy day today.” Dusty told her, putting his hand on her back and practically pushed her out the door. The rest of the guys followed her, ambushing the buffet as soon as they got into the restaurant.

Marlo watched Tobias pick at his food, not really eating much. When the rest of the guys went up for a refill, Marlo stayed behind with Tobias. “Alright, out with it!” She snapped, causing him to look up at her quickly. “What did I do now?”

He looked at her, confused for a moment. “What are you talking about?”

“We had so much fun last night, and now you’re walking around like you don’t want to be anywhere near me. You’re not eating, you’re not joking, you’re barely talking. Just tell me what the deal is and where I screwed up this time.” She pleaded with him.

Tobias shook his head. “Trust me, you didn’t do anything wrong.” He told her with his smirk. “I’m just having trouble with this song I’m writing, and it’s really getting to me. I keep going over the melody and verses in my head, trying to make it work, and it’s really distracting me.” He tried to reassure her.

“Well, I wish I could help, but you know I’m shit at writing songs.” She smiled, for the first time that day feeling that things were still good between them, and that she would be able to get him back, one way or another.

OoOoOo

After breakfast, everyone parted ways. Dusty and Marlo decided to go to a movie, and have some sibling time together. Sammy and AJ were going to lounge by the hotel pool, and Tobias was going to try working on the song in his head a little more.

Dusty and Marlo had a great time at the movie. They filled up on popcorn and other movie theater treats, laughing throughout the whole comedy they had chosen to see. It was nice for them to be able to spend some time together without the rest of the guys around, even if Dusty did seem a little distracted on the way too and from the theater.

When they got back from the movie, Marlo went to her room and took a nap, resting up for the show that night.

OoOoOo

All too soon, the group was at the concert venue, warming up, and getting into wardrobe and makeup. Each of them went about their own pre-concert ritual; AJ rubbed his hands, massaging them and stretching them out, Sammy laid on the couch, listening to music through a set of headphones, Dusty sat in a chair, going over the songs in his head, Tobias was in the bathroom warming up his voice and mouth, and Marlo was standing on the side of the stage, looking out at the crowd as the opening act played. It always made her nervous to see the people, but at the same time, she needed to prepare herself for the size of the stadium and how many fans were there for the show. If she had seen the audience for the first time when she went out on stage, it would have freaked her out.

Before she knew it, the guys were standing behind her. They huddled up for a quick pep talk, then listened as they were being announced. Tobias pulled Marlo aside and brushed her hair back lightly and rested his hands on her cheeks.

“Just relax out there tonight and go with the flow. If you need me, just look over and I’ll be there.” He told her, then slowly bent his head down and touched his lips to hers. Even over the roar of the crowd, he could hear her moan as he deepened the kiss for a brief moment. When he pulled away, he could proudly see that his kisses still affected her. He kissed her lips quickly once more before backing away and taking her hand to pull her onstage.

She was still in a slight daze as the notes for the first song began. She smiled, knowing that everything would be ok, and that she would be able to get Tobias back. She hadn’t lost him for good like she had thought a few days ago.

The band played a perfect set that night, better than they had played in a long time. When the last song was finished, Marlo felt such a wave of satisfaction and pride soar through her. With things between her and Tobias on the mend, the chemistry on stage surged to a level it hadn’t been at in a while.

As she started to walk off stage, she saw three members of the stage crew each carrying a stool to the center of the stage. Tobias thanked them with a nod of his head, and took a seat on the middle stool, mic in hand. Dusty took the stool on the far side, with a different looking guitar in his hands, leaving one stool open. Marlo was confused as to what was happening since their show was supposed to be over; they had played their last song. Remembering Tobias’s words before their set, she looked to him for reassurance.

Tobias jerked his head over to the remaining stool, the one sitting next to him. He patted it, telling her to come and sit down. Marlo looked around as she slowly walked over to the stool.

No one in the crowd knew what was happening, but they were all excited. Most of them were shouting and screaming their love and admiration for the band. The noise didn’t die down until Tobias put the mic to his mouth and made a motion with his hand for them to quiet down,

“We just wanted to thank you for being such a great audience for us tonight. Normally this is where we end the show, but I’ve been working on a new song, and hoped that we could try it out for you tonight.” The crowd erupted again. He motioned for them to quiet down once again. “This song is a little different than our normal sound, so listen carefully.” He spoke through the mic as he looked over at Marlo with a smirk.

Marlo sat there, still unaware of what was going on, and hating how uncomfortable she felt. The anxiety of the situation was multiplied as she looked out into the crowd. She felt like they could tell that she had no clue what was going on up there, and she hoped they weren’t laughing at her.

The first few notes of the song were played by Dusty, giving an acoustic sound, with a little twang to it. Soon Tobias’s voice blended so well with the notes coming from the guitar. As he sang, he looked over to Marlo, and grabbed her hand for reassurance.

As I lay in this bed all alone

My thoughts drift to memories of the past

Meaningless nights with meaningless girls

Moments of pleasure I knew would never last

You invaded my head, and my heart

I never wanted anyone to know

We always fought with so much passion

Fueled the fire and made my feelings grow

(Chorus)

I’m looking forward to the future

Don’t want to relive my past

You’ve change my life for the better

And baby I’ll fight to make it last

Through trauma and drama and happiness

We’ve always helped each other through

I want you as my friend and my wife

I want to live my life with you

(Chorus)

I’m looking forward to the future

Don’t want to relive my past

You’ve changed my life for the better

And baby I’ll fight to make it last

Forever and always in my life

Please say yes and be my wife

By the end of the song, Marlo had tears streaming down her face, and she swore that she could see moisture in the eyes of Tobias as he sang too. To accentuate the end of the song, Tobias got off the stool and handed the mic to AJ who had appeared behind the stool Tobias had just evacuated. AJ held out the mic as Tobias dropped to his knee in front of Marlo and reached under his stool to pull out a box that had been taped there.

He took Marlo’s hand in his again and smirked at the petrified look on her face. “Marlo, I love you with all that I am, and I know that I can’t live the rest of my life without you. You mean the world to me, as my friend, my lover, and my sparring partner. Will you make an honest man out of me and marry me?” He opened the box and held it out to her, with a beautiful platinum engagement ring shining in it.

Marlo could now see the tears glistening in his eyes for sure, as her own flowed freely down her face. As she heard the words coming out of his mouth, she knew what her answer would be before he even asked. Shaking her head and laughing, she choked out “YES!”

Tobias looked up at her, as if he couldn’t believe what she had said. “Yes?” He asked her again.

“Yes.” She laughed.

Tobias jumped up and grabbed Marlo in a hug, sweeping her off her feet and swinging her around in circles with him. He finally put her down before they got too dizzy, and kissed her deeply.

“She said yes!” AJ shouted into the microphone that had captured the whole proposal. The audience went crazy, watching the newly engaged couple, as Tobias finally broke away from Marlo and slipped the ring on her finger. He kissed her softly once again before they were pushed off stage by AJ and Dusty. Sammy followed close behind them.

Back in the dressing room, Dusty hugged his sister and whispered words on congratulation is her ear. The other guys followed suit, shaking Tobias’s hand after hugging Marlo.

“You guys all knew about this?” She asked them, almost in a scolding voice.

“Tobias asked my permission last night, and we worked on the music for the song while you were sleeping. He picked up the ring while we were at the movie today, and when you were napping, we let AJ and Sammy in on the plans.” Dusty told her proudly.

Tobias pulled her back into his arms as she finally got a look at her ring. She couldn’t have picked out a more perfect ring for herself. In the center of the ring sat a large princess cut diamond, and the band of the ring was channel set with princess diamonds that even passed underneath the large solitaire. It sparkled in the light perfectly, matching the look in her eyes.

A light knock on the dressing room caused them all to turn to the door. Donovan, the band’s publicist peeked his head in to make sure everyone was decent before coming into the room. “Congratulations you two.” He said looking at Tobias and Marlo. “A little heads up before you do something this big next time?” He asked Tobias with a smile, knowing that he would be fielding a lot of calls from the press over the next few days. He looked at his watch, “Time to greet the fans, lets get to the green room.” And just as quick as he entered, he left.

“We’ll be there in a minute, ok guys?” Tobias asked as he held Marlo back from leaving with the rest of them.

“Just don’t have sex in here, ok?” Dusty groaned.

Tobias laughed and shook his head. Once the guys were gone, he pulled Marlo over to the couch and sat down, tugging her onto his lap. He held her hand in his, admiring how the ring looked on her finger. “Lola, I meant every word of what I said out there. And I know that things haven’t been perfect between us lately. Are you sure about this?” He asked, a bit of uncertainty in his eyes.

Marlo lifted his chin so that he was looking into her eyes. “Tobias, I have never been more sure about anything in my life. These past few days have been hell on me, and I’ve been trying to figure out a way to say that I was sorry, and that I do trust you. You just beat me to the punch.” She smiled. “I’m not saying that I won’t mess up from time to time and get a bit jealous, but be patient with me, and realize that I get jealous because I love you so much and I don’t want to lose you.”

“I’m yours baby, for life. We have so much to look forward to sharing, and I couldn’t imagine doing any of it with anyone but you. And to think, we used to fight constantly. I don’t think anyone could have predicted us being together and getting married.” Tobias smirked.

“I know I never would have predicted it. I guess in all our fighting, you just managed to get under my skin.” She smiled and kissed him, sealing their future with a kiss.

OoOoOo

Author’s Note: Well, there you have it. A long time in coming, but this story is now finished. I re-read a lot of what I wrote, and I realized that I need to do a major re-write on this story. I’m going to look into getting it self-published, so I need to do a lot of work to it. But I wanted to thank all of my reviewers, and those that have stuck with me through the long process of finishing the story. I am truly sorry that it took so long, but I lost my way for a while.