Drum's heartbeat

Promise

Storm POV:

We arrive at the airport and Zoe is tightly wrapped up like a burrito, soundly sleeping.

Since the guys filed out first I walk up to Zoe and whisper to her. “Hey Zoe, wake up sweetheart were here.” I tell her gently but she she doesn’t respond. I tap on her shoulder and her eyes blink open slowly. Her mess of curls are covering most of her face and she pushes it back.

“What? Where is everyone?”

“They’re outside waiting for us. Were at the airport.”

She groans and rubs her eyes. I chuckle.

“Yeah, I hate waking up from naps too but we can’t be late. The flight is in 20 minutes.” I tell her but I notice she had already fallen back asleep by the time I finish talking.

Jeez, she is worse then I am.

“So it’s going to be like that huh? Come on, get your butt up Zoe.” I tell her and she moans in her sleep.

“Fine you asked for it.” I say before picking her up, blanket and all and throwing her over my shoulder. She shrieks before giggling, as if she is enjoying herself, and I can’t deny how cute her laugh is.

“You think this is funny? Me having to carry your ass to the airport?” I ask her as I exit the bus.

“Bye Jerry!” I yell to the bus driver before kicking the door closed with my foot. The others spot me walking towards them with Zoe on my shoulder and they look at us confused.

“She wouldn’t wake up.” I explain as they approach me.

“Holy s**t, is she dead?” Grayson asks poking her head and I laugh.

“No, she is just as stubborn as I am, apparently.”

“Put me down.” She says kicking her feet and I put her down, and she fixes her messy beautiful curls.

“I’m not stubborn, I just really like sleeping.” She explains as we all speed walk to the entrance of the airport.

“Whatever you say Curls.” She squints her eyes at me and shakes her head.

“I’ve only known you for one day, and you have already given me a nickname?”

I shrug.

“Everyone in the band gets a nickname, except for Grayson, he’s the only lame one.” I joke and I see Grayson walking in front of us, turn and flick me off.

***

An hour later on the plane all of the band is asleep in first class, and Zoe listens to music in her earbuds, tapping her feet and humming in the seat beside me. I wonder what she listens to as she loses herself in the music, as if she is in private. Then she accidentally stomps on my foot.

I cringe and her eyes go wide.

“s**t, I’m sorry.”

I chuckle and shake my head.

“Don’t be. What are you listening to?”

Without answering she blushes and puts the left earbud in my ear. She’s so close to me that I can smell her coconut shampoo, then she sits back and presses play on her phone.

My song rings out in my ear. She had been jamming out to one of the band’s songs that I’d written last year. The song is about resisting temptation, but failing, and has a killer drum solo.

I smirk up at her as she looks a tad bit embarrassed.

“Free me from mind.

Temptation is creeping from behind.

Fingers sliding down my spine.

Don’t go there...

He whispers, why are you afraid?

We’ve been at it every day.

Time is up for you to pay.

Roll over.”

I sing the lyrics of my bi s****l song to her and she smiles like a kid who just got to meet Mickey mouse. How cute. I didn’t realize she was a fan girl. Maybe I shouldn’t tease her about it.

“Your voice is so nice and raspy. The band is lucky to have you.” She says pulling the earbud back, and putting it in her ear, as she continues to jam out.

Huh... she just gave me a compliment? And here I thought she didn’t like me. As I lean my head back to sleep I feel a tap on my shoulder she looks at me curiously before asking.

“Did you ever give in to temptation? The song doesn’t really say.”

I laugh and sigh.

“You’re asking if I slept with a man?”

She nods and I nod with a sad smile. She doesn’t realize the man she is asking about, the one I wrote this song for, is dead.

“It was a long time ago, and he was the love of my life.”

Her brow lifts in surprise.

“Really? Well he was a lucky man to have been with you.” She admits so sweetly, then realizes she said too much. She giggles and covers her face.

I pull her hands away and tell her in a low tone full of emotion.

“His name was Milo. He died last year from cancer.”

She looks at me in a sad way before placing her hand on my shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have been so nosy, I just...”

“It’s okay. Just promise me not to tell anyone.” The press doesn’t know about my true heartbreaking story and I’d like to keep it that way. That last time I opened up to the press about something personal, they twisted my story to make it more entertaining to the public and it pissed me off.

She nods with a small smile and pulls her pinky out to and I meet her half way wrapping my pinky around hers.

“I promise.”

As she listens to more music I flip through the channels on the small screen in front of us. Most movies are garbage while all the good ones are already halfway through.

Turning the tv off I decide I'm going to just take a nap. That doesn't last long though because soon I see a paper ninja star fly past my head. I turn to see it's Jax as he makes more.

God my band mates are such children sometimes but keeping a young mind in this career is healthy for us in a way. It keeps us from thinking dark things, and it reminds us that this is supposed to be fun.

Taking a paper menu from the cubby in front of me I make a paper plane and when Jax's head I'd down I aim it at him and it hits him right in the forehead.

"Ah, damn you storm. Sleep with one eye open." He says as he rubs his forehead and I chuckle satisfied.