NB: FIRST AND FOREMOST...THANK YOU EVERY SINGLE DEAR READER WHO IS STILL READING AND REVIEWING BRAVE FACE. I TRULY APPRECIATE IT AND I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH...IT'S TAKEN A LITTLE LONGER TO UPLOAD THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE I'M ABOUT 4 CHAPTERS AHEAD IN WRITING AND I'VE BEEN TOO FOCUSED ON WRITING TO THINK ABOUT UPDATING...These next few chapters are a little bit longer and I can tell you that there is a lot in store down the road...There is a song in this chapter sung by Rayna..I own nothing, all copyright for the song goes 'The Verses' and the song is called 'Want Everything'...have a listen to it, it's a brilliant song and I think it is really appropriate. PLEASE BY ALL MEANS KEEP YOU'RE LIKES/HATES/COMMENTS/THOUGHTS AND WHATEVER ELSE COMING...I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING WHAT YOU THINK...Ok, I've waffled on enough and you've probably stopped reading...Enjoy chapter twelve.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Sitting alone on the floor of the lounge-room in the penthouse, Rayna looked from the bottles of Bourbon she'd pulled from the mini bar to her cell phone. She was grateful to be heading towards feeling comfortably numb, the burning liquid beginning to take over her body as it drowned the burdens weighing heavy on her insides. Initially Rayna had longed to be alone but now that she was here she wasn't so sure. She hadn't anticipated that sitting in silence would be so torturous. Every thought she seemed to capture was one that held something about Deacon. Each memory only agitated the splinters that were already messing with her heart, making her feel worse than she did before. Rayna loathed herself and she hated him because she felt this way. She swore. Nothing between them was ever back or white, they seemed determined to always keep things grey.

It was moments like this, where she put her right mind away that each potential thought and action could be dangerous. Looking at her phone again, Rayna reluctantly picked it up, giggling as she began to scroll through her contact list. Her fingers slowed as she moved over Deacon's number before quickly arriving at the one she wanted. Dialling it, she kicked her shoes off, viciously shovelling her free hand through her hair as she waited for the other person to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Tandy!" Rayna said happily, her fingers drumming on top of the Bourbon bottle.

"Rayna?"

"Who else would it be?"

"You sound…hang on, are you-" Tandy began, her pitch rising.

"-Drunk?...Hmmm…I haven't had that much to drink…I think I'm tipsy enough to find everythin' funny but still smart enough to dial your number and not someone else's." Rayna giggled. "If you know what I mean."

"Ok then…" Tandy chirped, pausing before she spoke. "What are you doin'?"

"Ah, just sittin' on the floor. Alone."

"Is everything alright?"

"I met her today…twice, actually three times if you count at the ba-"

"-Who?"

"And she's really nice…really nice-"

"-Who did you meet?"

"Stacey." Rayna replied slowly, feeling her head spin as she stopped to take a breath.

"Oh." Tandy said lowly, acknowledging that Rayna was talking about Deacon's girlfriend. She exhaled.

"I'm not whingin' but why on earth would he do that? Bring his girlfriend on the road?..." Rayna exclaimed, falling backwards to lie down on the floor. "Doesn't he know that it's really unprofessional and people don't appreci-"

"-Is this really about Deacon bein' unprofessional…because if I know anything, the last thing he is is unprofessional."

"Who's side are you on?"
"I'm supposed to be pickin' a side? I didn't know this was one of those conversations." Tandy asked.

"You know how I told you I didn't care?" Rayna mumbled, holding a hand to her forehead as she waited for her sister to acknowledge the question. "Well…I care…and I hate that I do, but I can't help it."

"Sweetie."

"That's a big problem." Rayna breathed, eyes wide.

"You know what the problem is…Y'all never talk about anythin' when it comes to this and what ever it is you seem to love puttin' each other through." Tandy offered, straining to listen as Rayna sat in silence for a moment.

"What we put each other through?" Rayna scoffed. "It's not that easy Tandy."

"Yes it is."

"No. It's not."

"If you don't talk about it…with him…you'll both just sit wallowin' and that'll get you nowhere-"

"Um, he's hardly wallowin'…I can tell you that." Rayna countered, shuddering, as she thought about Deacon and Stacey in a hotel room together.

"Sweetie you don't know that."

"It's not that easy…It isn't just like flippin' a switch-"

"-Rayna." Tandy said firmly, silencing the rant on the other end of the line. "You've had twelve years of 'not that easy'…that's plenty of time to have waited and figured out what to say to each other…I mean nothing's actually happened between yo-"

"-Actually, he kissed me. In an elevator." Rayna slipped, smacking her mouth as she cursed the effects of the alcohol.

"He what?! An elevator!" Tandy shrieked. "When? Why are you only tellin' me this now? I need details."

"I have no idea why I'm tellin' you at all." Rayna replied, pulling hair across her face, still lying on the floor.

"That's-"

"-Confusing? Frustrating? Complicated? So damn Typical?...Not easy." Rayna said smartly, smirking as her sister swore at her.

"Right now I have no idea what to do with that." Tandy muttered.

"And I don't even know what we're talkin' about." Rayna chuckled, rolling on the floor.

"So you're probably not even listenin' to me."

"I am. I am I swear."

"Just take my advice…the same advice I gave you in New York…Talk to him."

Rayna shook her head, already forgetting her sister's wisdom. "I think you're forgettin' he has a girlfriend…A nice one."

"Rayna."

"He's movin' on, maybe I should forge-"

"-Maybe just wait till you're not so drunk." Tandy added quickly, overlooking what Rayna was saying. "To talk."

"I can't do this." Rayna admitted, sitting up abruptly, muttering expletives as her head spun. Maybe she had had a little too much.

"Ok fine." Tandy replied. "Do you know how damn stubborn you are?"

"Yeah, I've been told that." Rayna grimaced; thinking back to the conversation she and Deacon had had at the hospital.

"Are you gonna be alright?"

"I'll be fine." Rayna assured, looking around for the key card to her room. Spotting it on the stand next to the TV, she stood and walked over to it.

"Are you sure?" Tandy asked.

"I'll be fine." She nodded, picking up the key card.

"Ok…Well if you need me again call…And please don't go drunk diallin' anyone…You'll hate yourself for it in the mornin'."

"Wasn't plannin' on it." Rayna laughed, shaking her head as she spoke "I told you I'm just a little tipsy...that's all."

"Alright, well."

"Bye." Rayna drawled, listening to Tandy say goodbye before she hung up. Taking a quick look around the room, Rayna felt a little lightheaded. Before she could think too much about it she was closing the front door behind her.

- NASHVILLE -

Rayna smiled up at Liam who sat comfortably on a sofa in his lounge room while she sat on the floor. Putting down her drink, she pulled the pencil from behind her ear, making a note on one of a dozen sheets of paper she had sprawled out around her and the guitar that sat in front of her. After hanging up with Tandy, Rayna had headed down to Liam's hotel room, determined to hit the kill switch on her wallowing. She didn't really know why she'd chosen to come here; Liam was just as surprised as she was when he'd opened his door. Maybe she'd come because it was easier drowning her frustrations if she had someone to help her forget what they were. He hadn't said too much upon her arrival. They had simply raided the mini bar and pulled out instruments, pushing one another into writing. For the last hour they had sat listening to each other's preferred strengths; his construction of a likeable melody that she could follow and her shaping of lyrics that would fit.

"I think I have it." Rayna smiled.

"It's about time." He mocked, looking over his guitar at her.

"Shush it….What about this?" Rayna asked, cocking her head as she envisioned the melody attached to the words on the paper.

Starting an angry strum, playing a pattern of three chords Rayna created a steady pace before she began singing. "An unprecedented pain got me sendin' this message to you. Got my claws out now in your name I don't know what else that I can do."

Catching her breath, Rayna pulled every bitter feeling within and pushed it into the next line. "Oh, and I would write a thousand songs if I thought it would help. Oh, and I won't spend another night underneath your spell."

Straightening in his chair, Liam watched her quietly as he held his guitar, content not to join her just yet. Her voice's strength hid the raw and honest undertones that the melody evoked, fully capturing his attention as she moved into the chorus.

"How long, how long should I keep holdin' on? I'm waiting for that ship to come in, change in the wind to blow through. I hold out my hand, nothin' more I can do." She sung, closing her eyes as she braced herself for the lyrics that were fast approaching. "Guess I just want everythin', everythin' to hold you."

Rayna's eyes shot open when she heard another guitar suddenly accompanying her. It was Liam. She smiled, swaying as he played a spontaneous riff to complement her chords. "Say you got a new girlfriend restin' there beside you in your bed."

Liam's sat wide-eyed, hearing the addition of lyrics for the new verse for the first time. Rayna smirked, embracing his openmouthed reaction as she spun edginess into the next lyric. "Her head lays where mine used to lay, nestled in the hollow of your chest. But I never meant to end up so competitive." She sung, cocking her head as she looked up at the roof before she continued. "Does she know you told me it'd be my place as for long as we lived?"

Singing the chorus again, Rayna put her guitar down and let Liam take over. He fell into a spur-of-the-moment instrumental as she stood up, holding her drink, spinning around laughing before stumbling over to sit next to him to sing the bridge. "My heart rang out, like a shot in the night. And it makes that sound for the rest of my life."

Untidily, Liam continued to play, trying to follow Rayna's directions as she teased and tried to explain where he was supposed to go with the song. Finally in fits of laughter, they gave up. Liam strummed a final chord and Rayna sung spontaneously. "How long, how long should I keep holding on?"

They both laughed, relaxing back into the sofa.

"Seriously? How long?" She giggled, running a hand through her hair. "Like, really."

"If asking questions like that." Liam smiled, resting his guitar on his lap. "Helps you write music like you just did…Do us a favor and keep asking those questions."

"Hmm?"

"I can definitely see that song on the new record." He replied, looking over at her. "It wasn't half bad…It'll be better when we add a bunch of other instruments to the track, you know, filling it out a little more coz it's too bare…I'm definitely feeling an edgy, roc-"

"-You're not serious?"
"Yeah I am…Rayna we have a record to finish." Liam nodded, tapping the guitar as he spoke. "You say you've been struggling to find yourself in your music…That there, that song…That's all you…Rayna Jaymes."

Rayna snorted, looking up at the ceiling. "I didn't write it coz we're like 6 songs short of a full record…I wrote it because that's how I'm feelin'."

"So take what you're feeling and put it into your songs."

"But what if I don't want to…feel?" She confessed, tapping the arm of the lounge as she looked over at him. "What if the last thing I wanna do right now is feel."

"Well what then?" Liam asked, putting his guitar down next to him as he watched Rayna put her glass on the coffee table in front of them.

The air changed as her eyes searched his, asking things he hadn't expected. He made no attempt to look away as he tried to figure out if they were on the same page. He knew that they had both been drinking, their better selves put to bed a long time ago, so he couldn't be entirely sure. Rayna smiled, running a hand through her hair before she twirled it round into a messy twist. Changing his position, Liam shifted on the lounge to face her, returning the smile. Slowly, he edged towards her, hesitating as she looked from his eyes to his lips. Before he could change his mind she moved, her lips colliding with his, taking them both by surprise as they were pulled into the middle of the moment. He kissed her again, the thrill in the spontaneity bubbling over them as both their hands began to wander. Rayna ran her hands through his hair, pulling him on top of her as they kissed; taking each one deeper than the last. His fingers moved to the bottom buttons of her shirt and Rayna froze, pulling away as she gently put her hands to his chest to break the mood. Startled, Liam looked at her face but her eyes avoided his. He could feel her tremble underneath him and he moved abruptly, sliding off her lap, toppling onto the lounge beside her as he ran his hands over his face. Rayna pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, her eyes focused on the empty glass on the table.

"I think I need a minute." She whispered, gracelessly standing before she darted in the direction of his bathroom. Slamming the door, Rayna steadied herself by gripping the sink. Her head was swimming, clarity refusing to give itself to her. What on earth had she done that for? Had she just kissed Liam? Why had she done that? She knew that was the last thing she wanted. Feeling a stinging burn the back of her eyes, Rayna looked at herself in the mirror and swore as she watched the tears begin to fall.

- NASHVILLE -

Sitting on the toilet, Rayna stared off into the distance, hands over her mouth as she willed herself to think about what had just happened. Knocking on the door interrupted her thoughts and in a panic she threw her hand against the door, attempting to keep whoever stood on the other side out.

"You still alive in there?" Liam asked.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?-"

"-Uhuh, I'm fine."

"You don't sound like you're fine." He replied, turning the handle to open the door.

Using the weight of her foot, Rayna slammed into the door, shutting it again. "No, I'm fine…as long as you stay on that side of the door."

"Come on, let me in."

"No, I don't want to let you in….Liam, it's really not pretty in here."

"You don't think I've never been messed up on somebody's bathroom floor?" Liam tried, leaning against the wall next to the door.

Exhaling, Rayna slowly pulled her foot away from the door, reluctantly opening it to let him in. He looked at her and smiled. "I don't cry pretty."

Liam shook his head, walking past her to sit in front of the bathtub. He pat the floor next to him. "Come on…Maybe we should talk about why we're not wanting to feel…when I say we're I mean you."

"I-" She began replying, shaking her head in disagreement.

"-I think you need to." He smiled, looking at her knowingly as he waited for her to sit next to him. Rayna smiled weakly, laughing at herself as she stole a look at the smudged mascara running down her face in the mirror before she sat down.

"What do you wanna know?" She said dryly.

"What'd you wanna tell me?" He countered, putting the glass next to him as he pulled his knees up and looked at her.

"My life kind of blew up after Chicago."

"That's certainly a way of puttin' it."

"I was tryin' so hard to make sure everyone else was ok…Protectin' them, you know…But it was like a vortex and I got sucked into the middle and then it spat me out and…I still don't even think I've found the ground yet." She spoke softly, her voice wavering as she looked at him. "But I don't need to hit the ground to know I've screwed everything up because I waited…I majorly screwed it up."

He nodded, hesitating as he spoke. "So…Deacon then…" Her head shot up in his direction and he laughed. "Please, how many times do I tell that you have this face-"

"-Supposed face…when I talk about him, yeah I know." She muttered, hiding a smile as she talked and gestured between them. "I hate myself right now. I hate yo-"

"-Hey hey, do not attack me with those words of yours…You kissed me first."

"Trust me, I know that." She mumbled, putting her hands to her head. "Last thing I wanted to do was this…I shouldn't have done it."

They both sat in silence, terribly aware that they sat amongst Rayna's unspoken feelings and tensions that hung in the air. Rayna wanted to dance around the fact that she'd kissed Liam because she hated the pain that pulled at her heart. Dealing with her feelings for Deacon and the reality of seeing him moving forward right in front of her had hurt more than she'd anticipated. She wasn't proud that she'd kissed Liam out of desperation, but she had, even when she knew deep down it wouldn't help fix anything. Rayna swore under her breath. Out of all the things she could have done, of course she'd gone kissed Liam. Maybe she should have ignored Tandy and tried drunk dialing instead.

"Don't worry about it." He offered, looking over at her. "Some times we do stupid things."

Rayna laughed uneasily, nodding as she leant against her knees. "Really stupid things."

"Why don't you just tell him?"

"Honestly?" She asked.

"Honestly."

"It's complicated…I don't know what I was thinkin' by puttin' so much distance between us, but I did…and he met Stacey. I guess I don't wanna be the one comin' in between him and Stacey…I don't want to mess things up for him…especially if he's happy…How is that fair on anyone?" She answered, her voice cracking as she listened to her own words echo around the walls of the bathroom.

"How do you know he's happy?"

"He told me…kind of." She replied, thinking back to the after party where he'd said that there was nothing between them anymore. Rayna ignored the fact that there had been a delay in his delivery of those words; assuming that it was just her imagination talking.

"Kind of? What does that even mean?" Liam queried, scrunching his face up before he looked at her blankly. "Do you believe him?"

"I dunno."

"You know what you need?" Liam asked, laughing as Rayna shot him a look. "Not that…please…You and I are definitely sober enough to think before doing anything like that…And besides, I think if I kissed you again, you might just backhand me."

"Maybe."

"Come away with me." He exclaimed.

"How am I not supposed to think that you don't mean that…when you ask me to come away with you?" She exclaimed, cocking her head.

"Geez, all you country music folk seem to associate going away with getting it on…What the hell is wrong with you?"

Rayna laughed into her hands, swaying as Liam pushed her.

"We have a whole seven days off, starting next week." Liam continued.

"Hmmm, all of which I'll be spending with my daughters." Rayna replied flatly, raising an eyebrow.

"Rayna, I'm asking you to come away with me so that we can work on the record." Liam said bluntly, humored by her distrust. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Oh."

"You need to get away…away from this and the situation." He explained, drawing attention to the last word, insinuating that he meant Deacon."Do some writing…recording…get out those feelings in your music…It could definitely be something magical."

"What kind of magical?" She asked uncertainly.

"Purely musical…and maybe therauptic…You need this, I need this…especially if we wanna get this record finished."

"I-"

"-You can't honestly tell me you didn't like writin' that song out there?" He asked, watching a smile creep onto her face. "Ok?...So that was a great song, but we need at least another 6 tracks. This is a good time to do this."

"Three days." She replied finally, holding up three fingers. "The other four I plan on spendin' with my girls."

"Ok, done." He replied, holding his hands up in agreement.

"But only on one condition." She added quickly, holding his stare. "I do not care what you say about us 'Country Folk'…But you and I…we're sleepin' in separate beds…hell we're sleepin' in different rooms."

Liam laughed, shrugging as he spoke. "I can't promise that."

Rayna sat openmouthed as she slapped his arm, swearing at him before she replied. "I can."

After messing around with each other a while longer, Rayna finally gathered the determination to get herself off the bathroom floor to call it a night. Liam had led her to the door, laughing when she giggled at her own jokes. They had quickly forgotten about the escapades on the sofa and the bathroom floor confessions, overlooking it as they stood at the front door engaging in back and forth banter. They stayed this way for a spell, mostly because she was reluctant to make her way back up to the penthouse. It was almost as if what had happened could all go unnoticed and all they'd be taking from this when she walked away was a new song. However, when Rayna finally walked away and hit the elevator button at the end of the corridor she didn't realize that she wasn't alone. Deacon stood unmoved, a cold, hard expression washing over his face as he remained frozen on his front door step.