My ipod skipped straight from Lydia to Mayday Parade, as I purposefully tried to keep The Maine off of my mind. I was on my last half hour of driving. I don't even know how long I had been driving, but I had music and an open mind to keep me company.

I sang along with the best and worst songs ever written, in my opinion, and to be honest, I loved every minute of it. I was born for the road. There was no denying it. The road and I had this understanding. I used it to think, and it sure knew how to calm me down. Driving stretches and stretches of highways and interstates, having them all connect to get people from place to place, it was truly something.

I watched my GPS as it told me which turns to take to see one of my friends. I hadn't seen him in a long time. He was at the wedding, but I didn't have a chance to even speak to him, but the second my car pulled into his driveway, he was running full speed towards it.

"Nicholas Bernard Santino, you forgot your coat!" his mom scurried after him, waving his jacket in the air.

"Nick!" I shouted, giving him a huge hug. He pulled me close and held onto me for a long time.

"I've missed you!" he said, finally stepping back.

"I missed you too, buddy. Mama Santino!" I smiled and gave her a hug. She hugged me with one arm until she threw Nick's jacket at him and then latched onto me, rocking me from side to side. I love Nick and his mom. They were the kind of people that could make you feel better no matter what you are going through… starting with…

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

Food. Starting with food. You would never go hungry in the Santino house.

"Starving," I smiled, because she would never accept 'no' for answer. I knew that from experience.

"I just made some lasagna," she smiled, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Nicholas, be a dear and get her bags," she called out to him as we walked up the steps of the porch. I looked behind me and grinned at Nick as he sighed and made his way to my trunk. Such a mama's boy.

/\/\

"Nicholas, stop that!" she shouted as Nick threw a piece of bread at me. I had a feeling I would be hearing his name a lot. Mama Santino started almost every sentence off with "Nicholas."

I wasn't going to lie, I loved it. It was comedy at its greatest.

"So, Peyton," she said, looking at me. "I heard what happened with the wedding."

"Ma, you can't just open the door and let the elephant into the room. Can't she get settled in before you intrude."

"It's fine, Nicholas," I mocked and turned my attention back to his mom. "Things are hard right now, but that's why I came to see you guys. My other family."

"Oh, it makes me happy that you think of us that way. Nicholas, why couldn't you have dated her instead of your last train wreck of a girlfriend," she asked, smacking his head as she made her way to the kitchen. He just smiled at her and waited until she was out of hearing distance.

"Don't mind her. She's just trying to pawn me off on someone else. She's tired of having me around."

"Oh bologna!" I laughed. "Your mother adores you, and you wouldn't have it any other way!"

"What can I say? She keeps me fed," he smiled, leaning back in his chair and patting his stomach for emphasis. "Can I ask you something?" he asked.

I nodded, dreading his question already even though I had no idea what it was going to be.

"I'm not complaining, by any means, but why did you drive all the way to Massachusetts?" he asked.

"Tempe is hell for me right now," I sighed. "I am boycotting John, so I couldn't go to California. I decided it was time to pay you a visit."

"I'm glad you did. And now that you are here…" he said, standing up and grabbing my hand. He drug me down a flight of stairs into, what I guess was the basement.

"Are you going to shank me and leave me for dead?" I asked, swatting at some spider webs with my free hand.

"I'm going to do more than shank you," he laughed, resting his hand on the doorknob to the door at the bottom of the stairs.

"I know you may say no, and I respect that. But I have all of this," he paused, pushing the door open, "and I am sure I have heard it calling your name." I laughed and entered the room, looking at all of the recording equipment.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked him.

"We have a few new songs. The tracks are already done. Just need to put some voices on there."

"I would be honored," I smiled, sitting next to Nick on the desk.

"So, how is Kennedy?" he asked. "Or would you rather not talk about it?"

"He's moved on already," I sighed, staring straight ahead, not really focusing on anything in particular.

"Wow," was all he said.

"Yeah, wow," I agreed, hopping down from the desk. "I am tired, Nick. Where am I sleeping?" I asked.

"My room. I'm taking the couch," he said, hopping down.

"No, I can sleep on the couch," I insisted. I really didn't want to impose.

"No, you are sleeping in my room. Have you seen mother mad?" he asked. I giggled and shook my head from side to side.

"Good. You don't want to," he chuckled, pulling the door closed as we walked back upstairs.

Nick showed me to his room, and I hugged him goodnight. It was nights like tonight that made me realize that no matter how much shit has happened lately, I still had really amazing friends that would be there for me through anything.

I got the best sleep I had gotten in a week that night.

I woke up to something wet on my toe, accompanied by some grunts and snorts.

"I swear to god, Nicholas, if you are licking my toes I will shank your ass," I sat up and came face to face with a really big dog.

"ANGUS!" I heard Nick shout from down the hall. He rounded the corner to his room and doubled over in laughter as Angus started attacking my face.

"Get this thing off of me!" I cried out, trying to gently push him away.

"Angus, no," Nick said, in a very authoritative voice. Angus whined and then jumped off of the bed, slowly making his way to the door. Nick opened a closet in the hallway and grabbed a towel, throwing it at me.

"You should shower. With water. Not Angus drool," he smiled, heading back down the hallway.

"Haha, so funny," I mumbled to myself, standing up and digging through my suitcase, deciding what to wear that day.

/\/\

A few days passed, and Nick was helping me forget about all of the drama that awaited me back home. We recorded a few songs, and then a few more. It was all we did. We had fun working together. Nick had a great singing voice, and I was jealous of how much versatility it had. He could sing any kind of song and make it work.

My voice wasn't as great. It was the same as it ever was and more than likely, as good as it will ever get.

"Why are you not in the music business?" he asked me, playing back some of the stuff we had been working on that day.

"Because, I don't want to be. I couldn't do it anyway. My voice isn't that great."

"Oh right, your voice is horrible," he said, smiling. "That's why The Maine did a song with you. Your voice is so horrible, that I wanted to lay down some tracks with you. Horrible," he nodded, in agreement.

"Oh, shut up," I smacked the back of his head and sat down on the desk behind him.

"Watch the hair!" he shouted, trying to smooth it out again.

"I'm sorry Elvis Santino," I rolled my eyes.

"As you should be," he smiled, and spun around in his chair until he was facing me.

"Well, I think we're done," he said, leaning back in his chair.

"I don't want to be done." I sighed. "I like recording with you."

"Who wouldn't?" he fawned over himself, and I kicked his chair until he fell backwards out of it.

"You deserved that one," Mama Santino said, bringing us both a glass of water.

"Thank you," I said, accepting it graciously. I never really had a mother figure, and I was so jealous of Nick. He had one of the greatest mom's in the world. He at least knew he did. He adored her as much as she adored him.

"I've stayed longer than I was intending, Mama Santino," I informed her, "I don't mean to impose."

"Impose," she snorted. "You are welcome to stay as long as you like." Then she looked at Nick. "Marry her and she will stay forever. I need grandbabies!" she said, throwing her hands in the air and turning to walk back up the stairs.

"Why is she so eager to pawn me off!" he asked.

"I would be too. Clog any toilets lately?" I asked, slyly.

"You are so fucking funny!" he shouted.

"Nicholas! Language!" his mom yelled from the top of the stairs.

"Sorry ma!" he said, ducking his head in shame.

"What do you want to do now?" I asked.

"I don't know. We need a new project or something, anything to keep you from going back to Tempe just yet. I kind of like having you here."

"I like being here," I smiled, hopping off of the desk. My phone vibrated in my back pocket and I pulled it out.

"No contact with the outside world!" Nick said, snatching my phone. "It's just Garrett anyway," he shrugged.

"Why is he calling me? He hates me right now."

"How could anyone hate you?" Nick asked, setting my phone down.

"It's apparently very easy. Ask Garrett and Kennedy. I deserve it though," I shrugged.

"No you don't. Kennedy already moved on. You guys dated for a year, and he found someone new within a week. That's saying something."

"I guess it is," I nodded. It hurt when Nick inadvertently brought up Kennedy's new squeeze. The 5 foot 9 leggy blonde with her perfect hair, and perfect body was torturing me even hundreds and hundreds of miles away.

Stupid blonde bitch.

/\/\

The days passed by so fast in Braintree, Massachusetts. Without knowing it, a week had passed. I need to go home, but I couldn't bring myself to pack my car up and go back home.

Home was hell. Braintree was Heaven right now. Mama Santino stayed up late with me almost every night watching Grey's Anatomy re-runs and talking about life, expectations and of course, Nick. I had seen ever baby picture, every girlfriend, every awkward stage. I had seen Nick's life, and I wish I had known him when we were younger. I would have made fun of him every single day.

She had so many years of knowledge and advice, that I was fascinated by everything she said. I stored everything in its own compartment in my brain. Stuff that I would never forget, stuff that I would take to heart, she talked about everything.

It was nearing one in the morning when there was a knock on the door. I looked at Nick's mom as she stared at the door.

"Maybe it's Andrew. That kid has no sense of time," she mumbled more to herself than me. She opened the door and screamed, pulling whoever it was in for a hug.

I stood up, feeling like I was intruding on this exchange. I started making my way towards the stairs when whoever it was called my name. I stopped and turned around, and was confused as to why Garrett Nickelsen was in Braintree.

"Garrett? Why are you here?" I asked, walking towards the door.

"It's Kennedy," he said, stepping into the house.

Those two words, though they shouldn't have, made my legs stop moving and my heart stop beating. Those two words had me freaking out more than they should. I didn't waste any time running up the stairs to pack my bags. I ran into the den and shook Nick awake.

"What?" he grumbled, rolling over.

"I need you to drive my car to Tempe. I need to take a plane. Please Nick…"

"Why? What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up, his hair sticking in different directions, just like the good old days.

"Something is wrong with Kennedy," I informed him.

"What's wrong with him?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said. Garrett walked in and sat down on the couch next to Nick.

"He hasn't moved in a week. He hasn't eaten at all, and if it goes on any longer, well, I don't want to think about it."

"Why is he moping?" I asked. "He was the one entertaining blonde bombshells not even a week after we broke up."

"That wasn't what you thought it was," Garrett sighed, giving me a weird face. "That was someone from the real estate agency. He was selling the house."

He was selling our house. That was like a slap in the face. He didn't move on. Why did I always jump to the worst conclusions?

"You're the only one who can heal him. He's pretty broken, and I don't think I have ever seen him this down," Garrett said, concern dripping from his tone.

"I'm ready. Let's go," I said, standing up.

"First flight is tomorrow at 6 am."

"Fuck," I yelled.

"Peyton! Language!" Mama Santino yelled from her spot in the living room.

"Sorry!" I yelled back and then sighed in frustration. "Then I guess we will leave at 6."

/\/\

Saying goodbye to Nick and his mom was hard. They made me feel so welcome and loved that I almost considered moving in with them, and getting spoiled every day. I would see Nick in a few days, but who knew when I would see Mama Santino again?

As soon as we landed in Arizona, I bolted from the plane and through the airport. Garrett was right behind me, on the phone with Jared telling him where to pick us up.

As soon as he pulled up to the curb, I threw my bag in the trunk and hopped in.

"How is he?" Garrett asked him.

"I don't know. He won't open the door. You took the spare key with you, like a jackass."

"Oh," was all he said.

"Way to go, Garrett," I joked, but he just snorted.

"This is all your fault," he said, shaking his head.

"Hey, woah!" Jared cut in, before I could reply. "Lay off, Garrett. She's been through a lot. Just leave it alone."

I stared out of the window the rest of the way to Kennedy's house, the car in an impending doom of silence.

/\/\

"Kennedy?" I shouted as soon as I opened the door. Garrett and Jared decided to wait outside. It hurt them seeing Kennedy like this, and because it was my fault, Garrett could barely look at me.

I rounded the corner to our bedroom, now his bedroom and my heart broke at the sight. All of the sheets were mangled and hanging off of the bed. His hair was matted and greasy. He was staring at the ceiling, wearing nothing but boxers and a wife beater. His beard was almost out of control. He looked horrible.

"Kennedy," I sighed as I made my way in the room. He didn't even turn to look at me. He just closed his eyes and didn't say anything at all.

I sat down on the bed and studied him for a minute or so. He finally looked over at me, and his face said everything he couldn't.

He was hurting. I was hurting. We were hurting together, and we both had too much pride to admit it.

I did the only thing that I thought would help heal us both. I climbed under the covers, laid my head down in the crook of his arm, where I fit perfectly and rested my arm across his torso. He kissed the top of my head and sighed in contentment.

This wouldn't fix our relationship. As far as I knew, we were over.

But for now, for this moment in time, it was what we both needed. It was the only thing that mattered.