Trust me ladies, if Cori won't have him then I'm ready to throw down with you! Bring it on!
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Cori waited until Ryan was gone and headed in the opposite direction. She was so weary that she could barely see straight and just wanted to sleep and forget about today. Wandering backstage she heard a familiar strumming coming from the green room. Peeking her head around the corner she saw Neil and his trusty guitar perched on the couch. She waited until he had finished the song and knocked on the doorframe.
“Cori? What are you doing here?”
She shrugged and stared at the carpet. “Do you think you could take me back to the hotel?”
“Sure,” he replied while putting his guitar away. He studied the young woman for a long time before taking a step towards her. “Are you okay?”
Those were the three words Cori did NOT need to hear. She sniffed and tucked her hair behind one ear. “I’m fine, just tired.”
Neil watched as her face crumbled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pushing the door shut and guiding her to sit down on the couch. “You are not fine. Now what’s wrong?”
Cori didn’t know what to do. She had heard through the grapevine that Neil had feelings for her and she didn’t want to hurt him, she’d caused enough pain in one day to last a lifetime, but she had to tell someone or else she would explode. Grabbing the box of tissues from the nearby table she attempted to laugh at her situation.
“Have you ever broken someone’s heart?”
“I don’t think so, why?”
“Don’t ever do it. It sucks.”
The musician chuckled and squeezed her slightly. “Why are you breaking someone’s heart?”
“Because I’m too scared to love him.”
“Scared? Why would you be scared?”
“Let’s just say relationships tend to end painfully, figuratively and literally, with me.”
Neil frowned and tilted Cori’s face up. “Painfully? You don’t mean...” his words trailed off when he saw the look in the young woman’s eyes.
Cori could only nod as she fought back tears.
“Oh, Cori. I am so sorry. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.”
The dancer turned in his embrace to wrap her arms around his waist, burying her head in his shoulder. Safe in Neil’s arms she finally let go and cried. She cried for losing Ryan, she cried for leaving the tour, she cried for her own cowardice, and she cried for the pain that she had inflicted on him.
“I don’t deserve him, Neil. I don’t deserve someone that loves me so much.”
“Shhh…” Neil cooed while smoothing her hair. “You deserve everything that he can give and more. You are worth the world, Cori. Don’t ever let anyone tell you different.”
Pulling back Cori blinked tears away to stare up at Neil. “How can you be so sure?”
“I’m Irish, I’m always very sure of myself.”
Cori choked out a laugh and hugged him tightly. “How did I ever get so lucky to have a friend like you?”
The young singer smiled and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “It’s not luck, it’s just your karma coming back around.”
Cori wiped her face and attempted to smooth her rumpled clothes. “Some days it feels like my karma ran over my dogma.”
Neil threw his head back and laughed then wrapped a friendly arm around her waist. “Come on, let’s get you back to the hotel.”
About half an hour later Neil was letting Cori into her room. “Neil, I can’t thank you enough. For everything.”
Neil smiled and shrugged the compliment off. “No worries, any time.”
“I might not make it to the show tonight. Will you tell Sharon to call me if there is an emergency?”
“Of course.”
Standing on her toes Cori hugged him tightly then waved him out of the door. Kicking off her shoes she climbed onto the bed and was out like a light before she knew it.
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It was about twenty minutes until show time and the guys were all getting ready backstage, working out any last minute jitters before the lights dimmed. Ryan kept glancing at the doorway wondering where Cori was. She hadn’t missed a show yet and even though she was constantly running around backstage throughout the performances she was still an important part of the show.
Finally he couldn’t wait any longer. “Have any of you guys seen Cori?”
He was met with a chorus of ‘no’s’ until Neil spoke up. “Ryan, can I talk to you for a second?”
He led the singer down the hallway until they were out of earshot. “What’s up?”
“Cori isn’t coming tonight.”
“What? Why?”
Neil shot him a look and Ryan held up his hands in defense. “Last time I saw her she was smiling!”
“Well the last time I saw her she was crying.”
“Crying?”
“Yes, crying. Over you. She felt guilty because she was breaking your heart.” Neil sighed and resisted the urge to run his hands through his hair. “Ryan, she said she didn’t deserve you and that she hated herself for hurting you.”
Ryan let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “I love her, you know. I tried to tell her but she wouldn’t let me say it. She said that she was too afraid of being hurt but I told her I’d wait for her, no matter how long it takes. I love her, Neil, and I would never do anything to hurt her.”
Neil smiled and clasped Ryan’s shoulder. “I know. Just know that she’s scared and if you do hurt her I will break every bone in your body. Got it?”
“Got it.”
Ryan gave Neil a friendly shove as the stage manager called them; it was time.
All night Ryan had to force himself not to look for Cori in the wings. It had been a few hours and he already missed her. She wasn't even gone yet and the separation was already killing him.
He heard Neil start to sing and hit his mark. Somehow he would have to find a way to make it without seeing the woman he loved every day. Taking a deep breath he climbed onto the stage to join his band mate.
That night Ryan sang ‘Hallelujah’ for Cori.