Give In To Me // Country Strong: Beau/Chiles
Give In To Me
Country Strong: Beau/Chiles
After the show, he brings her backstage to his little dressing room. It’s nothing like what they had in Dallas, but he likes it. He’s made it his own. Once there, he can’t keep the smile off of his face. He takes a seat and pulls her in to his lap. “So, you chose me?” he asks, full of hope and amazement.
“No,” she says cautiously, sitting away from him, “I chose to take a chance. This is where you belong, Beau. I know it and you know it. I respect that. But I belong up there. I like the spotlight. I like having to fight like hell to make a name for myself. But I don’t want to choose between a career and love. I want to have them both. Maybe one day I’ll be ready to settle down, play with you in your bars. But not yet. Can you understand that?”
He stills, the excitement draining away. His arms fall to his sides as he thinks. He’s always know she had big dreams. Even as the scared beauty queen, she wanted to go places. His heart falls. “I’m not sure I can do that, Chiles. I love you too much to share you. I couldn’t stand all those other men lusting after you. It’d hurt me too much to be apart from you that long.”
She stands, her hands on her hips. “Then come with me, Beau. You can still play music wherever you want to. There’s so much out there for you to see. It could be an adventure for us.”
“I want to play here. I have a job, a niche carved out for me. I don’t plan on leaving here anytime soon.”
“You’re so stubborn. I don’t see why you want me to be making all the sacrifices. It ain’t fair.”
“No, Chiles. It isn’t fair. It isn’t fair that I have to love you as much as I do. Our dreams are pulling us in opposite directions and I’m not sure I’m ever going to find you again. Not if you go back out on the road.”
“But don’t you want to try, Beau? Don’t you want to see where we can go? I got some time off. We could spend some time around here. Between shows and recording, we could find away. Don’t you want that? Don’t you want me?”
“I do, Chiles. I sure as hell, do. I just don’t know if I could handle it.” Quietly, he adds, “And I’m afraid we’ll end up like them.”
Anger flashes in her eyes as she glares down at him. “You’re worried I’m going to become a drunk and kill our baby, is that it? Are you too much of a baby to take a chance on maybe the best thing in your life because you can’t man up and get over yourself? We’re talking about a relationship, Beau. It doesn’t have to be forever. It just has to be for now? Isn’t that enough?”
“Dammit, Chiles. You make everything so damn confusing. Of course I want you. It’s just hard. I loved her, too, you know. And in the end, love wasn’t enough. I want this to be forever.”
“Well you can’t have forever. Maybe down the road, but not now. I want to be a star. And I want to have you. I don’t want to have to choose between my career and you.”
He stands so he can pace. His thoughts are scurrying about and he can’t think straight. He thought they were over. Things were tidy here. A little dull, but tidy. He had a place and no one questioned him. Not like her. “What if you have to choose? How do you know we could even make it work? And what happens if something better comes along? I’m not going anywhere, Chiles. I’m happy here. The only thing it’s missing is you.”
She drops her head, frustrated and sad. “You know I wouldn’t be happy here, Beau,” she states quietly, “I like the stage. I like the crowds. I like my silly music that makes people happy. I don’t care what you say, Beau. I’m determined to make this work. All of it. And once I set my mind to something-“
“You don’t let go. I get that.” A smile ghosts his lips. All this time, she still had that fire. She still set that warm burn alight in his stomach. He sighs. “Alright, if that’s what you want. I guess we could give it a try.”
She looks up at him with love and adoration. She clasps her hands together joyfully. “Oh, thank you, Beau.” She throws her arms around his neck and kisses him. He pulls her closer, deepening the kiss. When they pause for air, he leans his forehead against hers. “For you, darlin’, I’ll try just about anything.”
She smiles up at him. He stares down at her, admiring her. She could talk a pig into eating bacon, if she wanted. How he resisted her this long, he’ll never know.
“Hey, where’d all your make-up go?” he asks, his eyes crinkling with laughter.
“I didn’t think I had to wear it around you. You’ve already seen me naked, after all,” she retorts, full of pride and nonchalance.
He laughs and kisses her again. He’s already too far gone not to give this a try. She’d stolen his heart back in Dallas. He wasn’t ever going to get it back if he just sat here. He knows it’s the right decision from the glow on her face.
Right now, she’s the happiest girl on the planet and it’s because of him. He still has that wariness lurking in his mind, but maybe she’s right. She certainly has the will and determination to do whatever she pleases. She made it this far, it would be unfair to stop her now. He’d wait here for as long as it took for her to want him. No matter how hard it hurt if she didn’t come back.