Cause I'm a mess and you know that I can't help it
The drive home never seemed this long before
We're killing time just a little bit faster
And I swear we'll make it


Ashley looked out the window of the bus as it traveled down whatever highway they were on and he couldn’t keep the sigh from his lips. His phone was resting on one knee and he couldn’t help but stare down at it every few seconds. He was waiting for a text message and the waiting part was killing him. It was autumn and they had just spent the entire summer at Andy and Dess’ recording a new album. Now they were touring again and Ashley knew this was the test he had been waiting for. He had fallen for someone and things had begun to get serious, but he had fucked it up before and he couldn’t risk it this time.

Ashley swore up and down that this time would be different-this time he would try to make things work instead of just worrying about having fun. He loved this girl-loved everything about her and he knew that he couldn’t fuck around anymore. They were somewhere near California-the tour was almost over and it was sometimes hard to be able to remember where exactly they were going. He was going home though and that’s all that mattered. Ashley smirked as his phone began to buzz against his leg and he took his focus off of his small niece Aria, who was laughing as she sat in her swing.


Kitty: Hey there stud. Where are you guys at?
Ash: No clue haha, you know I don’t keep up with this kind of stuff
Kitty: Of course not…you boys leave it up to us managers to keep track of your shit *rolls eyes*
Ash: I depend on you for a lot more than that Kitty. So when can we be official? I want to show everyone that I have the best girl in the world…with the biggest tits ; )
Kitty: See I knew you were a charmer. I dunno Ash…I still feel like we should wait. I just don’t want to make things official and for one of us to fuck it up again.
Ash: By one of us you mean me…
Kitty: Well…look I love you, very much, but this just has to stay secret for a while. Just in case we don’t work out like we thought we would
Ash: I’ll prove to you that this is right for us Kit…I swear I’ll make this work this time.

He would make it work…he had to.



But I can't tell you what I don't know
Be mine tonight, be mine tonight
The simple things, they make my heart go
Be mine tonight, be mine tonight
But I can't tell you what I don't know
You'll have to wait
You'll have to wait


Kit paced across the kitchen floor, her bare feet smacking against the tiles as she tried to keep her eyes off of the clock. Tokyo and Killer were both asleep underneath the kitchen table and she knew that even they were waiting for their daddy to come home. It had been a year since they had tried to be together and it was actually working out-they were now living together. They were both barely there since she was often on the road with Sleeping and he was on the road with Black Veil, but when they had the chance to be together it was pure magic.

The only thing keeping them from moving on was that Kit still had trust issues with Ashley and so she had been keeping him at armslength. They lived together-sure-but they still kept their relationship behind closed doors for the most part. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of their time together, but Kit knew that as soon as they started telling people that it would hurt more when things did end. She, unlike Ashley, was pretty sure this was just another mistake but he was hell bent on proving her wrong. She just couldn’t get hurt again…not by him.

Kit wanted to belong to him, she wanted to be Ashley’s girl and she wanted to be able to tell him that everything would be okay…but she couldn’t. She didn’t have the answers and she couldn’t tell him when she would be ready to take things to the next level and Kit knew it was killing Ashley on the inside. They argued about it constantly, but their arguments were often shortlived and usually ended in laughter. But it was still a daily conversation and Kit was kind of tired of having it with him, but Ash was relentless. Thankfully they were home together right now and so they could actually take some time and try to figure things out.


“Daddy’s home!” Someone called from the door and Kit jumped at the sound of dogs barking and bags rustling from the front door. Ashley had been at the studio-laying down some tracks that he had thought over for the past few days, but now that he was back Kit knew that needed to talk about some things.

“Hey babe!” Kit said as she turned towards the doorway of the kitchen and shock laced her features. Ashley was standing there with a huge bundle of flowers and a bottle of her favorite wine. It was this side of Ashley that she loved the most-the thoughtful and caring side.

“I thought we’d crack this open and sit outside…you sounded like you needed to talk when we were on the phone earlier.” He said as he walked towards her and Kit only smiled as she fell in to his arms and she knew…everything would be okay.



Stay safe
Stay strong
And let me know that you'll be here while I am gone
Because I'm coming home
Coming home tonight
Let's get this right
I said I'm coming home
Coming home tonight


Her red hair was pulled back from her face, but Ashley was still able to run his fingers through it as he held her to his chest. They were standing in a dark corner of LAX and it was time for them to say goodbye-he was leaving for a tour in Europe and she was leaving for Florida to get in to the studio with Sleeping With Sirens. They didn’t want to leave one another, but it was their jobs that were keeping them apart and not much else. Kit was honestly getting tired of managing and she could tell that Ashley wanted to ask her to give it up, but he never would.

The tears were spilling from her bright green eyes and she knew without even looking up at him that Ashley was also crying-this was going to be so hard. Not only were they going to be apart, but he would be busy touring overseas and she would be busy trying to get her guys to focus in the studio. Time differences, temptations and loneliness were going to be their biggest enemies this time around, but deep down they knew that they would make it. Sometimes it didn’t seem possible, but they were both strong people and deep down they knew they belonged together. Although Kit still had doubts and she probably always would…


“I’m really going to miss you Kitty…” Ashley said into her ear softly and Kit couldn’t help but smile. His soft black and red hair was tickling her nose and she was trying to hold back a sneeze.

“I know and I’m going to miss you. Promise me you won’t fall for any British girls while you’re over there…” She joked around, but deep down Ash knew she was being serious. Kit’s biggest fear was that he was going to cheat on her again and no matter how many times Ashley promised her he wouldn’t…she still never seemed to believe him.

“You know I would never do that again…I learned that there’s only one girl for me and she’s right here. Promise you’ll be home for me when my tour is over…” He smirked down at her, their eyes locking together and Kit couldn’t help but melt a little inside.

“I love how I’m the one who was able to tame the wild Purdy…bring you in to a normal life…” She joked but deep down they both knew it was true. Ashley had been a wild party guy for the longest time, but now he was starting to see those around him begin to settle down and he knew…he wanted that as well.

“Well we could have an even more normal life if you would give in and marry me…” He smirked and Kit said nothing as she pressed her lips to his and they said their final goodbyes.


Marriage was something that they had been talking about, but Kit wasn’t so sure…she never was.



You said it hurts and you know that I believe you
Searching every little thing to find a way
To tell your heart just to wait a little longer
I swear we'll make it


“Kit come on! Don’t be like that…” Ashley called out through the bathroom door, but it was no use. He could hear her crying through the wood and he knew that things were about to get ugly. Damn Twitter and damn his drunken fingers. Ashley sighed as he brought out his phone and looked down at the screen…drunken Tweets were funny, but damaging.


@AshleyPurdy I love one girl in the entire world…she means everything to me. @KitKatSWS I’m coming home soon!


It seemed like a harmless tweet and they had been dating secretly for three years now, but his stupid drunkenself had let the cat out of the bag and now there was a major backlash going on. People were blowing up Kit’s Twitter, calling her a whore, a slut and basically giving her the same treatment that Odessa had gotten when she and Andy had first gotten together, but there was another layer of nasty going on. Hundreds of girls were Tweeting Kit, telling her welcome to the Purdy Girl club and exposing their own relationships with him over the past eight or so years. Kit knew his past, but it was completely different when it was being thrown in your face constantly.


“Kit I know this hurts right now, but we can get through this!” He called out through the door and Ashley jumped as the door popped open and a wild and disheveled looking Katrina was standing on the other side. Her green eyes were on fire as she looked at him and Ashley wasn’t sure if he should stand his ground and take it like a man…or run away like a puppy.

“You promised me we would wait! You promised me we would take this slow…Twitter is not taking it slow Ash!” She was crying and he had rarely ever seen her so upset. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her red hair was sticking to her cheeks and her forehead.

“I’m sorry! I never should have Tweeted that, but I am proud of our relationship Kitty…please don’t be angry with me anymore…” He looked like a kicked puppy and slowly Kit fell into his arms, her head resting against his heaving chest. His heart was pounding a mile a minute as he waited for her answer and Ashely knew that this could possibly be the end for them…this could be it.

“I’m not angry Ash and I guess, deep down, I’m glad that this happened because I really think that it’s time…” She looked up at him, his brown eyes locking with her own and he knew that Kit was truly ready…they both were.



But I can't tell you what I don't know
Be mine tonight, be mine tonight
The simple things, they make my heart go
Be mine tonight, be mine tonight
But I can't tell you what I don't know
You'll have to wait
You'll have to wait


“So how’re things going over there?” Kit snapped her head up and smiled-Ashley’s face was filling her computer screen and at first she couldn’t figure out why. She had been working at her desk, planning things that needed to be planned out and obviously she had left her Skype logged in.

“Good, when are you coming home?” She asked and Ashley only smiled as he cleared his throat and seemed to be looking down at something in his lap.

“We should be flying in sometime tomorrow. You don’t miss me do you?” He teased as he locked eyes with her and Kit felt herself blush. Four years with someone and you kind of learned everything about them-their tells, how they looked when they were telling the truth and how to get the truth out of them.

“No, not at all. So did you make that list I keep asking you for?” She said, cocking one eyebrow as Kit noticed that Ashley now looked rather nervous and she knew the answer to that. No, no he had not made the list she had been asking him for for over the past month and Kit couldn’t help but get irritated.

“No, but I have an idea…” He was smiling at her, that devilish smirk that always clued her in to the fact that something was up. He had planned something and Kit wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

“Oh and what’s that?” She asked as she set her pen down and rested her chin on her hand. Ashley cleared his throat and Kit knew that he was getting ready to speak-oh lord here it comes.

“When I get home lets run away to Vegas…” His smile was so devious and childlike that Kit couldn’t help but return one just like it. He was always so filled with wild ideas that it was hard for her to resist, but they couldn’t do that…they couldn’t run away after four years of hard work.

“You know we can’t do that…you can wait…you’ve been doing it long enough that a few more months won’t kill you.” She smiled at him, scrunching up her nose at him as he pouted into the computer screen. She had made him wait and he was done waiting…he wanted her to be his forever and they were almost there.

“I’ll wait, but just because I love you…I’m pretty sure I’ve always loved you…” They both shared a smile at this and they knew that they had finally found what they’d been waiting for.



Stay safe
Stay strong
And let me know that you'll be here while I am gone
Because I'm coming home
Coming home tonight
Let's get this right
I said I'm coming home
Coming home tonight


Kit paced around the room, her wide dress getting in her way and she now couldn’t understand how she had let Dess talk her into getting such a huge dress. The day was finally here and Kit could feel her heart racing a mile a minute in her chest because deep down she was scared-terrified. What if he didn’t show up? What if he wasn’t waiting for her down that aisle? She would be made a fool of…she would be so embarrassed and yet Kit couldn’t help but smile. He would be there-she could sense deep down that Ashley would never let her down-not anymore.

They had been down a long road together and yet there was still this desire-a need- to get everything as right as they possibly could. They had worked, tirelessly, to make everything work for them and still there were times when things just didn’t seem like they were meant to be. Ashley would leave her to go on the road and there was a fear deep within her that he wouldn’t come home again, but he always did. She would spend a lifetime trying to rid herself of that fear, but as Kit looked in the mirror at herself and smiled, she knew that her fears were slowly beginning to fade.


“You look amazing. Ashley is going to cry when he sees you.” Someone said from behind her and Kit turned, a smile on her lips as she took Dess in to her sights. Her best friend was standing there, one hand holding on to a four year old Aria’s and the small girl was looking up at her Aunty with so much love it almost hurt.

“You look pretty Aunty Kit.” The small girl said and Kit could only smile as she reached down and placed a small kiss on the blonde girl’s cheek. The room was bustling around them, but all Kit could focus on was not puking and not crying.

“Thank you Bells… I just hope Ashley will feel the same way.” Kit joked as she turned back towards the mirror and looked at herself. Her red hair was down by her shoulders, curling slightly and it almost gave her an angelic look-with her horns being hidden of course.

“He will…he’s been waiting for this day for a long time…he’s going to love you.” Dess said as she moved to place the gauzy white veil over Kit’s face and both girls shared a look in the mirror.


Ashley had been waiting for a long time and finally that time had come and forever was finally right in front of them.



One more night
And we'll go spinning around the room
And dance with our hearts on fire
Cause every song is ours tonight
And if you love me so
I'm gonna tell the whole world
That it's the greatest thing that's happened to me
I finally found a good reason to come home


The room was filled with people, but the couple that was spinning around the floor only had eyes for one another. Her dress, pure white and angelic looking, was dragging behind her on the floor, but it didn’t matter to Kit-nothing in the world mattered other than the person holding her that very moment. Ashley looked dashing in his three piece suit, his chocolate brown eyes filled with love as he spun her around the dance floor and held her close for all to see. It was their wedding day a day that they had both been waiting a long time for and finally it was here…finally they had waited long enough.


“You look so beautiful today Kit…gorgeous…perfect…” He was looking down at her and Kit couldn’t help but smile up at the man of her dreams…her husband.

“Are you happy…no more waiting.” Kit joked with him and Ashley couldn’t help but smile. It was true-she had made him wait a long time, but he would wait forever for Katrina Evans…she had been worth the wait.

“I am-happier than I’ve ever been. Are you happy darling?” He asked her, one of his fingers trailing down her cheek and Kit moved her head to embrace his touch. Her lips were cool against his skin and Ashley only smiled as she looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow.

“I’ll be happier when I get this dress off…I’m sure that’ll make you fairly over joyed as well.” She teased him and Ashley couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh. He had been waiting all day to see her, but now that he had her…he would never let her go.

“It will, but I’m okay just having you in my arms right now…I have you forever.” He kissed her then and Kit allowed him to spin her around the dance floor, their lips still locked together for all the world to see. Their marriage wouldn’t be as public as Andy and Dess’-no magazine articles and no professional photographers, but the world would see them.


It was okay though-they wanted to share one another with the world now because they knew, deep down, that this was forever and they had waited patiently for it.

It had definitely been worth the wait…

Notes