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I ask a few questions, but it becomes obvious after a handful of them that she isn’t paying attention. Nerves prickle at the bottom of my belly as I continue to shoot apprehensive looks her way.
Even though she made it sound like she was content with our relationship being out in the open, my biggest fear is that she’ll change her mind and tell me this isn’t working. That it’s been a few weeks and she’s ready to cut me loose and move on.
Once we’re in the elevator, I reach out and tug her into my arms. She fits perfectly. Almost as if she were made for me.
Or maybe I’m the one who was made for her.
I don’t know anymore.
What I do know is that I don’t like the feelings of uncertainty bubbling up inside me.
The ones that have me wondering if I’m going to lose what I’ve only just found.
And it doesn’t help that I have no idea what she’s thinking.
What I’ve discovered about Britt is that she’s difficult to read. She’s a master at keeping everything buried deep down inside where it can’t see the light of day.
In silence, she slides the key into the lock before throwing the apartment door wide. As I trail after her, I realize that I need to do everything in my power to convince her that we can make this work.
The only other choice is to let her go, and I’m nowhere near ready to do that.
There’s a chance that I’ll never be ready to do that.
Instead of heading to the bedroom, she beelines to the couch and sinks to the edge of the cushion. Tension radiates off her in heavy, suffocating waves as her brows pinch together.
It’s briefly that her golden gaze touches upon mine before flitting away. “We need to have a conversation before this goes any further.”
Fuck.
I knew this was coming.
I drag a hand through my hair before shoving down my panic and nodding toward the guitar. “Will you play that song for me?”
Confusion flickers across her features. “You don’t want to talk first?”
Hell, no.
If she’s going to give me the boot, I want to hear the song she sang for me on the plane while playing the guitar. I want to close my eyes and pretend for just a moment this isn’t the end.
“We’ll do it afterward.”
Her gaze bores into mine. “Promise?”
Ouch.
She’s really impatient to end this.
Hurt floods through me as I jerk my head into a nod.
“Okay.” She reaches for her guitar next to the couch. The wood is dinged up and dented. Worn. But from the careful way she handles it, obviously well loved.
Britt drives a brand-new silver Audi and lives in an apartment by herself. My guess is that if she wanted to buy something pricier with more bells and whistles, she could do it.
She must hang onto it for sentimental reasons.
I can understand that.
There are hockey sticks I’ve outgrown but they felt good in my hands. Made me feel lucky. Invincible. So, I’ve hung onto them. They’re part of my past and bring back memories that are important to me.
With her attention centered on the instrument, I’m able to eat her up with my eyes. I want to burn this moment into my memory for all eternity.
I can’t stop trying to figure out where it all went wrong. It’s almost hilarious that I thought we were on track when nothing could be further from the truth.
As she strums a few chords, the notes reverberate throughout the stillness of the apartment, and I recognize the melody. It’s been playing on repeat in my brain since Vegas.
“In the darkest nights, I stumbled, couldn't see the light. Lost in a maze, couldn't find what's right. But deep inside, a fire burned, refusing to fade away. A voice inside me whispered, ‘You'll find your way.’”
The knotted tension filling my muscles drains. There’s something soothing about her voice and the way it washes over me.
“I'm rising up, stronger now than I've ever been. Every scar's a story, ain't letting them win. Through the ups and downs, I'll find my truth. In the chaos of it all, I'll find my youth.”
Her voice rises, growing stronger, as she sings the chorus. Her eyelids feather closed as if lost in the music.
Both her beauty and talent are like a gut punch and steal my breath away.
“Through every fall and every doubt, I'll stand tall. Gonna shake off the past, gonna give it my all. With each new day, leaving old fears behind. Embracing every challenge, gonna free my mind.”
A chill slides through me as she sings the bridge before ending with the chorus. Only then do her voice and the chords fade.
I’m out of the chair before I realize what I’m doing. It’s carefully that I wrap my fingers around the guitar and pry it from her grip before setting it on the couch and pulling her up.
