Page 1 of Lyric Squared

PROLOGUE

Sometimes,when he looks at me, time stands still. When he speaks, my heart threatens to stop, forcing me to succumb to an early death. And when he says my name, for just a second, a brief second, I lose my hearing…

My sight.

My balance.

My breath.

My sense of self.

I’m smitten by his smile. His demeanor. His eyes.

The way he walks. The way he talks. The way he laughs. The way he remembers things.

Remember me.

My favorite snacks.

My favorite shows.

My favorite meal.

My favorite color.

There is not much about me that he doesn’t know, except that I might be in love with him. Or maybe, I don’t know what love is. Maybe I don’t know much of anything. But, I know that he makes me feel different inside.

Ding.

Dong.

I pulledthe pages of my diary together and slid my hand across the bed to retrieve the lock. I shoved it through the loops and then pressed on the top, securing the lock. I pushed my diary underneath my pillow and darted out of my bedroom, down the stairs, and to the door.

It wasn’t until I reached the wood that halted. I smoothed down my dress. And then my hair. And then my cheeks. Before opening the door, I took a brief look in the mirror. Opening my mouth, I made sure the nude gloss hadn’t stained my teeth by accident.

“Lyric, do you really have to use all of my things?”

My mother’s voice was lodged in my head. I smiled at the sound of it and shrugged.

“You have the best of everything.”

With a shake of the head and a smile is how all of those conversations ended. But, it was true.

Perfect life.

Perfect husband.

Perfect children.

Perfect home.

Perfect businesses.

Perfect skin.

Perfect memory.

Perfect everything.