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I prop the guitar in the floor, stand and walk to my backpack, pulling out a warm bottle of water for her and a Gatorade for me. I tiptoe toward her, the water bottle extended.
Her gaze lands on the bottle, a slight twitch in the corner of her mouth before she takes it.
"You want to talk about it?" I whisper.
"About what?" She twists the cap and then pinches it between her thumb and middle finger, shooting it across the room. She gives me the glare that would have had me quivering in my boots three days ago.
"This." I wave a hand behind me. "I've always known you were a perfectionist, but this is the next level. What are we trying to do here?"
"Apparently embracing failure." Her bark turns into a bite and this time, it does sting.
Every word takes a chunk out of me. "I'm sorry for not meeting your expectations, Ariel."
"Don't apologize." She takes a long swallow, and my eyes refuse to look away. Even like this, sweaty, angry, and frustrated, she's a stunning beauty. She'll accept nothing less than perfection. I shouldn't be hurt; I should take notes. "Don't ever apologize for being who you are."
She must read the confusion on my face, and an even darker thought enters my head. "Is this about last night? Do you have regrets?" I can barely push the words out of my mouth.
"Hell no." For the first time since we kissed this morning, the sparkle returns to her eyes, and I realize she's telling me the truth. She steps to me and presses her lips to mine. An unnecessary gesture, but one I adore. Her kiss is filled with as much passion and energy as she applies to her music, and I'm honored to be held in such esteem.
"Don't ever doubt last night," she whispers between kisses. Her hand pulls on the bottom of my T-shirt before finding its way underneath. Fingernails scratch across my chest, erasing the last of my doubts, and have me flying once again. "I'm looking forward to some alone time tonight. I've gotten your brother and Emily tickets to a pre-festival open mic show." She chews on my bottom lip, and I forget my name.
"And tonight…" Her sensuous smile forces me to hold my breath. "When we have some quiet time… I want us to talk about the future."
I exhale a breath that has felt like I've held it for a dozen years. The future, words I've waited forever for someone to whisper to me. "I'd like that."
She twists me at my shoulders and smacks my bottom. "Now get your cute butt over to that guitar, and let's get this right. It's important."
I grab the guitar by the neck and give her a nod. I'll hold my questions. I bite my tongue. I still have no clue why it's so important for me to get this song right. I still have no clue why she hasn't mentioned the performance schedule. I could let doubt and anxiety get the best of me, but I won't. Not with the taste of her lingering on my lips.
I trust that she'll share when she is ready. And until then, I'll concentrate on getting this song right and bringing us one step closer to tonight. A summer night alone with Ariel in my arms.
***
Chapter Twenty-One
Adam
There must be something in the air. After I climb back on the rehearsal seesaw with Ariel, Laredo returns to the studio.
Quiet, contemplative, and respectful.
Initially, I chalk it up to the early morning hour when he didn't pivot every conversation in his direction. And even though Ariel and I are together, I still half-expect him to continue to hit on her. It's his default position.
But now, I know something else is off with him. He's spent two hours working on music, a task that usually has him bubbling and talking a mile a minute. Instead, he has returned as if reporting to the principal's office. He hands the revised notes to Ariel, but not before I notice the uneven circles he's drawn. The last word from the I'll Never Apologize title underlined twice and circled.
I'm seated at the control desk alongside Laredo, who has his head down, staring at nothing. "Bro? You good?" I shove the arm of the swivel chair, and he rolls about six inches without reacting.
"That song." His gaze flickers up to the glass, Ariel on the other side. The mics are turned off, and we can't hear a sound. And neither can she. "You wrote that. Is it about me? Us?"
Damn. I didn't put it together. It hadn't even crossed my mind he'll make the connection. A song about an unequal relationship where one person feels abused yet, no matter what, they still love the other.
A large part of the song is inspired by our complex relationship. Words that had remained locked in my head. Words I had lacked the courage to put in writing. Yet, after hearing the pain in Ariel's voice when she talked about her mom, I knew I needed to match her bravery and share. I wasn't the only one with these feelings.
I completed the song with visions of Laredo and me, but also Ariel and her mom. And for all the other people in lopsided relationships that they can't walk away from.
"I'm sorry." Laredo's voice cracks, and his eyes flit from me to the sound board and back. "I'm sorry for being an ass to you all the time."
"Not all the time." I try to lighten the mood. His head shakes tell me I've failed.
