The hush in the audience is palpable, and every girl up front is turning her head, looking around, trying to figure out exactly who she is—every girl but the one I’m staring at. Avery crosses her legs nervously, perched atop one of the stools at the end of the bar. I see Claire come over behind her and poke her arm, teasing her a little, and I see a few of the girls up front notice and cover their mouths to giggle.
The song starts with the melody I played for Max—just me playing soft and slow, and I close my eyes to really take it in, make sure I get every note right. When I look back at Avery, she’s chewing on her fingernails again, but her smile spreads the entire span of her face. God that smile—I’d do anything for it. I lean forward so my lips brush the mic, and I start to sing.
Maybe I’ve been too daft to notice. Maybe I was just too young.
Whatever it was that kept us from us. Whatever that was, it’s done.
I hate that I missed…
Every moment…
That you needed someone by your side…
But I won’t falter now.
The band kicks in on the break, and the crowd starts literally swaying with us—like those crazy things you see when Springsteen sings one of his classics. Un-fucking-real!
I look back at Avery, and she has both hands over her lips, her eyes soft and watering. I love that everyone is getting to hear this song, and I can’t believe how people are reacting to it, but truly—this girl is the one that matters. And seeing her face look like that has my heart pounding out of my chest.
What if I could go back? What if you changed your mind?
Would you still want me so bad, if I wasn’t so damned blind.
I hate that I wasted…
So many kisses…
Before my lips knew yours…
Perfect. All you are is perfect.
Time won’t let us go back to the place we used to know,
but I won’t stop till you let me love you completely.
My heart, breaking in two, that’s what you’d do, if you didn’t let me…
Oh girl just let me, love you…completely.
I can’t help myself when the band breaks into their solo, and I walk to the side of the stage, down the steps and right to where Avery is sitting. I push my hand into the hair that falls down the side of her face, and pull her to me for the deepest kiss of my life. When I back away and smile, her eyes are drenched in tears, but I know they’re the good kind, and I mouth “I love you,” and head back up to the stage to finish the song out with the guys.
The crowd absolutely loses it after that, and we make it through six more songs before wrapping it up for the night. All anyone wants to talk about is the kiss, and my song. I hear Ben working his angle with some girl, telling her how everything we do is collaboration. I don’t really care, whatever helps him with his game. All I want to do is get to Avery.
My mom finds me before anyone else, and she squeezes me in her arms like I’m still a little boy. “Mason, you were so good. I’m so proud of you,” she gushes. My mom always gushed when I played, so I sort of take her compliments at half value.
“Thanks, mom. Hey, you see Avery?” I ask, trying to lift my head up high enough to find her in the crowd.
“I think she had to get Max home, hon. She was here for most of the show, though. I think she maybe missed the last song,” she says, and for some reason, I’m filled with worry that she left. I pull my phone from my pocket and dial, but she doesn’t answer. I try again, but still no answer.
“That…was the shit!” Josh says, his arm draped over my shoulders while he downs what’s left of his beer. “Dude, if you can write more crap like that, we’re totally going to get picked up again.”
“Thanks, man. Seriously, you guys killed it,” I say, pounding knuckles with Matt and nodding to Ben. “Even you, you drunken ass**le.”
“You love me,” Ben slurs, his hand already on the ass of the girl he’s marked for tonight. The sight of it actually makes me laugh, because not so long ago, my hand would have been on some stranger’s ass too. But all I want now is Avery…Avery!
I text her quickly, taking a minute before the next barrage of people come up to us to talk.
Are you okay? My mom said you had to get Max home. Is he okay?
I keep my phone in my hand so I can feel it buzz with her return, and I continue talking with people who all want to tell us how much they liked the show. The more people collapse on me, the more overwhelmed I am with the need to climb right through their asses and race to Ray’s to make sure Avery and Max are okay. I finally see Ray standing behind a group of girls all waiting to get my attention, and I start to move through them. One actually grabs the front of my jeans when I walk by—holy shit!