Smart, Sexy and Secretive

Her brow furrows, and she lays a hand on her chest. “Have I ever said that Logan is a mistake? Ever? That boy is the best thing that has ever happened to you.”

Even with everything that’s happened, she still thinks that? I lean forward and wrap my arms around her. “Thank you.”

“What can I do to make things better between you and your father?”

“Get him a lobotomy?”

She rocks her head back and forth like she’s mulling it over.

“Neuter him?”

Her eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. “I think not.”

“Ew,” I groan. But she makes me laugh. “He can’t keep holding his money over my head. Or their heads, for that matter.” I cross my arms in front of my chest.

“I think you’ve shown him that money isn’t a motivator for you. Or for them.” She glares at me.

“What?” I ask.

“What can I do to make it better between you and your father?” she asks again.

I shrug.

“When is your show?”

“Tomorrow night.”

“Do you want him to be there?”

Do I? I don’t know if I do or not. He won’t appreciate it either way.

“Think about it,” she says.

“Bring him there. It’ll be the last time I ever worry about pleasing him if he doesn’t show up.”

She nods. She gets it, I think.

Emily

Tonight is my big night, and the auditorium is completely filled. The announcer goes to the microphone and welcomes the audience. Julliard does nothing in small measures when it comes to performances and this one is no exception. There are lights and cameras and there will be action.

I’m a little nervous as they call my name. Dr. Ball assures me no one has ever performed a piece like this, and he’s worried about my overall presentation. The timing has to be perfect or none of it will work. I have practiced and practiced and practiced some more. I have barely had a moment with Logan all week, because I have been perfecting this piece. And he’s been a little preoccupied with Pete’s situation. But every night, I sleep in his bed. Every day, I wake up in his arms. Every minute, I know how much he loves me. Even with all the trouble Pete’s in, Logan is dedicated to me. Pete has a public defender, but his fate is still undecided.

I walk onto the stage, and I can’t even see the audience past the lights. But I can hear all the Reed boys as they call my name and cheer. I raise my hand to shield my eyes, and I can see them there. They’re on their feet clapping for me. The rest of the audience is subdued, but Sam yells, “Get ’em, Emily!” He makes me laugh. Paul whistles through his teeth at me. I’m so glad they’re here. The person I most want to see isn’t there, though—my dad’s not with them. My mom is but not Dad.

I should have known he meant what he said when he’d left me that night. I should have known that he was done. He’s proven it now. But then I see people in the row stand up, and a male form scoots down to join the four Reed brothers and my mom.

My dad’s here. He’s really here.

Tears prick at the backs of my lashes. My dad is not standing and clapping with the boys. He looks put out by it, honestly. I wish my dad had the same kind of enthusiasm that the Reeds have when it comes to my music.

I sit down on the stool in front of the microphone, and I plug my guitar into the amp. I speak into the crowd. “Good evening, friends, family, and distinguished guests.” I take a deep breath. “I hope you all will indulge me because I’m going to try something new tonight.” I laugh. “I wanted to take my music to a new level.” I shrug my shoulders. “I just hope you like it.” I look toward Logan. Then I look at my dad. “And I hope he likes it.”

I set up the screens and projectors behind me before the performance, but as I start to play my guitar, I begin with a simple melody. I look over my shoulder to make sure my timing is right. Butterflies light up the screen behind me, and I play along with their movements. I have timed everything perfectly. They don’t just fly; they pulse. They pulse along with the rhythm of the song.

I see Logan sit forward in his seat. This part is for him. This part is so that the can feel the rhythm and movement of my song. This is the treble clef that he’s missing. This is the part he can’t feel in the beat of the bass through the floor. But he can see it.

I keep playing, and the butterflies move up and down with the notes of my guitar. They fly high and they fly low, and they keep shifting with the beat.

I open my mouth, and the butterflies become the words of my song. I have timed them perfectly to my tempo and my melody, and they grow large when my words are strong and small when my words are soft. The words on the screen are for Logan. The theatrics of this piece are all for him, but the words coming out of my mouth are for my dad and my dad alone:

You’ve been asleep for some time now .

I’ve been watching you for a while now.

This is oh so hard when you’re awake

Because when you look at me I just start to ache.

I try to be

All that you want to see,

But you know how it goes.

Nobody else knows

That I can’t be what you need me to be.

I look at the words on the page

As they swim and they rage.

They fight me even though I try,

Sometimes I still wonder why.

The storm rages all around me.

What I need is for your arms to surround me.

But what I get’s not the same.

I get scorn, pain, and shame.

I try to be

All that you want to see,

But you know how it goes.

Nobody else knows

That I can’t be what you need me to be.

I look at the words on the page

As they swim and they rage.

They fight me even though I try,

Sometimes I still wonder why

What can I ever say

To make you love me today?

I’m willing to forget yesterday.

I need you… .Mmmmmmmmmmm

I try to be

All that you want to see,

But you know how it goes.

Nobody else knows

That I can’t be

what you need me to be.

I look at the words on the page

As they swim and they rage.

They fight me even though I try,

Sometimes I still wonder why.

You’ve been awake for a while now.

Can you love me no matter how,

Can you take me as I was born

Instead of insisting reform?

You’re supposed to love me no matter what,

But I can see you’d rather

Have anyone but me on your side.

This has been a long ride.

Every time I’m ready to give up on you

He won’t let me give up on you

Even though you gave up on me long ago, Dad.

I can’t help that I was born this way,

But you can help that you see me that way.

Because I am not broken,

And I’m still always hoping

That one day you’ll see I’m just me…Dad.

The music stops and the spotlight on me dims as the crowd falls completely silent. I wipe the tears from my face and set my guitar to the side. The stage lights are taking forever, and I can’t figure out why.

There’s a pregnant pause. Maybe I went too far. Maybe I should run out the back door rather than face the scorn of the audience. I just poured my heart out up here. And I did it for one man. Sure, the lights and the performance were for Logan. I wanted him to know what I had to say, and he wouldn’t hear it in the words of my song. The rest of it…

I hear the sound of hands clapping together. It’s not a crowd of people. It’s just two hands clapping. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. It’s slow and methodical. And then I hear his voice.

“Well done, Emily!”

My heart leaps into my throat. That’s not Logan or any of the Reeds. That’s my dad. My dad is clapping for me.

The stage lights come on, and I can see him standing at the foot of the stage. He’s clapping like crazy, and he has tears running down his face. Certainly, it didn’t affect him this much.

“Emily!” he yells, his hands cupping his mouth, even though I’m only ten feet from him. “I’m so proud of you!” He yells out words like “brilliant” and “amazing” and “awesome” and he turns to someone behind him and says, “My daughter is so talented. Did you see that?” He’s crying unabashedly, and so am I.

The crowd is getting over my dad’s emotional outburst, and they all get to their feet, clapping for me. I walk toward my instructor and he says, “Excellent job, Miss Madison.”

“Did I do all right?” I ask him quietly. He points toward the crowd. They’re all on their feet. They’re giving me a standing ovation. “Wow,” I breathe.

“Congratulations, Miss Madison. I’d say you’ve found your calling.” He motions me forward. “Take a bow.”

I step forward on quivering legs and bend at the waist. The crowd is applauding wildly, and my dad is still standing directly in front of the stage. He’s the loudest one of all. He holds up one finger to tell me to wait. I see him dodge around the side of the stage and up the stairs. And in front of the entire auditorium, my dad sweeps me into a hug. He spins me around in a circle, my feet flying. “I’m so proud of you, Emily!” he yells.

He still hasn’t wiped all the tears from his face, and he doesn’t seem to care. He speaks in my ear. “I never knew, Emily. I’m an idiot. I never knew.” He squeezes me to him again. “That was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.” He takes my face between his palms and stares into my eyes. “Can you ever forgive me?”

He lets me go without waiting for an answer and stalks over to the microphone. “That was my daughter,” he says. “I had no idea she had that kind of talent.” He stares at me, his voice cracking. “I’ve never been so proud.”

The teacher beckons us off the stage with a quick flick of his wrist. I drag my father toward the back curtain and slip behind it. Waiting there are all the Reed brothers and my mother.

Sam gets to me first. He scoops me up and spins me around. “You showed them,” Sam says in my ear. He smacks the side of my face with a loud kiss. Paul ruffles my hair with his huge hand, and Matt pulls me to him and holds me tightly.

“Did Logan leave?” I ask him when he finally steps back.

He shakes his head, smiles, and points over my shoulder. Logan is leaning against the wall. He’s not rushing toward me. Instead, he’s standing there with his foot flat against the wall, his knee bent. He has a bouquet of roses in his hand.

I love you, I sign.

He hands the flowers he’s holding to my mom and then he signs back. You were brilliant up there. He points to my dad and grins. Just ask him. He’ll tell you. But then he sobers. You did it, Em. You did it.

I know what my dad thinks. I want to know what Logan thinks. What did you think you of my performance? I bite my lower lip.

I’ve never known what music felt like before, and I know now. Thank you. But I already knew you were f**king brilliant.

I run over and wrap my arms around him.

He tips my face up. “No one has ever done anything like that for me before.”

“I’d do just about anything for you.”

My mom finally gets to hug me. “You should have seen your dad’s face the minute you started to sing. He had no idea you had that in you. And then he realized the words were about him. He sobbed through the whole performance.”

“I did not sob,” my dad complains, his voice gruff but playful.

“Cried?” Paul suggests.

“Boohooed?” Matt tosses in.

“Wailed like an infant?” Sam says.

My dad huffs, but he’s not angry. “I’m just so proud of her!” My heart expands in my chest at his words.

Logan drops an around my shoulders. “So am I.”

Paul yells, “I think that’s pretty much unanimous!”

“I’m starving,” Sam calls out. “Can we go get a pie?” He rubs his stomach.

Dad laughs. “The pie is on me.”

“Better make it pies,” Paul says. “You’ve obviously never seen these boys eat.”

We start to the restaurant on foot, since it’s only a short walk away.

My dad puts his arm around my shoulders and walks with me. “You really surprised me tonight,” he says softly.

“I can tell.” I laugh. But it’s not a funny topic, not to me.

“I’m sorry, Em. I should have heard you play a long time ago. I would have understood why you have this passion for music. You’re talented.”

I wrap my arm around his waist and lean into him. “Thanks, Dad.”

Logan and the boys have already crossed the street, as has my mom. I stoop to tie my shoe, and my dad stops in the middle of the road. He waits for me.

I hear the screech of the tires before I even see the car careening in our direction. The ice on the street is thin and black and hard to see. The car can’t stop. My dad stands there immobile, frozen in the headlights. The car swerves, but it’s not enough. My dad is directly in its path.

The scene freezes in my head, like a film played in slow motion.

“Dad!” I call. I run toward him, but then I look over his shoulder, and I see the moment Logan makes his decision. His blue eyes meet mine, and he looks directly into my face as he steps into the path of the oncoming car and shoves my dad to safety. My dad falls onto the concrete beside me, and the car hits Logan directly in the knees. He flies over the hood and rolls into the windshield. The car skids into a parked car with a screech of its brakes and a furious turn of the wheel. Logan falls from the hood of the car and lands on the concrete. He lies there. I watch, paralyzed with fear as I wait for Logan to get up and shake it off. But he doesn’t. He doesn’t move. And then I see the blood spreading across his forehead.