Chapter 15
Darren
I stayed in the house that day on the following Sunday, only opening the door to let Bo out to pee. I thought about the local cookout and what was my best option.
I wanted to be with Bailey as much as possible before she left, but I also knew that the more time I spent with her, the harder it was going to be to say farewell.
It had taken me years to let go of my strong feelings for her, and only a few days to rope them right back. It was tempting to stay in the house with Bo, not looking at my phone, and not making our situation worse. However, to deny seeing her when I knew she was only a ten-minute drive away felt like madness. Nothing felt entirely wrong or right.
I began to truly worry once I started having thoughts about asking her to stay in Rome with me. I’d asked her so many times before she moved, so I didn’t want to sound like a broken record. But, I hated the thought of her leaving.
I quickly understood that my wanting her to stay there was obviously driven by emotions and not common sense. Even with that knowledge, it didn’t change my unreasonable desire.
These intense feelings stayed with me throughout the day and through the night, even as I was getting into my Focus to leave the house and pick up Bailey.
I picked her up for the cookout, seeing her come out in a lovely sundress that showed off her sexy figure wonderfully. We stayed quiet during the entire car ride, letting the music from the radio fill the silence.
I periodically checked my phone to text Garrett. He was meeting us at the park near the musical stage they had set up. He had arrived there before us, wanting to get in on the delicious food as quickly as possible.
We parked a few roads away from the grounds since there were hundreds of cars lined up all around the place. We walked toward the stage, letting the increasingly louder music guide us. The mood was set already, and we both felt our energy building.
We found Garrett by the stage. He had a burger plate and a plate with grilled chicken and vegetables. Bailey and I eyed the food, then ended up trying it all and jamming to the music on the stage.
Garrett leaned in to Bailey. “So, where’s Leah?”
“I’m sorry?” said Bailey.
“I thought Leah was coming out tonight!” he said.
“Oh. Right.”
Her eyes returned to the stage, while Garrett’s only conveyed confusion.
He scooted closer to me, just out of earshot from Bailey. “What’s that about?”
“Huh?” I asked.
“Why did she blow me off about Leah?” he asked. “Did I come on too strong?”
“I think Leah’s back in Tennessee,” I remarked. “Ask Bailey.”
“No, that’s okay,” he said. “Sucks, though. I was hoping she and I could pick up where we left off, you know?”
“There’s some cute girls here tonight,” I told him. “Why don’t we try and fix you up with someone nice tonight?”
We didn’t work hard on matchmaking for Garrett, but we all had a great time together. We wandered through the grounds, sampling different foods, trying a variety of beers, singing various songs. It felt like old times, but even better than how my memory had retained it. I didn’t want our night to end.
As I was finishing my third hot dog and starting to feel stuffed, a young girl came walking up to us. She was shaking, red-faced and nervous as hell.
“Are you Bailey Wright?” the little girl asked.
Bailey beamed, bending over slightly to get on her level.
“Yes, I am!” Bailey replied. “And, who might you be?”
“Samantha,” the little girl answered.
“Samantha, I would be so down to get a selfie with you,” gushed Bailey. “What do you think? Picture?”
“Yeah!” Samantha almost cried.
Bailey happily talked with Samantha, while Samantha’s mother was busy getting her phone out to take pictures. I stood back, watching, enjoying how much Bailey was enjoying her taste of fame.
“So, what you gonna do, homie?” Garrett asked me playfully.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You know damn well what I mean.” He nudged me in the side. “Dude, you’ve got love in your eyes so bad for her! Come on, let’s stop fucking around.”
“I don’t have anything in my eyes for no one,” I snapped. “I’m just here having a good time with my two closest friends. Can’t we just have that for a while?”
Garrett nodded but didn’t heed my words. “When you moving to Tennessee?”
I sighed. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I don’t know what’s been going on with you two, but you gotta—”
“I don’t gotta do anything,” I said with pure agitation. “You’re right. You don’t know what’s been going on with her and me. So, mind your own business.”
“Gee whiz, bro, sorry.”
I instantly felt bad. I tried shoving him on the shoulder playfully.
“I’m sorry,” I told him. “I’m not ready for her to leave. And, I want her so goddamn bad. But, I—we’re—”
Bailey was taking many pictures with Samantha and one of Samantha’s older sisters. They all looked like they were in heaven. It was really cute.
I sighed again. “We have work tomorrow. Let’s talk about it then, all right?”
“Fine,” he consented. “But, I definitely know you two did it.”
I smirked, chuckling. He shoved me in the shoulder.
“Ah?” he continued. “You two totally hooked up, didn’t you?”
“I’m neither confirming nor denying. Let’s leave that for another day. How about that?” I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.
After their photo session was complete, the three of us scooted next to the stage, sitting down close together with me in the middle. We listened to the music, carrying on casual small talk during the slow parts of a song. We were digesting our food and pondering on what direction the night was going to go.
Bailey sat into me, holding her phone out, aiming the phone’s front camera on us. I saw our reflection on her phone, and I instantly felt weird.
“What’s this?” I said into her ear.
“We’re taking some selfies!” she replied. “I’m going to pop your selfie cherry here tonight, baby! I hope you’re ready for it.”
We took selfies together, each subsequent one improving subtly on their predecessors. It was hard for me to find a suitable pose and face for it. I didn’t ordinarily take pictures that had me in them.
After we were done, she was texting me all of the selfies she’d taken. I loved them, but it had nothing to do with the guy in the frame. I would treasure these pictures because I could see more of her. Although I had to admit, it felt good to see me look happy again.
The stage had gone quiet, and the crowd began talking more among themselves. I put my arm around Bailey’s shoulder, attempting to be as nonchalant about it as possible.
“So, how much longer do I have you?” I whispered to her.
“I’m not sure,” she answered. “I can kind of go whenever I want. I’m writing, so I’m getting some work done, sort of.”
“Oh, nice!” I said. “How does it go?”
“‘How does it go?’”
“I mean, what does it sound like? What are the lyrics? Or the chords. Do you remember? If it’s new, I guess you wouldn’t. I’m shutting up now.”
I felt like a complete fool. I’d only had a few beers, so I wasn’t drunk. I hadn’t become like that around a woman in a long time. I felt like a kid.
She smiled empathetically. “I don’t have the music written yet, just the lyrics. I know how I want it to sound, but I’m not sure what I want to do instrumentally.”
“We used to do it acapella all the time back in the day,” I recalled. “If you’re down, you should sing it.”
“You’re asking for that after you wouldn’t play or sing with me when I wanted?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “Buddy, this music stuff has to work for both of us. We do things as a team, you should remember this.”
“I remember,” I said while I thought about how masochistic I felt.
The more it felt like my forgotten past was returning, the more conflicted I became. I thought about how I didn’t want it to end. I was so desperate for us to stay alive that I was contemplating going to Memphis for a visit.
Then, like a hot knife cutting through me and disconnecting my train of thought, Bailey’s voice rang into the air:
“Are you real? Are you really here beside me?
Do you feel? Do you feel that spark between us?
It’s not just in my head. It’s in the way you love me.
Our moment isn’t dead. It’s in the darkness waiting, waiting to return
You’re better than reality, better than my imagination…”
I could tell that there was more than that, but I was grateful to get what I did. Garrett and I burst into applause, which she returned with bows.
“Thank you so much,” said Bailey. “I’ve had that in my head all day. I hope I can figure out the right music to go with it.”
“I’m sure you will,” said Garrett. “I wanted to hear the rest of it!”
I both wanted to hear the rest of it and wanted it to end. I couldn’t ask it out loud, but I wondered if the new song was about her and me.
She angled her cell phone again and took yet another selfie of the two of us together.
“What was that for?” I asked her.
“Because I know exactly what you’re thinking,” she answered. “I miss that— being able to look at you and know precisely what was going through your head.”
She leaned her head into my chest, cuddling up into me unashamed.
“You’re going to take over,” I said to her.
She laughed. “We’ll see.
Garrett eventually left, intent on crashing on his couch and ending the day with more beer. Bailey and I walked around in between sitting on a random bench or finding a suitable spot in the grass. The crowds never dwindled, and the people were fueled by good times.
I walked us over to a vacant building a block away from the grounds, taking her by the hand and escorting us inside when we found the door unlocked.
The building was impossibly dark until I found the light switch. Once I flipped the switch, I was hit with nostalgia. I hadn’t been inside that tiny building for nearly two decades.
“What’s this building?” she asked. “I never went in here.”
“This is where I used to go for Cub Scout meetings,” I reflected. “We’d tie knots, build those little toy cars and rockets for competitions. Oh, this is where I got my first knife. My little Scout knife still works!”
She laughed. “I totally forgot you were in the Scouts. Um—I can’t see you as a Boy Scout.”
“Well, I didn’t stay in Scouts for too long,” I reminded her. “I didn’t see me as one, either. If we’d had actual music courses in grade school maybe we’d have had a more active social life as kids.”
“What would it have mattered to you?” she went. “You’re not playing music anymore. What are you missing out on?”
She was trying to stir me up and have a little fun. I didn’t take the bait.
“It doesn’t look like there are any beds or cots here so we could take a nap,” she said. “Maybe we should head back outside.”
Then, I strolled back over to the light switch, flipping it back off. In the little light that managed to pierce through the windows and doors, I was able to see her outline.
Once I’d gotten up to her, I grabbed onto her and held her tightly.
“I’m real,” I muttered.
I pulled her into me, kissing her lips, overflowing with overwhelming need. I didn’t just want Bailey Wright. I needed her. I needed to taste her sweet mouth. I had to feel her breath and hear it. I needed to grow and thrust inside of her, and I needed to feel our bodies work together to create something incredible.