Page 73 of Unbound
“We didn’t come for you,” he says, reaching for a beer in the fridge. He practically grew up here so comfort is something he definitely has in my parents’ house.
“I know.” I don’t look up, moving to the table with my notebook in hand. I’m not sure why I don’t, but it mostly has to do with the last time I saw him, we weren’t on good terms and I wonder how much of what he said in anger he meant.
“We’re here for Red,” he tells me, sitting down next to me at the table.
“I know,” I repeat. The last thing I want to do today is make this about me, because if anyone needs today to go smoothly, it’s Red. He’d more than likely murder my ass anyhow. I was on the receiving end of his punch the other night and you know, crazy enough, it’s not something I want to experience ever again.
When Beck opens the beer, he dips his head and waits for my eyes to meet his.
I look up from the set list I worked on last night and push the paper to him. “How’s this look?”
He picks it up. For a second he’s quiet and I know the exact moment he’s going to look up at me and he does. “You’re actually going to play ‘Unbound’?”
I nod, but I don’t say anything, just the title to the sound makes me nervous. “Unbound” is the song I wrote for Sophie after we broke up. The very next day.
My Grandpa Carson, who influenced me musically from a very young age, once told me, “Boy, you can’t write shit until you’ve experienced being in the shit.” He liked to use the word shit. Anyway, I never truly understood him until I had my heart broken for the first time.
It was then with a bottle of Black Label I stole from the liquor cabinet, I wrote “Unbound.” It’s the first song I ever wrote and until the other night, I’ve never played it. Linc and Beck both pushed me to play it about a year ago, but I’ve always resisted.
“I might skip over that one.”
He gives a slow shake to his head, blowing out a breath. “You shouldn’t. It’s fuckin’ amazing.”
“I know.”
He frowns. “You keep saying that.”
I nearly say it again, and then half smile, clasping my hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad you guys came.”
His eyes move to the backyard. “Listen… about last week….”
I hold my hand up before he can say anymore. “Don’t, man. I know why you guys said what you said and you’re right, I was fucking up and I needed a reality check.”
He nods, seeming to understand we don’t need to talk about it. “Are you nervous?” he asks and then the door to the garage closes and in walks a barefoot Lenny, wet feet squeaking as she walks across the tile floor.
“Of course I’m fucking nervous,” Lenny answers, pushing her hair from her face. She’s absolutely soaked from head to toe and looks like she’s been rolling in mud.
I chuckle when I notice she has something white all down the front of her. “What the fuck happened to you? Did Chevy puke on you?”
Lenny glances down at the white spots, then to Beck, then me. “A bird shit on me.”
I eye her from head to toe. “Where were you? Raven’s freaking out.”
“Long story,” she mumbles, walking past us to the stairs. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to shower and look somewhat presentable this afternoon.” And as she’s walking up the stairs, she’s cursing out a bird.
When Lenny’s out of sight, I look back over at Beck and the playlist in front of me. “Most of these we already know. I think we should practice this country one. We haven’t played it before.”
Beck nods, eyes on Lincoln as he enters the room.
“So Red asked you to play?” Lincoln asks, cupping me on the shoulder as he takes a seat next to us.
“Yeah, he did actually.” I laugh, shaking my head. “Shocked the hell out of me.”
He laughs. “And I hear you’re a father now?”
I smile. “Yeah, Lyric.” I give a nod over my shoulder. “He’s out there with Sophie.”
My stare drifts from the boys to the one in her arms. “I may not have done anything good in the last three years, but that little boy, I just hope I can do right by him.”
Beck chuckles and my eyes snap to his. “Holy shit, who are you?”
I laugh and give a slight shrug to my shoulders. “I don’t even know. Reality I suppose.”
