“Well,he was. He would sing songs and recite poetry, and do you know what he went onto do?”
“Uh… Everything?” I laughed.
“Exactly.So, if performing on the streets was good enough forfreakin’Ben Franklin, then performing in mylittlecoffee shop is good enoughfor you.”
Ipressed my lips together in a straight line for a moment to let her frustrationdissipate, and when her arms weren’t so tense, I nodded. “No, you’re right, andI didn’t mean that it wasn’t good enough. It’s just that it’syourdream. You’re living it, and I’m just riding the coattails with my shittyguitar, hoping I’ll catch my big break.”
“Well,”she said, her lips curling into a smile, “I’ve had one dream come true, so whosays I can’t have another one?”
“Andwhat would that be?”
“Tosay that I knew you before you were famous,” she said, reaching over toplayfully tug the bill of my baseball cap down over my eyes.
Onthe outside, I rolled my eyes and brushed her off, readjusting my cap andallowing myself to grin.
Onthe inside, I was screaming and wishing I had just kissed her on the side ofthat lake years ago. To make the only dream I had left come true.
“Youknow,” she said, continuing, “it’s like … like watching a caged birdsometimes.”
Ilooked to her with amusement and the slightest bit of confusion as Dire Strait’sbegan to sing “Money for Nothing.” Good song. Fuckingamazingactually.
“Acaged bird?” I repeated, unable to say it without laughing.
Shenodded thoughtfully. “Poe has this quote—”
“Ofcoursehe does,” I said gently, unable to keep theaffection away from my tone. God, I loved it when she quoted Poe, her securityblanket.
Shelaughed and lightly shoved against me “Shut upyouass. He said, ‘I remained too much inside my head and ended up losing my mind.’You remind me of that quote, and like a caged bird. You have this talent andthese ambitions all bottled up inside you, and you don’t let them out. I’mworried that, if you never release them, you’re going to resent everything.Yourself, this job …me…”
Iheard her, and I knew what she was saying. But, the only thing I found bottledup inside was the overflowing amount of love I possessed for her. And ifanything was going to make me lose my mind, it was that.
“Icould never resent you,” was all I said, and I tipped my head back against thechair and let Dire Straits carry me through the rest of lunch.
?
“Wewanted to wait to say anything …” Brooke said, sitting across from me at theround wooden table. Trent sat to one side of me, and the seat on the other sidewas empty. Waiting.
Myhead lifted at the sight of Kylie carrying a tray of iced teas to the table.Her vibrant violet hair was a nest of coiled curls piled on top of her head ina way that looked so haphazardly perfect. One tendril hung alongside her cheekand as she sat down, I forced my fingers to curl into a fist, to keep myselffrom reaching out and touching it. To tuck it behind herear,orwrap it around my finger.
“Okay?So? What’s up?” Kylie asked. She glanced at me, her impatience evident amongstthe sparkles of blue in her eyes, and I chuckled.
“Seriously,”I agreed. “I’m fucking beat. I still have to drive home, I need to sleep, andyouassholes are keeping me up past my bedtime.”
Trentleaned back in his chair to glare at me. “Fuck you, man. I worked the sameamountof hours as you today.”
“Yeah,well … I’m older,” I pointed out with a smug jump of my brows. “AndIdid all the work, remember?”
“Yeah,whatever,” he groaned with an incredulous shake of his head before wrapping anarm around Brooke’s shoulders. “Devin’sgonnaturninto a pumpkin babe, we have to hurry this shit up.”
Brookesnuggled herself against Trent’s side, and tipped her head back to take him in.“Do youwannatell them, or should I?”
“Youcan do the honors,” he said, grabbing his glass of iced tea, and with moreexcitement than I’ve ever seen her demonstrate, Brooke turned to face us,clapped her hands and exclaimed, “We’re moving in together!”
Myhand stopped on its way to my glass. “What?”
Trentnodded. “Yeah, we’ve been looking at some houses. Brooke’s pushing for afixer-upper, so I think that’s what we’regonnagofor.”
Iwanted to express more happiness than I felt. “Uh, when were yougonna—”
