Whiskey Lullaby

by Keren Hughes

  Rhi and I talk about whether or not she should get up and sing once she’s had another drink or two. She’s got a great voice, but also gets stage fright, so she needs a couple of drinks for liquid luck.

  If only I was Harry Potter and could pretend to slip some Felix Felicis into her glass and get her up there without feeling so nervous.

  “What would I even sing?” she asks as she sips her drink slowly.

  “Umm … how about ‘Cry Pretty’?”

  “I’m no Carrie. I can’t sing that.”

  “Yes, you can. I hear you sing it all the time.”

  “But not so bloody public.”

  “Maybe not, but you have the voice for it.”

  “How about something a little more … I don’t know ...”

  “No, decision made. You are getting up there and singing that song.”

  “Damn, look at you being the bossy one,” she says with a pout.

  “Yeah, well, someone has to be when you’re dithering.”

  “Thanks, babe, you’re such a good friend.”

  “Hey, less of the sarcasm. I am a good friend,” I reply with a nudge to her ribs.

  “Woah, careful woman, you’ll spill my drink.”

  I get up to fetch the next round and put her name down to sing while I’m up.

  As I slide back into the booth, I see her surreptitiously slide her phone back into her clutch bag. I open my mouth to ask about it, but she shuts me down with a hard stare. She’s up to something; I just need to figure out what.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Brent

  I am more nervous than when I used to get up on the stage with the boys. But along with nerves, I feel a rush of adrenaline. I’m a mixed bag of emotions right now. I have no idea how she’ll react.

  I reach for Jeri-Lynn, pull her strap over my head and cradle her to me. I feel my heart beating a staccato rhythm in my chest. I breathe in a deep breath, hold it for a moment, then release it. Holding out my hand, I see it tremble slightly.

  “You’ll do fine, dude. You just have to sing from your heart,” Evan says as he claps me on the back.

  “Are the boys here yet?”

  “Five minutes out. They’ll be here in time, don’t worry. When have we ever let you down?”

  “Never,” I confirm with a sigh.

  He’s right, they’ve never let me down and they aren’t looking to start now. When I told them both about my plan and that Evan was already here, they were only too happy to catch the next flight out.

  I strum the first few chords of the song softly, giving me something to do with my hands and channel this nervous energy.

  “Yo, Brent!” Asher calls as he enters the room the manager kindly allowed us to use.

  “Bro,” Jude says as he pulls me in for an awkward hug around my guitar.

  “Glad you made it, boys.”

  “Glad to be asked, man. It’s going to be epic.”

  “Yeah, maybe. I’m not sure.”

  “Stop doubting yourself, man,” Jude says as he pulls his guitar from its case.

  “I can’t help it. I just feel so fucking nervous. What if she rejects me?”

  Evan cuffs me around the back of the head and the boys laugh it up.

  “Will you stop it? I saw the way she looked at you back at your house. She still feels something for you. You just have to show her you love her instead of telling her.”

  “And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have special guests joining us on stage,” I hear the emcee announce. “Please give a loud round of applause for the one, the only, Whiskey Lullaby.”

  There’s raucous applause as we file out of the side room onto the stage. People are cheering as we take our places, but I tune it all out as I survey the room, wanting to see one person and one person only.

  I spot her in a side booth with Rhiannon. The look on her face is one of incredulity. I’m guessing Rhiannon kept her word and didn’t tell her why they were coming tonight.

  She looks stunning. A purple jumper that hangs off one shoulder, her pink hair trailing down one side of her neck. I bet if I was close enough, I’d smell her strawberry shampoo.

  I take a seat behind the microphone set at the front of the stage, and the boys take their places behind me. One last show as the four of us. This should feel incredible, but I feel butterflies in my stomach, or maybe they’re moths considering how hard their wings seem to be beating. I have to get a grip on myself.

  “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” I say into the microphone, and the crowd applaud loudly. “This isn’t exactly a first for us, seeing as we started off at open mic nights just like this one. But it will be our last as the four of us.”

  I take a gulp from the water bottle that’s at my feet before continuing.

  “You may have heard that I left the band, but for one night only, we are back together again to perform a song I wrote for a very special lady. I don’t mind telling you all, she means the absolute world to me, and I want her to know just how deeply in love with her I am. So, ladies and gentlemen, this is ‘The One That Got Away’. ”

  I softly strum the intro with my eyes closed. Looking up, I open my mouth and feel like I’m pouring my heart out of it.

  As I’m playing, the boys join in, and so do the members of the audience that we had strategically placed around the room to join in. It’s like that scene in one of her favourite films where Heath Ledger gets up and starts singing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and the brass band strikes up and start to play. Only this time, it’s a lady with a violin, a man with a cello and another man with a guitar.

  Okay, so it’s not a whole band ensemble like the film, but it’s as close to it as I could get.

  “I wonder, does she think of me at all? I miss her love; I miss it all.”

  Looking directly at her as I end the song, my heart flutters in my chest as I see the raw look in her eyes. She takes my breath away and I can’t help the lone tear that falls.

  Wiping my eyes discreetly—I hope—I swig back some more water as the crowd applauds.

  Caleigh stands up and hesitates before pushing past people in the opposite direction of me. My god, I blew it. What the hell do I do now?

  I look at the boys and they look at me. They look as bewildered as I feel. My eyes pick out Rhiannon in the crowd as she follows in Caleigh’s wake.

  Was I wrong? Did she feel nothing when we were all together at my place? Are we supposed to be friends or nothing at all? What the hell do I do now?

  I want to leap down off the stage and follow her, but it’s as plain as the nose on my face that she doesn’t want me to.

  Jude claps me on the shoulder and guides me back to the side room. I sit on the stool and put my head in my hands. My heart feels like it’s been cleaved in two. Not neatly either; it’s a goddamn mess and I don’t know if it will ever heal.

  The boys remain silent as the tears begin to fall and I tug at my hair, wishing I could tear it all out by the roots.

  “What the fucking hell do I do now?” I shout.

  “Chase after her,” Evan says bluntly.

  “Why? It’s clear how she feels now I’ve poured my heart out and she’s rejected me.”

  “Boy, for a smart guy, you really are dumb sometimes. I saw how she looked at you back at the house, and there was nothing but pure love in her eyes.”

  “Ev, she loved me once and I screwed it up. Then I thought we were getting somewhere recently. I had it all planned out to show her I loved her instead of just keep repeating the words. But now she’s run off to god knows where and I-I just c-can’t…”

  I trail off as more tears fall. Unscrewing the bottle cap, I chug the remaining water.

  “I can’t keep chasing after a woman who doesn’t want me.”

  “Has she told you she doesn’t love you? You asked her to tell you that and she never did, did she? She can’t say those words because they aren’t true. Pull yourself together, get out there and find her. Look in every corner of the
bar, call her mobile, call Rhiannon. Do something!”

  “Gee, thanks Ev, call a spade a spade, why don’t you?”

  “I will until you get it through your thick head. Give me your damn phone and I’ll call her. You have to do something; you can’t just sit here and mope.”

  I pull out my phone and see two missed calls and a text from Rhiannon.

  >We’re in the back car park, come and get her.

  I don’t have time to explain to the boys as I take off running. The message was sent five minutes ago, and every second I waste sitting with the boys is a second closer to the girls leaving.

  Pushing through the crowd, I don’t have time to stop for selfies or to sign autographs, I just shout my apologies to everyone I pass.

  At last I find the rear exit and push the door open so hard it bounces off the wall.

  “Caleigh,” I call as I look around for any sign of her.

  “We’re over here,” Rhiannon calls with a wave.

  I can just about see them with the dim light of the hallway and the blinking lights on the car park. Of course, it would be too much to ask for them to actually work. Sprinting over to them, I stop and put my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath.

  “I’ll, umm, I’ll leave you guys to it. Caleigh, I’ll be back inside if you need me, okay?”

  I smile gratefully at her before she disappears.

  “Caleigh?”

  She looks up at me, and even in this dim light, I can see she’s been crying.

  “Caleigh, please talk to me.”

  “I-I d-don’t know what t-to say.”

  “Look, I’ve asked you this once before, but I’m going to ask you again. Tell me you don’t love me, and I’ll leave you alone.”

  “I c-can’t say that, Brent.”

  “Then tell me what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours. Please, Caleigh, I’m not above begging. I’ll get down on my knees if that’s what it takes.”

  “I w-was overwhelmed.”

  “Did I royally screw up?”

  “No. No, it wasn’t you. I just … I felt awkward with people looking around to see if they could spot who you were singing about. It was a beautiful gesture, so romantic and sweet … I was just a little overwhelmed by it all. You on stage, singing to me as if I was the only woman in the room …”

  “You were the only woman in the room, Caleigh.”

  I kneel down in front of her, not giving a damn if my clothes get dirty.

  “When you’re around, the whole world fades into oblivion.”

  “That’s part of what scares me, Brent.”

  Her words are so quiet I barely hear them.

  “What, that I love you so much?”

  “Yes … and that I love you just as much.”

  “You do?”

  The fact that she loves me makes my heart start to beat again.

  “I do, Brent. I really do. And that’s scary to me, because I haven’t felt this way since Angelo.”

  I put my arm around her, and when she doesn’t flinch, I pull her closer to me. As she snuggles into my chest, I inhale her strawberry shampoo.

  “Loving you makes me feel alive again, Brent. After Angelo, I was so broken. There was an empty void in my life where he had once been. Then for so long it was just me and Hardin, nobody else mattered. But then you came along,” she says as she looks at me, taking a deep breath before continuing, “and with you, you brought laughter, happiness, love. I hadn’t imagined myself with someone else until you.”

  “I’ve never been in love,” I say as I cup her face with my hand, “until you. You’re it for me, Caleigh. I know I messed up. I messed up bad. But if you’ll let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me.”

  “I want to. I’m just scared.”

  “But you want to try?”

  I stare into her beautiful eyes, the dim light of the car park making it hard for me to see the gorgeous green gems that they are.

  “I do.”

  That’s all I needed to hear, and I’m sure my heart skips a beat.

  Leaning in, I slant my lips over hers, using my tongue to seek entry to her mouth. She submits to me and I kiss her deeply. It’s fiery, passionate and hot enough to scorch the earth.

  “Come home with me?” I ask as I break the kiss.

  “I-I c-can’t. I’m meant to be staying with Rhi.”

  “Please, Caleigh? I need you. You can get a taxi back to hers later.”

  “Let me text her and see if it’s okay.”

  She pulls out her phone, and as though Rhiannon had been waiting for her to ask, Caleigh smiles and puts her phone back in her pocket before leaning in to kiss me.

  “She said yes,” she whispers.

  “Then what are we waiting for?”

  I take her by the hand, and it’s like little sparks of electricity travel along my skin. I’ve missed this so much.

  ***

  I almost drop my keys as I try and unlock the front door. I’m nervous like a teenager all over again. Caleigh giggles and takes the keys from me, slotting the key in and opening it first time. God, I’m making myself look incompetent. But better she knows that now, I think to myself as she waits for me.

  As she closes the front door, I push her up against it, my mouth crashing down over hers. She kisses me back with just as much fervour as she reaches to push my leather jacket down my shoulders. I slide it off and drop it on the floor. Then I cage her up against the door with an arm on either side of her head.

  It’s been too long since we did this, not counting the time she branded a mistake. I’ve yearned for the soft touch of her lips, the taste of her strawberry lip gloss—which is missing tonight, which is a pity—the intoxicating scent of her and the feeling of her body pressed against mine.

  Soft hands explore my torso and my breathing hitches. She reaches for the hem of my t-shirt and lifts it up torturously slowly as she slides her hands over my chest. I slide my arms out of the sleeves and she drops the material along with my jacket. I shiver as she kisses down my neck and to my Adam’s apple. All the hairs on my arms are standing on end, goosebumps evident on my skin.

  “I’ve … missed you … Caleigh,” I say, but it comes out in little gasps as she continues to kiss across my collarbones and up the other side of my neck.

  “And I’ve missed you,” she says as she traces a path of kisses along my stubbly jawline.

  Pulling back slightly, I cup her face in my hand and stare deeply into her eyes. They’re afire with lust and I’m sure are a reflection of how my own must look right now.

  “Let’s not do this here,” I whisper into her ear as I kiss down to the hollow of her throat.

  She shivers as I kiss her as delicately as a butterfly’s wings.

  I take her hand in mine and walk to the bottom of the staircase. I don’t want her to change her mind, but I’m giving her time to back out, just in case.

  “Why are you going so damn slowly? Get your sweet ass up those stairs,” she says as she smacks said sweet ass.

  “I love it when you’re so demanding,” I reply with a wink over my shoulder, before pulling her upstairs as fast as I can go without stumbling.

  Kicking my bedroom door open, I turn around and sweep her off her feet. She squeals and giggles as I pepper her face with kisses before lowering her reverently to my bed.

  When I moved in, I obviously bought all new furniture. This bed is brand new and ready to be christened with this stunning pink-haired goddess.

  I kick off my shoes and lean down to undo the zip of Caleigh’s jeans. She’s wearing the ones she wore last time, the ones that look painted on. I peel them down her legs to reveal a purple lacy thong. As if my heart couldn’t race any faster. I reach her feet, and her purple heels are so sexy that I put them back on once I’ve pulled off her jeans.

  Tracing my hands up her silky skin, I watch as she shudders underneath my gentle touch. She’s so perfect, it should be illegal. I could sta
nd and look at her all day long. No, not a day, that wouldn’t be long enough.

  “I could get impatient, you know,” Caleigh says, snapping my attention back to her beautiful face.

  “Sorry, baby, I was just admiring the view.”

  “Admire it from a little closer up then, huh?”

  “Happily.”

  I strip down to my boxers and sit beside Caleigh as she sits up and pulls her jumper off, exposing a matching lacy bra. She really is stunning, especially naked—or nearly naked.

  Lying back, she pulls me with her. I lie beside her and wrap her in my arms. Her lips meet mine in a frenzy. I’ve never known such a passionate woman. She’s incredible, but what’s more incredible is that she’s mine.

  I kiss my way down to the swell of her breasts, down the valley between them and unhook her bra as I go. She drops it to the floor and exposes her perfect breasts. Reaching out, I brush my thumbs over her nipples and they instantly pucker.

  Tracing a line down her stomach, I kiss all the way to the edge of her thong, earning me little moans as I go. I position myself between her legs, nudge them wider open and put my hands behind her knees, raising them from the bed.

  Slowly, very deliberately, I kiss my way down one thigh and then the other. Her knees tremble as I take my time. Caleigh grips the sheets beneath her, but when I don’t go to directly where she needs me to be, she grabs my hair and tugs me closer.

  I kiss her over her lace thong, making her whimper and writhe beneath me.

  “Brent, please …” she pants.

  “Please what?”

  “I need you.”

  “Where?”

  “You’re going to make me say it?” she asks, her voice an octave higher.

  “No baby, I want you to show me.”

  I look up and see her cheeks flush pink as she uses her fingertips to push down the sides of her thong. Her ass comes off the bed as she shimmies them down to her knees, where I slide them off the rest of the way.