by K. A. Linde
Damon pulled the door open. He was on the phone but gestured for her to come inside. Her guard automatically went up. It had only taken her fifteen minutes to get over to his place, and already, he was on the phone with someone else again.
“Hey, I’ve got to go,” Damon said, closing the door behind her. “Yeah. It was good to talk to you, too. Sure. I’ll let her know. Night. Love you.”
Trihn recoiled into herself and hurried over to the living room. She dropped her bag down on the coffee table before turning back to Damon. She anticipated the blow that was sure to follow.
“Hey,” he said with a bright smile. “My mum says to tell you that she hopes you can come by this week for dinner. She said she’d make whatever you wanted.”
“That was Mel?” Trihn asked hesitantly.
Damon cocked his head to the side. “Yeah. Who did you think it was?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just…”
“Think I throw I love yous around pretty casually?” he asked with a gleam in his eye.
“I…well, I don’t know what I thought.”
“Well, I don’t. Just to my mum.”
“That’s good,” she admitted. She didn’t want to tell him what she’d thought was going on.
“So, do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I’m just under a lot of stress, and it’s making me irritable.”
Damon took a seat on the arm of the couch and looked up at her with those all-knowing eyes. He looked so good in a plaid button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and dark jeans. He’d done his hair for once instead of the mess it was usually in from his hat. But she still wanted to run her fingers through it. Looking at him made her realize how crazy she had sounded earlier. It was much easier to feel safe when she was with him.
“I know you’re under stress, but it’s more than that. I called to tell you the good news about talking to the manager, and you nearly bit my head off. I just wanted you to be happy for me.”
“I am happy for you.”
Damon questioningly raised his eyebrows.
She sank down onto the coffee table and faced him. “I want to be happy for you.”
“But…”
“But I’m also terrified,” she whispered. She hated how vulnerable she felt with that admission.
“You’re terrified? Why?”
“This whole thing is terrifying. We just started dating. I’m putting myself out on the line. And then, the first time things shake up, you ignore my call.”
“I didn’t ignore you,” he said immediately. “I was just talking business.”
“I know. I get it. I do. But when Preston didn’t return my calls, it was because he was with Lydia.”
“Trihn, I’m not Preston,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I’m not sure what I have to do to convince you of that.”
“I know you’re not.”
“Do you?”
Trihn closed her eyes and tried to calm down again. “If I thought you were like him, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”
“Okay.” Damon held his hands up. “I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I know you’re struggling with trust issues. You told me that, but please don’t hide what you’re feeling from me. I need to know, so I can be there for you.”
“I’m not used to talking about my issues, and I feel incredibly stupid about having any issues when your dreams are coming true.”
Damon reached out and took her hand. He looked her dead in the eyes. “You’re my dream come true.”
Trihn gave him a half-smile and a look filled with disbelief. “You can’t say those kinds of things when I’ve been a total bitch.”
He laughed and drew her into him, tucking her up on his lap.
“You’re not a bitch. You’re worried and letting it get to you. And I can say those kinds of things because they’re true.”
“I just…don’t want to put effort into this, only to eventually lose you,” she whispered her biggest worry. “Your music is taking off. You’re going to get busy and have crazy fans and Chloe and…everything. I don’t know how I fit into any of that.”
“Look, none of what you’re worrying about is set in stone. It’s all completely up in the air. We can’t stress about it before it has even happened. They could come back to me and say that the executives thought I sucked. No record deal. The end. You know?” he asked. He squeezed her a little tighter and pressed a kiss on her shoulder. “But either way, you’re not going to lose me.”
“You’re not worried at all?” she asked self-consciously.
Damon laughed lightly and ran a hand back through his hair. He seemed to have forgotten that he’d actually done it. “Of course, on some level, I’m worried. All I want to do is live in this moment with you, get to know you, and have a normal, easy relationship. I’m lucky to have this opportunity with you and with the music. Without you, I wouldn’t have any of this. So, I just want you to see that, no matter what happens in the future, I want to be with you. Just let me.”
Trihn snuggled into his chest and kissed his neck. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’ll try to be more open. I don’t want you to think you’re the only one invested in this relationship. I worry about the future because I don’t want to lose you.”
“I know.” He tilted her head up and kissed her lips.
She broke the contact with a smile. “Can you play that song for me, the one you turned in to her manager?”
“Which one?” he asked.
“You know, the one about the girl at the party. I’d never heard that before you showed it to me for the manager.”
“‘We Never Met,’” he said with a laugh. “You like that one?”
“Yeah. It’s catchy. Plus, who doesn’t like a good love story?”
Damon shook his head. He looked like he wanted to say something more, but he just stood and carried her into the bedroom. He effortlessly set her down on the bed, and then he took a seat across from her and tuned his guitar.
“Oh, acoustic,” she said with a smile.
He glanced up at her, and then he started singing. He was good with a soft, breathy tone to his voice that worked well with the pop and hip-hop beats. But this was raw and real.
“Walked into the club. Music up, crowds pumped.
With one smile you flipped my world.
Heaven knows you draw me in.
And only hell knows what I’d do for just one chance.
I’d give it all up for the girl at the party.
Ready. Set. Go. Light me up.
It’s time. No saying sorry.
And one day I’ll find the courage to say:
That I know you’re the one.
Even though we never met.
Yeah I know that you’re the one.
Even though we never met.”
Damon went through the second verse and then repeated the chorus twice before strumming the last chord. He smiled up at her, and she realized her heart was racing. With the backbeat, all the other instruments, and his amazing mixing skills, the words would get lost in the music. She had never really grasped exactly what he was singing about. It had just been another catchy song that would probably kill it on the radio and in nightclubs.
But this was different.
Because she was pretty sure that song was about her.
“When did you write that?” she whispered.
He smiled. “A couple of months ago.”
“Before we met?”
“If you’re asking if the song is about you, then yes, it is. All musicians have a muse.”
“You didn’t even know me!” she said with a laugh. She stood and walked over to him.
He placed the guitar down, and she straddled him.
“That’s the point of the song. You were the girl I’d give it all up for.”
“You’re something else, you know that?”
He brushed her hair back. “I take that as a compliment.”
Then, he was hungrily kissing her, as if all the pent-up frustration had finally broken. He hoisted her up and they fell into bed together, stripping each other’s clothes with ferocity. Their bodies melded together. They took their time, savoring the feel of one another.
They knew that everything might change, but today, they had each other. And that was what was important.
When they finished, Trihn curled up in his bed. Damon retrieved his phone from the other room and placed it on the nightstand. Then, he jumped into the shower. She wanted to join him, but she was just so tired. She yawned and felt like she could succumb to sleep at any minute. Her eyes closed, and she burrowed into the pillow.
A loud buzzing jolted her out of the half-sleep she had fallen into. She glanced over at Damon’s phone. Her eyes fell on the lit up screen. It read Chloe in bright letters.
“Damon!” She snatched it up and hurried into the bathroom.
“Hey, you decided to shower. Get your cute ass in here.”
“Chloe is calling.”
“Shit!” He switched the water off and stepped out of the shower, with water dripping down his abs.
She got completely sidetracked by every glorious muscle that was slick and taut. He hastily draped a towel around his lower half, breaking her out of the spell, and she handed him the phone.
“Chloe?” he asked eagerly into the phone.
“I’ll just…” Trihn pointed at the door and walked back into the bedroom. She put on sleeping clothes, crawled back into bed, and waited to hear why Chloe was calling him in the middle of the night.
She could pick out a few of the words coming from the other room but nothing substantial. She was jittery with nerves for him.
After their talk, she’d felt so much better about them going forward. Now, all she felt was excitement for what was to happen in their future. Sure, there would always be factors that could change their relationship, but that would be a possibility with or without the music. So, she at least wanted him to be happy.
When the conversation ended, Damon walked back into the room. He tossed the phone down onto the nightstand, sighed heavily, and frowned.
“What happened?” she asked softly. She sat up on her elbow. A whole new world of fear hit her.
Then, a smile lit up his face. “I’m in!” He jumped onto the bed and wrapped her up in his arms.
“Oh my God! You’re still soaking wet!” she yelled.
He laughed and kissed her hard on the mouth, not releasing her. “They want me to record a song with Chloe for her upcoming album.”
“That’s incredible.”
“I leave for Los Angeles next week.”
“Oh, wow. So soon?”
“Yeah. They said that she only has a few more songs to record, and this will be the last session that they do. I’ll be there for a couple of days, and then the album will release over the summer.”
“That’s insanely fast-paced.”
“I know. Everything is kind of happening out of nowhere. One night, I’m deejaying at Posse, and the next, I’ll be recording with Chloe Avana in LA.” He kissed her again, as if he couldn’t seem to stop doing it in the midst of his excitement. “You and I have nothing to worry about, okay? This doesn’t change us.”
“I know,” she said. “We’ll do it together.”
“Yes, we will.”
“I SHOULD BE BACK by the end of the week,” Damon said a week after getting the recording schedule.
“I know. I’ll just miss you.”
“I’ll miss you, too. But maybe it will be even less time,” he said optimistically. “Chloe is a pro at this stuff, and everything should run smoothly.”
“I wish I could be there with you.”
He laughed and softly kissed her. “I would love that, but I think you’d be bored. It’s, like, eight-to-ten-hour days. The studio is putting me up in a swank hotel, but I have a feeling that I’m going to be so exhausted that I’ll just crash every night.”
“No, you won’t. You’re a night owl.”
“True. Then, I just won’t be productive in the mornings.”
Trihn wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. “You’re going to be great.”
“I’ll be back before you even know I’m gone.”
“Doubtful.”
“Well, at least you have your model call this week to keep you busy. The fashion show is only a month away. It’ll probably be good to have the extra time to work on your designs.”
“I know you’re trying to be helpful,” she said with a smile, “but nothing is as good as having you here.”
He squeezed her tight and picked her up off the ground, bringing his mouth to her lips. “Man, I’m going to miss you.”
“You should go before I decide not to let you leave at all.”
He planted another kiss on her lips. They lingered there like that for a minute. It was a moment mingled with sadness and happiness. They were both excited for Damon’s future and sad that it was going to take them apart.
Then, he quickly released her and got into his car. She had wanted to go with him to the airport, but he didn’t want her to miss any school and thought that might make it even harder to say good-bye. They had basically been inseparable, and it was going to be hard enough with him going away for those few days.
Trihn sighed and got into her own car. She headed back to her apartment and entered into silence. She hadn’t spent a night here in over a week. She felt bad that she hadn’t seen her friends as much, but she knew they understood and were happy that she’d found a stable relationship.
Trihn slammed the door shut behind her and trudged to her room where she changed for class. As she was walking out of her room, Stacia entered the apartment.
“Hey, stranger!” Stacia said cheerfully.
“Hey yourself. Where have you been all night?”
“As if you’ve been here.”
“Nah, I was with Damon. He left for LA today.”
“That’s so awesome!” Stacia skipped over to where Trihn was and took a seat on the couch. “I can’t believe everything that’s happening for him.”
“Me either. It’s pretty unreal.”
“Definitely. I mean, who knew that going to that concert with Bri would change your life?”
“Change Damon’s life.”
“Well,” Stacia said thoughtfully, “yours, too. Now, he’s going to be gone a lot. And if all goes well—and it’s Chloe Avana, so duh—he’ll be recording albums, going out on tour, and doing promotions all year round!”
Trihn frowned. “Yeah.”
She swallowed hard and tried to remind herself of all the things that Damon had said to her. They would be okay. They could make it.
“That’ll be amazing for him. At least I’ll be around the apartment more,” she said.
“No one blamed you for being gone. Anyway, the apartment has pretty much been empty. Bri has been at Eric’s, and I’ve been with Marshall.” Stacia giggled at the end of her statement.
“So, does that mean that you and Marshall are together now?” Trihn asked. She knew it was always a tough call with Stacia. Her relationship status usually changed from one day to the next.
Stacia shrugged. “I’ll get him there. Right now, he’s in it for the sex.”
“And you?”
“I’m in it for the money.” Stacia winked.
“No, you’re not!” Trihn said, laughing at her friend. She had finally gotten Bryna to see the insanity behind her gold-digging ways. She was bound and determined to get Stacia to see it, too.
“Well, he doesn’t have any money yet, but when he gets drafted next year, he will. And then I’ll join the NFL quarterbacks’ wives club!”
“Is that a real thing?”
“Duh!” Stacia flipped her short blonde hair and relaxed backward on the couch.
“Such high goals you’ve set for yourself.”
“I would take that as a compliment, but I know you’re being sarcastic,” Stac
ia said. “You’re dating a soon-to-be mega-successful music star. It’s really not any different than a star quarterback.”
Trihn sputtered in disbelief. “Damon was a nobody when we met and started dating!”
“And so is Marshall.”
“A college quarterback at a major university is hardly a nobody.”
“Details, Trihn!”
“Okay,” she said, holding up her hands.
She couldn’t argue Stacia’s logic with her. Stacia had no intention of listening to a word Trihn said.
But Trihn did know one line of conversation that would get Stacia to break out of this bubbly character. “Have you heard from Pace?”
Stacia stiffly sat up and seemed to retreat in on herself. “He’s been around,” she said softly.
“Around like, you’ve been sleeping together? Or around like, he wants to get back together?”
“Just around. I don’t know,” she said, looking down at her hands. “I miss him sometimes, you know?”
Trihn knew where she was coming from. Pace might have been a total asshat, and Stacia might be a dumb blonde cheerleader, but together, they had seemed to work. It hadn’t made sense, but it’d worked for them.
“Does he know that you miss him?”
She scoffed. “As if I’d tell him. He’s so arrogant. He would use that to his advantage, and I can’t be with him the way he is now. Plus, I have Marshall…and that’s what matters.”
“I just think that Marshall seems like a tactical choice, and Pace seems like one that comes from your heart.”
“Pace is a quarterback, too, Trihn,” Stacia reminded her. Her eyes were wide, as if she didn’t want to consider that she actually cared for Pace.
“I know, but he’s not the starter. You don’t even know if he’s going to the NFL.”
“I don’t want to talk about Pace,” Stacia said quickly. “We broke up. We’re…whatever…on and off again whenever he feels like it and isn’t fucking someone else. I’d rather talk about Damon and him working with Chloe and your model call! I’m really excited for that.”
“Me, too. Are you and Bri still coming to the studio to help out this afternoon?”
Trihn had booked out the studio for her model call. She’d emailed some of her friends who she’d modeled with in the past. She hadn’t heard back from anyone, not that she had really expected to. The university didn’t pay for models, and unless she wanted to pay out of her own pocket, she would have to get a bunch of models with little to no experience. Offering free headshots and runway experience wasn’t exactly the same as hiring models for a magazine shoot. Having gone through this process herself, she knew it was going to be an ordeal. She had a feeling she was going to be there all night, even with Bryna’s and Stacia’s help.