Our Song
Page 16
You let me be strong,
Didn't say it was wrong.
You opened my eyes to see
It's okay to be me.
We're like a symphony,
Notes in a perfect melody.
We'd tried every song in the book,
Our parents', our friends', every line, every hook.
We listened, and we would sing,
But they didn't mean a thing.
They didn't ring true,
So I wrote this one for you.
And when Asher joins in, there's never been anything that felt more right in the world.
We make the most glorious song.
We should have seen it all along.
No one to tell us if there’s notes that are wrong.
This, this is our song.
We play the lead up to the bridge, and I look Asher in the eye, hoping to give him a bit of courage, since this part's all on his own.
I'd give it all up to see the light back in your eyes.
I'd carry the burden to save you from those petty lies.
I fell for you so long ago,
but it took the lake to show,
Us that...
I have a few tears in my eyes, but I swallow them back so we can finish the song together.
We make the most glorious song.
We should have seen it all along.
No one to tell us if there’s notes that are wrong.
This, this is our song.
This, this is our song.
***
“Well, Asher and Becca, it has been great having you on the show today. But before we go, I believe, Asher, you have something special you wanted to say?”
What in the world is Staci talking about? We’ve already discussed everything I can think of.
Asher rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah,” he puffs out, almost laughing. “I did tell you that, didn’t I?”
Meg gets this huge grin on her face and says, “Yes you did. Why don’t you dive right in?”
Why would Asher have told them he has something to say that he didn’t talk to me about? I just don’t get it. And it must show on my face, because Asher reaches out to smooth my crinkled brow line.
“I’ve been wanting to say this for a while now, but I wanted to find the perfect moment. And, well, this moment seemed like a pretty good one.” The perfect moment for what?
“Becca. I have loved you from the moment I met you in Sunday school, all the way back in the third grade. Girls may have had cooties, but I never minded being infected.” This makes me giggle, as well as the audience, and the smile on Asher’s face gets even wider. “We’ve been through many of life’s ups and downs together, and I’m kinda hoping we’ll be able to go through all the rest of them together. As husband and wife.” He reaches into his pocket, then gets down on one knee, causing tears to immediately come to my eyes. His cerulean blue ones stare into mine, and for once, I don’t look away. “Rebecca Grace Haines, will you marry me?”
We may be in an auditorium full of people, but I only see him. This man that, if I’m being honest, I’ve loved since the third grade too. It’s just him and I on that stage. That is, until I hear my mom shout somewhere out in the crowd, “What took you so long?!” Asher and I both start laughing, along with the entire audience.
There may be tears streaming down my face, but they are tears of pure joy. Asher opens the ring box, and inside is something I never expected, but fills my heart so full of joy and love. He definitely must have asked permission from my parents, because nestled between two pieces of velvet is my grandpa’s wedding ring. I know, most girls hope for a big diamond in a fancy setting when they get engaged. But this ring, with no stones, just a small etched design, means more to me than even the biggest diamond money can buy ever could.
“Well, I never expected to be proposed to in front of a live studio audience, but after a speech like that, how could a girl say no?”
Acknowledgments
I'm sorry y'all, but this is going to be a long one. There are so many people that need to be thanked for helping make Our Song become a reality.
First and foremost, I have to thank God for giving me the ability to take something horrible that happened to me into something good. For allowing me to hopefully help others who have experienced dating abuse to have the courage to do what is best for them.
Next, you all must know that I never would have written anything if it hadn't been for Rachel Harris. While I was her assistant, she constantly encouraged me to write. And what started out as a short story I was playing around with because of her encouragement ended up turning into this novel.
Megan Rigdon and Staci Murden, I never, ever would have finished writing this book if it weren't for you. Your brilliant ideas and constant encouragement made this book what it is. The chapter with Phase 10 became what it was because Staci totally envisioned the game in her mind before I even wrote it. And those lyrics? About 75% Megan. She took about six lines that I had written, and turned them into something beautiful.
I also must thank my family, for putting up with me being anti-social, all the time, because I was reading, or writing, or blogging...I'd say my anti-social behavior was finally going to stop now that my book is done, but who am I kidding? You already know I'm working on three other story ideas.
Katie John, I can't thank you enough for all of the bookish discussions we had over food and drink that really helped me figure out what on earth I was doing with this story! (And for taking a look at Our Song before it hit e-readers and bookshelves everywhere!)
I can't skip over two people who really helped me hone Becca and Asher's story into what it is today. Collette West and Trisha Wolfe, thank you SO much for taking the time to read my book before it was ready for public consumption, and for all of your fantastic notes, and metaphorical red pen marks.
And have y'all noticed the gorgeous cover on this book? That was all Jen Showalter's doing. She did an absolutely phenomenal job taking Becca and Asher's story and turning it into a book cover that absolutely represents what Our Song is about.
Thank you to the girls in Rachel Harris's Flirt Squad for helping me to make the back cover blurb the best it could be!
loveisrespect.org must also be thanked. Not only did I find a ton of information that helped me write about the correct way for Becca to deal with some of the things that I hadn't personally experienced, the people I contacted that work at loveisrespect are all super helpful, and so nice.
And last, but certainly not least, thank YOU for taking a chance on Becca and Asher's story. I can't even begin to express how much it means to me that you took the time to read my book.
loveisrespect.org
If you, or someone you know, is experiencing dating abuse, please think about contacting loveisrespect.org
You can call, text, or chat with peer advocates, day or night.
Call: 1.866.331.9474
Text: LOVEIS TO 22522
Chat: 24/7/365 on their website
You can also follow them on many social media platforms including:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/loveisrespectpage
Twitter: http://twitter.com/loveisrespect
Loveisrespect is the ultimate resource to empower youth to prevent and end dating abuse. It is a project of Break the Cycle and the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
About the Author
Ashley Bodette is a soon-to-be MA publishing graduate from Kingston University London. She started her venture into the book world as a book blogger, never imagining that one day she'd write a book. Now, you couldn't stop her from writing if you tried.
Along with writing and providing editing and other author services, you also might find Ashley crocheting, watching British television shows on Netflix, playing piano, singing around the house, or, of course, curled up with a good book.
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