Redemption Song

by Melodie Murray

  Is this really happening?! Alaina shook all over. Cam had reached an all time low. Not only had he lied to her, but he’d told all his new buddies that they had some type of friends-with-benefits arrangement worked out between them. Alaina had never felt more violated in her entire life. The most she’d ever done with a boy was the innocent kisses she’d shared with Ethan outside his grandmother’s garden.

  Josh’s lips touched her ear and began to move down her neck and panic raced through Alaina’s bloodstream. She prayed loud, pleading prayers of rescue in her mind. The night couldn’t end like this. She couldn’t find out that her supposed best friend was a totally fake liar and have her innocence forcefully yanked away at the same time.

  The words Please God! Please help! played over and over again in her mind.

  Suddenly, when all hope seemed lost, her mouth opened next to Josh’s hot breaths and the words that came out didn’t even seem to be her own—as if she was having an out of body experience. Her tone was surprisingly steady, her strength returned, and as Josh was moving his hands to the skin of her torso underneath her shirt, she spoke the words that brought him to an abrupt halt.

  “I think you need to go find Kim before I do.”

  Josh backed away and glared into her eyes. Alaina wondered for a moment if he was going to hit her or just go back to taking advantage of her. But then, to her relief, he backed away.

  “You know, Cam was right,” he said. “You are a . . .”

  Alaina cringed at his last word, but all she cared about was the fact that he was gone. When Josh was completely out of sight, she did the only other thing she knew to do.

  She ran.

  Alaina ran as fast as she could. She dodged the dancing couples and jumped over the passed-out bodies in the street. She ran and ran and ran until a good distance separated her and fraternity row. It wasn’t until she’d almost reached the edge of campus that she finally slowed her pace to a swift walk. Tears streamed from her eyes; she was no longer able to contain them. Alaina looked to the sky above her as she reached the edge of campus and exited onto St. Nicholas Avenue. The time was nearing midnight and the sky should have been black, but the lights of the city made it glow an iridescent greenish yellow.

  Alaina paused at the campus entrance and tried to regain her focus. What was she going to do now? She was stranded in the middle of New York City with no money and no place to go. She didn’t know anyone. Didn’t have anyone to call . . .

  Or did she?

  No, she couldn’t possibly call him after all this time. Would he even care enough anymore to come?

  Alaina took one more glance up and down both sides of the dangerously dark city street. The protective crowds of people from earlier that morning were no longer there. Alaina was alone . . . she hoped. Yep, she had to call. Alaina yanked her phone out and found his number with ease. She’d almost dialed it probably a thousand times over the past year or so but had always turned back. But not this time. This time she had no choice. She just hoped that the biggest pop sensation of her decade hadn’t forgotten about her completely.

  Five solid rings sounded and Alaina was about to give up on him answering when a drowsy voice came on the line.

  “He . . . hello?”

  “Ethan it’s me, Alaina.”

  The voice awoke instantly. “Alaina, oh my gosh! How are you . . . wait what’s wrong?”

  His excitement to hear from her mixed with his concern where he’d immediately picked up on the fact that something was wrong, made her heart break all over again. He did remember her and he still knew her well enough to know when to be concerned. Tears broke loose from her eyes again as she explained to Ethan where she was and what had happened. The words came out in a rush and it was all she could do to get them out. She wasn’t sure when Ethan interrupted her, but she heard the worry in his tone.

  “Alaina, listen to me and do exactly what I say, okay? Go back inside the campus. Get off the street. Go to the Student Center and find a table that’s well lit. I’m coming to get you, but it’s going to take me a bit to get through town. If you feel uncomfortable there, go wait for me at the campus police station, okay?”

  Alaina nodded.

  “Alaina?”

  “Yeah, I’m nodding,” she said. “I’ll be there. Thanks, Ethan. I owe you one.”

  Ethan didn’t reply. He’d already hung up. Alaina turned and headed back into campus, quickening her pace toward the brightly lit Student Center. She understood Ethan’s concern. An eighteen-year-old girl out alone in the middle of the night in an inner city college campus didn’t exactly scream safe.

  But if she could only hold on for a little longer, everything would be okay. Because, unlike Cam, Alaina trusted Ethan. He’d lied to her about his visit to Granny Mae’s, but she’d realized long ago that he’d only done it to keep from hurting her. All Ethan had ever done was things to make her feel better and to laugh. He’d made her feel safe. He’d made her happy. And the excitement of the chance to finally see him again, face to face, shrouded Alaina’s fear as she found a booth in a well lit corner of the Student Center. And it was there that she waited for him.

  Chapter 32

  Ethan

  Ethan’s heart pounded as he jumped from his bed in the Upper East Side apartment he shared with his mother. He didn’t even bother to wake Ted, who’d moved in only a month prior. Luckily, he no longer needed Ted’s driving assistance in the city—their companionship now was one based on friendship and trust. Ethan had recently purchased a black Expedition with the money he’d pulled in from the release of the single he’d written during his stay in Fairhope. He raced down the apartment building stairs and launched into an all out sprint toward the parking garage.

  The sound of Alaina’s voice was all it took to flood Ethan’s mind with memories of their time together. Ethan had done everything in his power to forget Alaina, but it wasn’t happening. She was permanently etched in his soul and he hadn’t felt whole since he’d left her. And now, she was there. She was in New York City and she was calling him. But Ethan knew Alaina’s tones by heart and he could tell when she was happy, or mad, or sad. Her tone tonight held the latter two of these qualities but it also contained something else that he’d never heard from her.

  Alaina was scared.

  All he’d translated from her blubbering story was that she was in New York at the City College with Cam. Something about a tour and a party. Some guy named Josh. Something about a plane and luggage. And then all he’d heard were the words that echoed over and over in his mind as he pulled out of the private parking garage onto Lexington Avenue.

  Ethan, I need you.

  He’d longed to hear nothing else since she’d yelled at him to leave her alone on the pier that dreadful night this time last year. He knew that she was only asking for his help now as a favor to a friend, but Ethan couldn’t care less. Anything just to see her again. Luckily, he wasn’t too far from the university, and being that it was in the middle of the night, traffic would be slightly lighter than normal.

  Ethan drove as fast as he could without getting pulled over, sending up verbal prayers for Alaina’s safety until he could get to her. Ethan wasn’t certain of the details, but somehow he knew this mess had something to do with Cam. Ethan could hardly believe it when he’d seen Alaina and Cam together at the hospital outside Ben’s room, but he had seen it. He’d wondered then what Alaina was thinking hanging out with that loser, but he’d hoped that somehow Cam had changed like he had. Alaina was an amazing girl and Ethan held faith that she could change anybody if they only hung around her long enough. But something had happened tonight. Cam had not pulled through for Alaina. Somehow, she was alone on a deserted street with no one there to protect her and absolutely no experience in how to deal with the dark nights in a city like New York.

  The possibilities of what could happen to her if she didn’t make it to the Student Center raced through his mind and caused his stomach to do flip flops. His foot pressed a li
ttle harder on the gas pedal as he turned from East 116th Street onto St. Nicholas Avenue. The campus loomed ahead under the dull sky. Ethan pulled into the campus and swerved into the first visitor’s parking space he could find. He’d performed at this college several times when he was first building his career and knew its layout fairly well, at least enough to find the Student Center.

  This time Ethan didn’t even bother donning his baseball cap and sunglasses. He didn’t care about the fans or the paparazzi or the cameras. All he cared about was the girl that sat alone in the building ahead that needed him.

  Ethan bounded up the concrete staircase two stairs at a time until he finally reached the large double glass doors to the Student Center. He entered the dining area and darted his eyes in every direction trying to find Alaina.

  And there she was.

  Sitting all alone and looking just as tiny and beautiful as ever, was the girl that Ethan had sworn to never stop loving. He moved toward her at a pace near a jog but stopped in his tracks when her eyes darted up to meet his. Their gazes held for what felt like an eternity and Ethan stood frozen, unsure of what to do next. All he wanted was to run to her and pull her into his arms, but so much time had passed between them. And he’d caused her so much pain. Did she even know he’d changed? Did she even know that it was because of her that his life was on the right track? Did she know she’d saved his life? He looked deeper into her eyes, but he couldn’t see anything behind the tears. And just as he couldn’t hold back going to her any longer . . . he didn’t have to.

  Alaina jumped up from the deserted booth and raced toward him. He thought his heart would pound right out of his chest as she reached him and buried her head in his neck.

  “Thank you, Ethan.” It came out as a whimper.

  Ethan couldn’t reply. All he could do was relish in the feel of her head in its rightful place on his shoulder. The familiar scent of her perfume and shampoo. Involuntarily, Ethan’s arms wrapped around her and his fingers ran through her hair just as they had always done before everything crumbled. She broke out into sobs and all Ethan could do was try to comfort her. He didn’t understand what she’d been through tonight, but he understood how she felt right now. If he hadn’t worried that she’d think him a big sissy, he would have cried right along with her. This moment, Alaina in his arms, was all he’d wanted for the past year.

  “It’s okay,” he said gently. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

  Ethan held Alaina for a solid fifteen minutes as she cried out all of her tears and got a grip on her emotions, but to him it really only felt like seconds. Eventually, she pulled away a few inches and buried her head in her hands, shaking it with a groan of frustration.

  “Ugh! Why is it that every time I see you, I cry about something?”

  Ethan let out a slight laugh. “Don’t worry. I have that affect on girls.” He swiped the hair out of her face and reached his thumb under her chin, lifting her head so that her eyes met his. “What happened tonight, Alaina? What are you doing in New York? Why are you crying?”

  Alaina sniffed and took a deep breath. She linked her arm in his, the fingers of her other hand grasped around his inner elbow. “C’mon,” she said. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll explain on the way.”

  Alaina did explain. She explained everything, starting with how she and Cam had come to hanging out again in the first place. She told Ethan about Ben’s stay in the hospital. She told him about the generous donation from the anonymous giver that allowed her to cut her hours at work and spend time with her brother before he died. Ethan remained quiet during that part, but couldn’t help but smile. She told him about how Ben passed on to be with Jesus and her parents. She told him about finishing school over the summer and receiving her diploma. Then she went into how she’d wound up in New York and how it’d led to her calling for his rescue services in the middle of the night.

  When Ethan learned of Cam’s drunken confession and the things he’d said about Alaina that had provoked Josh to corner her in a way that made his skin crawl, it was all he could do to not forget everything God had taught him in the past year, and march into that frat party and show Cam just how far he was willing to go to protect Alaina. But it wouldn’t have done any good. Cam was just . . . Cam. That’s all there was to it. Alaina should have seen it coming from day one. Ethan knew it and she knew it, too, whether or not she would ever admit it out loud. Instead, Ethan tried to stay focused on keeping his breaths steady and dwelling on the fact that Alaina was safe now. In the end, that’s really all that mattered. Cam would get what was coming to him whether it be in this life or the next. God would see to that and Ethan would leave it up to Him. Right now, his sole focus was directed toward the girl with the cascading dark hair and illuminating eyes that occupied the passenger seat of his vehicle.

  He’d pulled out of the college and was headed toward some place called the Morningside Inn. Alaina said that her luggage was there. When they arrived, he pushed the gear shift into park and started to turn the motor off, but Alaina held her hand up to stop him.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said with a smile. “I’m just going to run in and get my bag. I’ll be right back.”

  “Okay, I’ll be here.”

  A few minutes later, Alaina returned with a dark purple rolling suitcase in tow. This time Ethan did grab the hat and glasses, seeing as there were a lot more people around the entrance to this hotel as there had been on the deserted campus. He jumped out of the Expedition and jogged to the passenger side to help Alaina load her suitcase into the back seat.

  “Still a gentleman, I see.” She smiled as Ethan pushed the bag a little farther in and opened her door for her.

  Ethan just shrugged, closed her door as she reclaimed her seat next to him, and went back to the driver’s side.

  “So what happens tomorrow when Cam doesn’t know where you are and comes here to find your luggage is gone?” Ethan asked as he drove back onto the quickly populating street.

  The sun wasn’t quite rising at that point, but it would begin within the hour, and the New York life was already beginning to quicken. Not that it settled much during the night, but it did slow down a bit sometime before sunrise.

  “I left him a note,” Alaina replied nonchalantly. “It said, 'You’re a jerk. I went home. Don’t call me.'” A light giggle escaped her mouth. “Too much?”

  Ethan grinned. “Nah, sounds pretty good to me.”

  Alaina tilted her head to the side, her eyes shifting up and down Ethan, studying him to see if she’d remembered everything accurately—his eyes, body shape, hair, lips. Everything. Turns out, she hadn’t forgotten a single thing.

  “I want to thank you again for coming to my rescue tonight,” she said. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been home or hadn’t answered your phone or hadn’t been . . . willing to come.” Her focus went back to the front window, her eyes adverting from his.

  “That would never happen, Alaina.” Ethan couldn’t hide the sincerity in his tone. “I would never ignore your call. I would never refuse to come if you needed me.”

  Alaina had a wistful look, but her focus remained fixed on the window. “I think I knew that deep down or I wouldn’t have called.”

  Ethan took a chance and reached his hand over to give her shoulder a light squeeze. “You can always call.”

  A silence fell between them and Ethan turned back onto Lexington. Finally, Alaina broke the silence.

  “So, what have you been up to? Is your tour over?”

  Ethan tried to hold back laughter. Was his tour over? That was an amusing understatement. In the respect Alaina was referring to—the pop singing, Bruce worshiping, teenage girl heartbreaking singer he’d once been—his career was over. Was it really possible that she hadn’t stayed caught up on his life at all since they’d parted? He wasn’t sure whether to feel slighted or to be proud of her for once again being different than every other girl he’d ever met. He contemplated telling her about everythi
ng that had happened since they’d last spoken—the press conference where he’d come clean about the drunken driving, the leaving his record label, the leaving behind his old life and dedicating his new life to the service of God instead of himself. He contemplated telling her about how he’d switched to singing Christian music and how God had finally provided him with a way to write and sing his own songs. He wanted to tell her that he was singing with a purpose now and that he owed it all to her.

  But somehow, the time didn’t feel right. He didn’t want to have to convince Alaina that he’d changed. He wanted her to notice based on his fruit. And if she was anywhere near as perceptive of his actions as she’d once been, he was sure she’d figure it out soon enough.

  The sun was just beginning to peek out between the edges of skyscrapers when Ethan pulled back into the private garage of his apartment. Losing the hat and glasses, he made his way to Alaina’s side of the vehicle, removed her suitcase from the back seat, and opened her door for her.

  “Where are we?” she asked, stepping out onto the grey concrete.

  “My place. Well, mine, my mom’s, and Ted’s place.”

  “Oh, what are we doing here?”

  “I thought you might appreciate a hot shower,” he laughed. “I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but you, Alaina, smell like cigarette smoke and beer.”

  Her cheeks flushed just like he remembered and her head once again went to her hands. “Yuck! You’re right, I know. Shower it is. Just point the way.”

  Ethan walked Alaina into his building and led her toward the apartment. Once inside, they tried to keep quiet to avoid waking his mom and Ted. He led her to the doorway at the end of the hall. His bedroom.

  “I’ve got a bathroom that adjoins my bedroom,” he said. As they entered he flipped his light switch on. He wondered if Alaina noticed any of the posters on his walls of various Christian artists that he’d befriended recently, or the Bible that sat on the nightstand next to his bed. He didn’t think so. It seemed after his comment on her current stench, Alaina focused on nothing but the beeline path to the shower. Ethan followed her into the bathroom, making sure she found everything she needed.