by E. M. Abel
DILLON
“What do you mean, another month? Can’t we at least take a break first? We’re supposed to be in New York next week. What am I supposed to tell Sky? Have you talked to TJ yet?”
Matteo rubbed his hands over his face. He looked like he hadn’t slept at all. “Yeah, I told her.”
“And what did she say?”
“We broke up.”
My jaw dropped, and I leaned back in my seat. “What?”
Matteo shrugged, but I could see it wasn’t an easy decision for him. He had strong feelings for TJ.
“Long-distance relationships are hard, man. I’ve been so distracted out here, and I neglected her. I fucked up.”
Leaning forward, I put my elbows on the table and raked my fingers through my hair. I had been doing the same thing to Sky. I’d barely spoken to her over the past few weeks, and I’d assumed everything was fine. But how could it be? I had been taking her love for granted and expecting she’d still be there, waiting, when I got back.
“I can’t do it, Matteo.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “Can’t do what?”
“I can’t stay here. I’m sorry. I know you’ve been working hard on this, but none of it means shit if I lose Sky.”
Matteo sighed and stared at me, trying to gauge his chances of convincing me otherwise. When he saw he had no hope, he cursed and stood up. “Fine. Let me go make some calls.”
“I’ll need TJ’s number, too.”
SKY
It was another Friday night, and I was in my sweatpants, sitting on the couch and watching Game of Thrones. I still hadn’t spoken to Dillon about his plans to stay in LA. He’d sent me a text saying he had something to tell me and that he’d be in touch tonight after his show. With the time difference, I knew it would be late, and I was dreading the call. That image of him and Natasha together still lingered in my mind, haunting me.
I sat there, rubbing Kuma’s head, when there was a knock at the door. She barked, and my eyebrows furrowed.
“Who the fuck is that?” I whispered as I got off the couch.
I crept toward the door and watched the lock to make sure it was closed. Tiptoeing closer, I peeked into the peephole and saw TJ on the other side.
I blew out a breath and opened it. “Damn, dude. You scared the shit out of me.”
TJ looked me up and down. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
“Huh?”
“I sent you an email yesterday. We’re supposed to be going out.”
“An email? Really? You know I never check my email, T.”
Her shoulders dropped, and she sighed as she walked inside. “Well, hurry up, and get dressed. Come on.”
I glanced at the television and back at TJ. I wasn’t in the mood to go out. I knew she would help keep me distracted, but so would Jon Snow.
TJ put her hand on her hip. “Don’t even think about standing me up, bitch. I put Spanx on and everything.”
“Ugh,” I groaned. “Fine. Give me a minute.”
“You have ten minutes!” she shouted behind me as I went back to the bedroom to change.
Fifteen minutes later, TJ was rushing me out the door.
“Chill out, dude. Damn. Did you make reservations or something?”
“No, but there’s a show I don’t want to miss, and you’re making me late. Now, move it.”
Half an hour later, our cab pulled up to O’Brien’s Pub, and my head jerked back as I looked at TJ like she was crazy.
“You rushed us to O’Brien’s? Isn’t it open mic night?”
“Yeah. You’ve been here before?”
“Uh, yeah, like, four or five years ago.”
TJ shrugged as she paid the driver. She got out, and I followed her.
“I thought it would be fun.”
I wrapped my hands tighter around my purse as I searched up and down the street. O’Brien’s wasn’t on the safest block.
“Let’s just hurry up and get inside,” I said, pushing TJ toward the door.
When we walked inside, a young woman was onstage, singing a Janis Joplin song. Unfortunately, she’d bitten off more than she could chew. The pub looked exactly like I remembered it—Irish flags hanging on the stained walls, old round tables spread out around the small dance floor—but the stage seemed smaller now.
I followed TJ to an empty table by the dance floor and sat down.
“I’ll get us some beers.”
“Okay. You want some cash?”
She waved me off. “I’ve got it. You can get the next round.”
I turned back around and tried not to wince as the woman onstage attempted to sing the chorus of “Me and Bobby McGee.” When the song finally ended, I turned back toward the bar, wondering what was taking TJ so long. I spotted her coming back with our beers and held my hand out for mine.
“Sorry. They had to change the keg,” she told me as she sat down beside me.
“No problem. I’m going to need another one of these soon though if the next singer is anything like the last one.”
TJ started to laugh as she took a sip and spilled some beer on the table. I pulled napkins out of the small dispenser to help wipe it up. I didn’t think it was that funny.
As soon as I finished, the lights dimmed for the next act, and I picked up my beer, ready to start drinking. My body froze when I spotted familiar brown eyes staring directly at mine. I could see TJ looking at me in my peripheral vision, but I couldn’t move. I thought I was hallucinating until he stepped up to the microphone and smiled.
A few people in the room clapped, and I heard a woman beside me ask, “Is that Dillon Frazier?”
My lungs finally sucked in a breath, but I wasn’t sure how.
“How’s everyone doing tonight?”
Dillon’s deep voice was like a soft caress on my very neglected body, and when I heard it, goose bumps rose all over my skin.
There were a few whistles from the crowd as Dillon adjusted his guitar and held it in his hands. He was so charismatic and confident onstage now. He seemed at home in the spotlight, and he commanded the attention of the room before singing a single word.
“I wrote this song for my best friend and the love of my life, Sky.”
I finally blinked and glanced at TJ to make sure she was still there. She was holding up her phone, recording the entire thing.
Dillon started to play his guitar, the room growing quiet as everyone listened. The music was slow and melodic, sensual. I couldn’t take my eyes off Dillon if I tried. He stared back at me as he began to sing.
“What good is the sun without the rain?
Give me your love, baby.
I’ll take the pain,
Bangin’ on those drums till I go insane.
Where we went wrong, baby,
I’ll take the blame.
’Cause when you’re gone,
My heart don’t beat the same.
No one can love me,
No, baby, not like you.
You’re the only one.”
I blinked away my tears and let them fall down my cheeks as Dillon played his guitar, his eyes still watching mine.
“Laying our hearts out on the line.
There is no reason, baby,
Only rhythm and rhyme.
As long as I have you, I’ll keep chasin’ time.
’Cause no one can love me,
Not like you.
You’re the only one.
They can make me silent,
Take my life.
Give ’em gravity, baby. We’ll learn to fly.
The sun, the moon, let ’em turn the tides.”
Dillon’s eyes squeezed shut as he held his last note, his vibrato echoing inside my chest. The emotion in his voice grew stronger, replacing my doubt with every word.
“Whatever they want,
’Cause all I need is Sky.”
I gazed into his dark eyes as my heart swelled in my chest.
“No one can love me, baby,
No, not li
ke you.
No one can turn this beating heart blue.
No one, no, not like you.
The moment I kissed your lips, I knew.
Baby, you’re the only one.”
Dillon stopped playing as soon as he sang the last word, and the room sat in silence as we stared at each other. Seconds that felt like hours passed between us before the room erupted into applause. Dillon blinked and looked around, seeming to remember we weren’t alone.
“Thank you,” he said into the microphone.
He swung his guitar around to his back and started walking toward the stairs on the side of the stage. I was out of my chair in an instant, running toward him. Just as his feet hit the floor, I jumped into his arms, and he caught me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and buried my face into his neck as the people around us started whistling and clapping.
When I finally pulled away, Dillon’s eyes were so full of longing that an overwhelming relief came over me. Tears clouded my eyes, and I smiled, blinking them away.
His fingers slid into my hair, his thumb sweeping across my cheekbone. “What are the tears for?”
I shook my head and closed my eyes for a second to compose myself. “I thought I’d lost you. When I saw that video—” My voice cracked, the fear and insecurity I’d been feeling finally boiling over and flooding my heart. I covered my face as my defenses broke, revealing my weakness.
Dillon gently lowered me, and my feet went back to the ground, his arms pulling me close against him. I could hear his heart beating fast against my ear.
“Shh. Fuck, Sky, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think. I ran into Natasha at a club and asked her for a lift. She was giving me a ride to the tour bus. That’s all. I promise.”
His hands held my jaw and lifted my face toward his, his dark eyes desperately searching mine. “Please believe me. You’ll never lose me, mi Cielo. I’m so sorry. Fuck everything and everyone else. None of it means shit if I don’t have you.”
I sniffed as a smile curved my lips. “I think that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
Dillon chuckled, relief washing over him. “Shut up, and kiss me.”
I glanced at his full lips, sliding my fingertips through his short beard, and did as I had been told. He tilted my head, deepening our kiss, and I savored the taste of him. People were still watching, but I didn’t care. My man was home.
It wasn’t until we finally separated that I turned away from Dillon and noticed TJ was still recording us, looking giddy as fuck. I smiled and stuck my tongue out at the phone.
People started clapping and cheering, so I turned to face Dillon again, but he was gone. It wasn’t until I felt someone tugging on my hand that I realized he was on one knee. I sucked in a breath and pulled my hand back, startled.
“What the fuck?” I shouted, glancing back up at TJ.
Everyone laughed and Dillon smiled, taking my hand again. I covered my mouth as understanding began to sink in.
This can’t be happening. Not to me. Things like this don’t happen to me.
Tears clouded my vision as Dillon pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it. The ring was hard to see clearly through all my tears, but I knew it was beautiful.
“Oh my God, is this for real?”
My hand shook inside of Dillon’s steady one while he watched me with so much devotion and love.
“I can’t imagine a life without you by my side. I know you don’t believe in forever, Sky, but I believe in us. I believe in our love. And I want to give my forever to you. Will you be mine? Always? Will you marry me?”
The room grew silent as everyone waited for my answer, and my relationship with Dillon flashed before my eyes—every look, every touch, and every heartbeat. It was always him.
I smiled and nodded my head. “Yes. Always.”
The cheers and clapping faded into the background as Dillon stood up and took me in his arms.
He’d made a believer out of me.
ABOUT ONE YEAR LATER
DILLON
“Where are we going?”
Sky smiled at me over her shoulder as she pulled me down someone’s driveway in New Jersey. It was my birthday, and Sky had insisted on surprising me with a gift, but now, I was confused.
Why is she taking me to a random house in Jersey?
I looked around the neighborhood for a clue but found nothing. It was a typical suburban house with a nice yard and a garden decorated with small angel statues.
“Just trust me, okay?”
I raised an eyebrow. The last time Sky had said that she signed us up for skydiving lessons.
Sky went to the front door of the house, ringing the doorbell, and a few seconds later, a woman answered. She smiled brightly and waved us in.
She seemed fairly normal, if not overly friendly, as she gave Sky a hug and said, “Hi. You must be Sky.”
I looked between the two of them, feeling totally lost.
They don’t even know each other?
“Come. Please, sit down.”
I searched around her house. I thought maybe Sky was buying something from her, but I didn’t see anything besides the usual furniture and decorations. The woman brought us to her kitchen table where a box of tissues sat in the middle. Sky took a seat and pulled out the empty chair beside her, gesturing for me to sit. My eyebrows furrowed, but I sat down anyway.
The woman went to grab a small notebook and pen from a drawer and sat across from us. Her eyes were a light crystal blue, and she smiled at me like she knew me.
“Hi. I’m Lillian. You must be Dillon.”
She held her hand out for me, and I shook it.
“I’m sorry. I still have no idea why we’re here.”
Lillian glanced at Sky before meeting my gaze again. “I’m a medium. I speak to those who have crossed over, and I deliver messages to their loved ones. Sky thought this might be a nice gift for your birthday.”
I peered at Sky, and she was biting her bottom lip, looking guilty. She knew I didn’t believe in psychics and mediums. They were hustlers who made money off other people’s pains and weaknesses.
I closed my eyes and shook my head before facing Lillian again.
She opened her notebook and started writing in it. Pausing, she looked up at me. “I see you’re a skeptic,” she said, grinning.
No shit.
“That’s okay.” She glanced at Sky to reassure her. “I’m not going to try to convince you. All I ask is that you listen to my messages and decide for yourself. Are you willing to at least stay and hear me out?”
I nodded. If Sky had gone through all this trouble, I could at least give her a chance.
“Okay, so who is the female presence? Has your mother passed?”
My jaw tightened, and I dropped my eyes to the table.
“Yes,” Sky answered for me.
Lillian smiled, despite my cold disposition, and shook her head. “Oh, she’s funny.”
I narrowed my eyes, my curiosity getting the better of me.
She wrote in her notebook again. “She’s showing me a guitar. Do you play?”
I noticed Sky straighten her back beside me, but I wasn’t impressed. Anyone could Google my name and find out I was a musician. I’d just performed at the Grammy’s a few months ago.
“Yes,” I said, leaning back in my seat.
Lillian laughed. “She told me to tell you to stop being so serious and smile. ‘Life’s too short,’ she says.”
The corner of my mouth curled up.
“That sounds just like her,” Sky said, taking my hand in hers and squeezing it.
Lillian looked at Sky. “She wants to thank you for speaking at her wake and for keeping your promise to take care of her son.”
Sky gasped and covered her mouth as tears gathered in her eyes. I turned back toward Lillian, wondering how she knew that.
There’s no way.
Lillian looked at me, and I got a chill in my bones, the hair on my arms and neck standing up.
“She says, ‘Thank you for the song.’” Lillian closed her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again and continuing, “She shows me you sitting beside her when she took her last breaths. Did you tell her she could go?”
I sucked in a shaky breath as a wave of emotions crashed over me. How could she know that unless…
Sky reached for a tissue from the middle of the table and wiped her eyes. Sky wouldn’t have told her.
“I did,” I said, my cynicism fading, the longer I listened to her.
“She wants to thank you for that. She says she’s grateful that you were able to say good-bye, and she’s sorry you had to see her that way.”
I rubbed my hands over my face, trying to control the sob I felt building in my chest. Tears came to my eyes, and I grabbed my own tissue.
I nodded, unable to respond.
“She says, ‘Look at my daughter-in-law, mi Cielo. She made such a beautiful bride. And it’s about time!’” Lillian held her hands up, just like my mom used to.
I glanced over at Sky as her eyes widened, and we both laughed.
“She used to call me that—mi Cielo. And we got married last month,” Sky told Lillian, looking astonished.
“That’s just her way of letting you know that her spirit was there with you, and she gives you her blessing.”
I grinned at Sky as she wiped her face with a tissue.
“Who is the male figure? Did you lose a brother or someone who was like a brother to you?”
“Yeah,” I muttered, bracing myself for more.
“They’re showing me an M name. Marcus? Maurice?”
“This is nuts,” Sky muttered.
“Maurice,” I said, staring at Lillian more intently.
I was starting to believe her, and that meant she was really communicating with the spirits of my loved ones. I couldn’t wrap my brain around it.
“He says that he’s proud of you for believing in yourself, and he thanks you for taking care of Mom when he couldn’t. He wants you to know that they’re together now and at peace. They’re always with you, watching out for you.”