Hearts Divided

by Masters, Ellie

  She grabs a cowbell and gives it a good clang. The sound level in the auditorium quiets, allowing her to make her announcement.

  “Kids, time to take your positions. To our friends and family, I want to extend the heartiest of welcomes to you for coming out to support our musically gifted Santa Barbara Bayside Beats on this, their debut performance. Welcome!”

  Amid the clapping, the kids take their positions. Their eyes are bright and their smiles stretch all the way to their ears. Not one of them looks nervous, which is perfectly fine. She’ll carry their nerves for them while they enjoy this show, as kids should.

  With a wave of her hands, she leads the kids into Thunderstruck by AC/DC. She’s always loved AC/DC. A hard rock band, they have a shuffle and groove that makes her want to snap her fingers and tap her feet. Their songs are full of catchy riffs with a seemingly effortless bounce.

  The entire gymnasium pulses as her Bayside Beats rip through Thunderstruck. The audience is quiet, until she pinches off the last pealing note with her fingers. Then applause fills the gym, but the Bayside Beats are only getting started. Ozzy’s Crazy Train is next and the kids launch into it with huge grins and adrenaline pumping through their bodies. Bringing things back to the classics, she leads them into Come Together, by the Beatles. The entire place comes alive with the audience joining in by stomping their feet on the bleachers and lifting their voices in song.

  It’s more than she could hope for and she barely keeps it together as they hit one of her all-time favorites, YYZ from Rush. YYZ is the transmitter code for Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport assigned the unique three-letter code of YYZ, home base to the band. Rush incorporated this into the song with YYZ Morse code played at the beginning and then built upon through the song. It’s brilliant, perfect for her percussionists, and she loves the way the kids are killing it.

  Eyes bright, smiles wide, young hearts and minds create music together and bring joy to her heart. It’s time for their last piece of the night. This one brings nothing but conflict for Holly, because of the man she told to leave. Leaving her issues with Sebastian behind, she swings her arms up and out, launching the kids into the beginning bass beat of Insanity from the epically popular Angel Fire.

  The deep throbbing power of the song fills the air, settling in her chest where her heart keeps time. But then, her heart skips a beat as Angel Fire’s lead vocalist, Blaze (aka. Ash), saunters across the gym floor. An older acoustic guitar is in his grip, and he picks out the notes to the song. With a cocky grin, he gives her a wink as the song comes to life. Her kids hold down the percussion, while Blaze takes over the lead of the song, circling the kids back to the beginning.

  She’s no longer conducting. Her palms press against her cheeks as the other band members join their lead singer, playing right alongside the kids. Spike carries an acoustic and joins Blaze while Bent strums out the deep resonance of bass guitar. Noodles, tall and lanky, strolls into the middle of the kids where he takes a seat among them. A strap around his neck supports the small keyboard he carries. None of the kids look the least bit surprised. Instead, they all turn eyes to her as goofy grins and energetic balls of clashing drums and cymbals roll toward her in an avalanche of sound.

  The audience falls silent as the men of Angel Fire take over the song. Her kids support the entirety of the drum line. They sound fantastic, better than she remembers. Her attention shifts to the bleachers where a massive mountain of a man leans with his arms crossed over his chest. His shock-white hair is tied back at his nape and glacial eyes bore into her with an inquisitiveness she finds overwhelming.

  Only one member of the band is missing, but Sebastian must be nearby. Her search fails to reveal him though as Angel Fire brings Insanity home.

  It’s not over, however. Trina catches her eye and begins a new beat on her snare. Jeremy, Randall, and all the kids wait, coming in on cue. It’s not a song she recognizes. The men of Angel Fire play along, adding their instruments to the mix. She spins around, looking for the one man who is missing, can’t see Sebastian, but then she hears him. His low, sultry, and sinful voice rises above the music from the back of the bleachers.

  Her heart lifts with the music, soaring with joy, as he belts out the lyrics to what she knows is a brand-new song. Her eyes mist over as he sings about a red sky sunrise, his sweet ginger, and a forever of sunsets and sunrises.

  The entire gymnasium hangs on to every word while she falls to her knees, overwhelmed by the grand gesture. Then, Sebastian takes a step down. Music crashes overhead, riffs driving emotional fury into those gathered. He takes another step, and then another, his goal perfectly clear. Her tears turn to joy. She’s not clear whether she’s laughing or crying, or some crazy mixture of the two.

  His bandmates work their way through the kids, forming a loose semi-circle behind her as Sebastian takes the very last step. Behind her, Blaze, Bent and Spike lend their voices to the song, backing Sebastian’s incredible voice. He makes it all the way down the bleachers and plants himself on the gymnasium floor. He stands ten feet away, arms stretched as wide as he belts out the last lyrics, speaking of a forever stretching beyond the horizon.

  Her entire body shakes, overwhelmed by what’s happening, but then he approaches and kneels before her. They’re eye to eye as silence descends on the community center.

  “Sebastian…” She wants to say something, but her words disappear as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny velvet box.

  “Hang on,” he says, “I’m not quite done.”

  One of the kids hits a snare and its tinny sound rattles through the silence before being suddenly muted. A chorus of “Hush’s” follows as Sebastian gives a low chuckle.

  “They’re supposed to wait.”

  “What’s going on?” She lowers her voice to a whisper, but the sound carries in the cavernous gym.

  “I want your forever, Holly.” He opens the box. “I don’t know what you believe or don’t believe about me, but this is my truth. It’s all I really have, and I’m not afraid of shouting it to the world.” He grins and looks to the silent onlookers behind him. “Obviously.”

  “What are you doing?” Her heart slams behind her ribcage, beating with a cadence she’s never felt before. Her fingers tingle and her lips feel prickly. Her cheeks heat with the force of her blush, and that sparking electricity is back. It crackles in his eyes, rumbles in the deep resonance of his voice, and crashes against her soul.

  “I was nothing but a shell walking around until the day I saw you in that booth,” he says. “You were drumming like there was no tomorrow and I’d never seen something so chaotically beautiful like that before. I don’t know what this is between us. I can’t nail it down, except I can’t breathe when I’m not around you. My heart aches when you’re gone. I think about nothing but you from the moment the sun rises to the moment it sets, and then through all the aching minutes of the long night until it begins again. I want to be your forever. If you’ll have me.”

  He opens the ring case and reveals a stunning diamond mounted over a twisted filigree of knotted silver? Gold? Platinum? She’s seen rings like it before, lover’s knots. Legend says the knots symbolize the inseparable connection between a couple in love. She’s breathing. Her chest expands and contracts, yet there’s not enough oxygen in the room.

  “What do you say? Wanna tie the knot?”

  There’s not a sound in the entire place except for her ragged breathing and the roaring of her pulse racing past her ears. This can’t be happening, and yet he holds a ring. But marriage? It’s too fast. Too soon. She still doesn’t understand what he sees in her, except they agree on one thing. For the past week, half of herself was missing. Food didn’t taste as rich. The sky seemed dull and dim. Sounds felt distant and muted. She ached from the inside out, feeling as if she lost something priceless. Could it be? Is she in love with him?

  31

  Bash

  “You’re killing me here.” Bash loves the way her e
yes spark when her entire being brightens and her cheeks glow the prettiest shade of pink.

  He shifts on his knee and looks around the room. The silence stretches. His bandmates stand behind Holly, witnesses to his grand gesture. Only Ash truly understands what this day means.

  They’ve talked nonstop about Holly and Valerie. Ash expressed his concerns, but eventually embraced Bash’s choice. Not that it’s much of a choice. The memory of Valerie haunted him his entire adult life. The one who got away—or rather the one who disappeared—but she no longer holds sway over his life. He’s free of the anchor and ready to move on, embracing a future destined for him.

  He’ll never understand why Valerie left, but it’s no longer a weight he’ll carry. He’s done with it. Valerie belongs in his past. He’ll never fully get over the heartbreak her disappearance caused, not until he can understand it. But he’s no longer willing to let that pain rule his life. Despite Ash’s concern over using Holly to replace Valerie, he’s ready. Holly is the perfect person to carve out a slice of forever with.

  In the last few days, Forest pulled off the impossible, sneaking in performances with the kids behind Holly’s back. The Bayside Beats look on, shifting their attention from him to Holly and back again. She still says nothing, leaving his heart in a lurch.

  She could say no.

  A parade of emotions rolls across her face while her eyes glisten with unshed tears. It’s obvious she’s overwhelmed, but that’s the point. This is a day he never wants her to forget. When they’re old and gray, he wants her to remember this moment.

  “How did…” she twists around, taking in her students, then turns back to stare at the bleachers. No one makes a sound. Every person in the gymnasium leans forward in anticipation of her answer.

  He reaches for her hand, takes it in his, and gives a tiny squeeze. “I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not too soon, or too fast.”

  “We barely know each other.” Her hesitation is expected, but he’s prepared to bleed out his soul to convince her of the truth between them.

  “This is the right thing to do. It may be crazy. It may be too fast. But damn, if it isn’t right. I feel it in my bones, and I refuse to accept no as an answer.”

  “And there’s the cocky rock star I love.” Her eyes twinkle and she shakes her head. “I was wondering where he went.”

  He can’t help but chuckle. “My motto is go big or don’t go at all, and this is worth every bit of it.”

  “But how do you know? How can you be sure this is what you want?”

  “I know everything I need to know. A future of forevers, you and me, and all the sunsets and sunrises stretched between. I don’t want to spend another day without you. Not when I know this is what I want.” He looks to the ring. “All it takes is one word. Say Yes.”

  Her watery eyes tilt down to gaze upon the ring he agonized over for a week. It’s neither too small, nor too big. He could afford to put a boulder on her finger, but Holly isn’t ostentatious and would hate something that flashy. She enjoys the simple things in life. A solitary diamond of the highest clarity and color mounts on top two twisted bands of platinum. The bands weave in and around one another, forming a lover’s knot. Holly will understand the symbolism behind it: two lives forever woven together; inseparable. A two carat diamond perches on top and is merely there for decoration.

  “It’s a beautiful ring,” she says.

  “Which will look even more amazing on your finger.” He pushes for an answer.

  He shifts on his knee again, and his confidence begins to wane. She’s taking too long. There was always the possibility she would say no. Proposing to her is hands down the most impulsive thing he’s ever done, but his long talks with Ash determined his path.

  Ash believes in true love. His father and all his siblings knew the moment they met their other halves that they were destined to be one. Bash always thought the stories told around the family dinner table a load of sentimental crap. Ash told him to take a leap of faith and trust his heart. If Holly says no, he won’t regret asking, but damn if his heart won’t survive the rejection.

  Holly brings her palms together and places her fingers beneath her chin. She looks out to the crowd once more. Nervous shuffling and low whispers stretch out into the overwhelming silence. She bites her lower lip, then looks to him. Her eyes brim with tears as she slowly gives the nod which seals their fate and fills his heart to bursting.

  “Is that a yes?” Until he hears the words, he won’t believe.

  “Yes!” Vibrant red curls bounce with the jerking of her chin. “This is crazy, Sebastian. You’re crazy, but yes.”

  “Well then, give me that finger.” He can’t believe it. This is happening. She said Yes! He wants to shout from the rooftops and proclaim his love to all that care to hear, and even those who don’t. She is his, for now and for always.

  Her hand shakes as she extends her fingers toward him. He takes her hand in his, lending her the support of his unwavering love. The shaking of her hand steadies beneath his.

  “Will you do me the honor of being my wife?” With those words, he slides the diamond ring onto her finger. It’s a bit loose and will need to be resized, but it looks perfect.

  “Yes!” She lifts her hand to stare at the ring and then turns around to face the kids. Her voice rises in pitch and she screams. “I’m getting married!”

  The entire gymnasium explodes with emotional fury as the kids beat on their drums, tap their snares, ring cowbells, and fill the entire gymnasium with sound. Behind them, applause rolls down the bleachers, joined with shouts of Congratulations! from the crowd.

  Ash catches his eye, his green eyes fill with warmth, support, and brotherly love. Everything is coming together. Bash feels it in his bones. While he wants to fly Holly to Vegas tonight, and tie the knot, Ash and Forest tell him to wait. Which is funny as shit considering Ash met and married Skye in less than three days. The band’s tour begins in San Diego, works its way up the coast, then jaunts inland to Vegas. He’ll marry her then, if she agrees. It’ll be the fifth stop on the tour, and he’s already planning the big event.

  He rises from his knee and lifts Holly into his arms to claim his first kiss as her fiancé. He’s getting married. When he puts Holly down, the kids rush her to claim hugs, look at the ring, and stare at him. Ash slings his guitar to his back and pulls Bash into a hug. Spike, Noodles, and Bent follow, congratulating him first and then wait for him to make introductions to his fiancée. He’ll do that in a minute, because there’s one thing he needs to do first.

  He leans down to a starry-eyed kid holding a triangle. “Hey, do you mind if I borrow that?”

  The kid gapes as he holds out the triangle.

  “Thanks.” Bash lifts the triangle over his head and strikes out long pealing notes to grab everyone’s attention. The noise gradually lessens, but it takes a few more tries before he can get it quiet enough to be heard over the excitement. “Talk about nerve-racking. Took her forever to say yes.” Chuckles sound from those in the bleachers. “But I have an announcement and if I can have everyone’s attention for just a moment.”

  He tugs Holly to his side and waits for the crowd to quiet. Ash and the others settle the kids on the floor, sitting among them like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Those in the bleachers retake their seats as he pulls Holly into the space between the kids and the bleachers. He’s putting her onstage, but she deserves this.

  Once everyone is quiet, he grips both her hands in his and knows he’s the luckiest man on earth. He lifts his voice to be heard. “Sure glad she said yes.” Laughter spills from all around him. “Because that would make this next part really awkward.” More laughter follows.

  “Sebastian, what are you doing?” Her voice is pitched low, a whisper he barely hears. “And how did you get the kids…”

  He ignores her and pitches his voice to be heard. “I’ve got a present for you.”

  “You don’t have to…”

  �
�It’s already done.” Time to turn things up a notch and play the crowd. “Now, first, I want to thank the Bayside Beats for their most epic debut performance. Can we give these amazing kids a hand?” He claps and the audience joins in with thunderous applause.

  The kids squirm on the floor beneath the praise of their friends and family. Some beam with pride. Others are a bit more shy, and glance down at the floor. He plans to have them all looking out to the crowd not too long from now.

  He lets the applause run its course, then tugs Holly tight to him. “Now, obviously, I had some help with today. You have some amazing kids here.” He makes an expansive gesture. “They’re fucking awesome.”

  “Bash!” Holly punches him in the ribs and the kids snicker behind him. “Watch your language.”

  “Sorry.” He’s not sorry. He’s too excited to worry about his language. Besides, these kids could teach him a thing or two about language.

  “How did you do it?” Holly interrupts and turns to the kids. “Were you all in on this?”

  The kid who handed him the triangle pipes up. “Just wait, Miss Holly…he hasn’t told you the best part. It’s a surprise.”

  “Surprise?” She turns to Bash, eyes narrowing, but there’s a twinkle in her gaze.

  “Yes,” Bash gives the kid a look which makes the kid squirm. “Now, with the help of Angel Fire and our manager, I kind of made a deal with the Bayside Beats.”

  “What kind of deal?” Her eyes narrow with suspicion.

  “Well…if they agreed to learn our new song and if you said yes…”

  “She did! She did say yes!” A pretty girl pops to her feet. “Miss Holly said yes, which means we get to—”