Jamie sings his part with pure perfection, effortless. The two of them are battling their emotions out on stage in front of all of us. His voice echoes throughout the room when he sings that he can’t wake up and pleads to be saved.
Rory turns away from Jamie and her eyes swim with tears. She nods her head to me while gripping the microphone in her hand, emphasizing each word of this verse. The lyrics leave her lips, explaining how she knows what it’s like to be without. How I can’t leave her. That I’ve breathed life back into her. How she needed air to be blown into her soul to make her real again.
I watch as pain washes across her face. With each word, her pain assaults my chest. I want to run up there and wrap my arms around her. Tell her I love her.
Rory turns to Jamie as they sing the next verse at each other. As if they were the only two in the room.
She faces me as tears stream down her face, but her voice never wavers. She says she’s frozen without my touch, without my love. She continues to sing how only I am the life that brought her back from the dead. My heart stalls in my chest, and I feel my sister’s hand on my arm.
Lincoln looks at me with a raised eyebrow. “She’s fucking good, man.”
I’ve heard Bring Me to Life by Evanescence a million times, but I never stopped to truly listen to the words. The lyrics are gut wrenching and raw.
Rory holds the last note of the song, releasing all the air from her lungs, while maintaining the perfect pitch, as the music tapers off, leaving only a piano playing. There is complete silence throughout the bar. You could hear a pin drop. Rory has her eyes closed when the last word leaves her lips, echoing throughout the bar.
Everyone in the bar rises to their feet, giving Rory and Jamie a standing ovation. Jamie walks over to Rory, taking her hand in his. She opens her eyes, not making eye contact with anyone. Jamie lifts their hands in the air, the two of them taking a bow.
Jamie pulls her into a hug, whispering something in her ear. If I wasn’t best friends with the guy, I would be pissed. Rory wipes the tears from her cheeks and smiles at him. She turns to the crowd who are still cheering and clapping for her. Several people in the room begin chanting ‘Another song, another song.”
Jamie laughs, while Rory shakes her head violently.
She lifts the microphone to her lips. “Maybe before the end of the night. I need to go fix my face in the bathroom. And possibly get a little more liquid courage from the bar.”
A few people laugh at her explanation. Pushing pack from the table, I stand from my stool and push my way through the crowd. As I come to the stage, Rory walks over to the edge. As she leans over, I place my hands on her hips, hoisting her down and into my arms.
She clutches my shirt in her fists, burying her face in my chest. She leans back, tears falling from her eyes. She stares me up and down. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Thank me for what?” I ask, curious as to what she means. I stare at her for a long moment waiting for her response.
“For helping me find my way back. You’ve helped me heal, helped me see light in the darkness I’ve been basking in.”
I suck on her bottom lip, tugging it between my teeth and she makes a throaty groan. “I didn’t give you the light you needed, baby. I just helped you find your way back.” Kissing her lips softly, I whisper “I’d do anything for you, Rory.”
Slowly, I capture her lips. Our tongues meet with a frenzy of heat. My hands slide behind her neck, pulling her closer. Her fingers claw at me back.
Groaning, I pull her closer to me, her breasts are against my chest, my hardened cock is wedged between her legs. With every stroke of her tongue, my cock hardens. She grinds her hips against me causing a growl to escape my throat.
I reluctantly pull pack, breaking the kiss. “We need to stop this before I haul your ass in the bathroom and take you right here.”
She leans in kissing me softly. “Fine,” she whimpers against my lips. She cups the side of my face with her palm. “But you are taking me home tonight and making love to me.”
I shake my head. “Tell me when you’re ready to leave,” I say, wiggling my brows. This night needs to end quick, so I can take her home.
She pulls away, setting her hands on my chest,
“Very soon.” She tiptoes and kisses me softly on the lips. “I’ll meet you at the table. I need to freshen up before I face everyone at the table.”
She turns and weaves through the crowd to the bathroom. I stand there until I see her push the door open, then I make my way over to the table with our friends.
“Rory is the champion. I am not taking home the gold tonight,” Morgan exclaims. Everyone laughs at her confession.
“She fucking killed it.,” Jamie says as he hangs his arm around my sister’s shoulder. “Yes, babe, she did,” she says intertwining her fingers with his. “But you didn’t do too shabby yourself.”
“He’s a singer, for Christ’s sake. He shouldn’t be.” Lincoln air quotes “too shabby.”
Camryn lifts her other hand up, giving Lincoln the middle finger. “You hurt me, baby girl.” He holds his hand against his chest, pretending his heart is hurt.
“Did you know she could sing like that?” Morgan asks.
“I’ve heard her sing to Leah to help try to get her to sleep, but never like that.”
“She has a set of pipes on her,” Lincoln replies.
Drinks line the table and a few unopened beers sit in a bucket in the center filled with ice.
Reaching, I grab a beer and pop the top off. I raise the bottle to my lips, watching the hall for my girl. Spotting Rory, I watch her as she pushes her way through the crowd until she reaches our table. She drops her eyes for a split second, as embarrassment washes over her cheeks.
I stand, pulling her against my chest, my lips slowly descend to meet hers. “You fucking killed it,” Morgan hollers over the crowd.
I break the kiss, my mouth moves to her neck. “You were amazing up there,” I say between feathering kisses along her neck and exposed shoulder.
“Where did you learn to sing like that?” Morgan asks.
Rory shrugs her shoulders. “I’ve always loved to sing. I never had any formal training or anything.” She turns her head, looking over her shoulder at the sea of people in the bar.
“Well, you were amazing,” my sister adds. She lifts her glass in the air, “To Rory.” The rest of us lift our drinks in the air. “May music always be an escape. Continue to sing as if no one is ever listening. Everyone should have a chance to hear your beautiful voice.”
A scarlet blush creeps in her cheeks. “Thank you.” She turns and buries her burning face against my shoulder.
Attempting to ease her embarrassment, I tighten my hold around her waist, squeezing her affectionately.
An hour or so passes and several people perform. No one else from our table was selected. Rory hasn’t left the comfort of my arms since she performed. We laugh and joke with our friends. My sister shares a few embarrassing stories from my childhood, making Rory laugh. Her laugh is infectious. I reward her with a larger smile of my own. Seeing how well Rory fits in with our group, how the girls have welcomed her with open arms means everything to me.
“We have a winner!” is announced drawing our attention to the stage. The emcee holds an envelope in his hand.
“Drum roll, please.” Several people in the crowd bang their hands against the table.
“Rory and Jamie.”
Morgan and Camryn jump from their seats cheering, causing Camryn’s stool to fall over, clattering to the ground. “Your performance won you an encore. Please come up and claim your prize and the mic.”
“You have got to be kidding me?” Rory exclaims as she takes in the crowd who are cheering for her.
“Go claim your prize, girl. You earned it,” Jamie tips his beer bottle at Rory.”
Dropping my hands from her sides, she pushes her way through the crowded bar, making her way to the stage. After climbing the st
eps, she takes the microphone in her hand. “Thank you. I don’t know what to say.”
She wipes her hand on her pants. “I’m going to graciously decline performing again. Once was enough for me.”
Rory places the microphone back in the stand, then turns to claim her prize.
The crowd begins to chant “Rory, Rory, Rory,” causing my girl to blush. Rory turns to the room of patrons who are still on their feet. When the chants continue, Rory throws her head back and laughs. She walks over to the emcee taking the microphone from him.
“I take it you’re not going to take no for an answer?” she asks.
“No,” a few people yell. “We want another, we want another,” a few chant.
She turns to attention to me, her eyes are glossy. “You’ve got this, babe,” I yell.
Rory’s face was full of strength, shining with a steadfast and serene peace. “Tonight, I faced a fear, I’ve never sang in front of a crowd before, only in the comfort of my own home.”
She lifts her arm, pointing her finger at me.
“But that man over there pushed me to conquer a fear, he’s pushed me to conquer many fears I have. Ones I never thought I would be able to,” she says softly, her hand over her heart. Fortunately, no one notices the tremor in her voice.
“I made a few of you cry with my last performance, so let’s pick up the pace with this song.” Rory walks over to the emcee.
When the beat begins, the girls jump to their feet, heading in the direction of the dance floor. Rory sings Wild Things by Alessia Cara and with each line she sings, more people join the girls to dance. The song is upbeat, showcasing Rory’s voice.
I’m proud of Rory. Tonight she threw caution to the wind. She chose to go for it.
Tonight, there are no shadows across her heart. No fears in her eyes.
Tonight, I’ll show her how much she’s mine.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Rory
Leah’s cry fills the room from the monitor. “Let me grab the little princess. I’ll be right back. Do me a favor, keep an eye on the chicken I have in the oven?”
Making my way to Leah’s room, I hear her mumbling baby talk. “Look who’s up, baby girl. Did you sleep well?” She kicks her feet a mile a minute and wiggles her fingers for me to pick her up. Scooping her up, I place her on the changing table. “Come on, the quicker I get you changed, the quicker you can see Christian.”
Once changed, I lift Leah onto my hip, she tucks her binkie into her mouth and rubs her favorite gray elephant.
“How’s my little girl doing?” Christian says when we walk into the kitchen. He sets a pot holder down on the counter, reaching for Leah, who goes to him willingly.
He places kisses on both cheeks. Leah reaches for his cheeks, rubbing her hands on them. She giggles as he peppers her face with kisses.
“I missed you, did you miss me?” he asks her.
“You can go play with her in the living room, while I finish up in here.”
Christian takes Leah in the other room, placing her on the play mat while he moves a few steps away from her. “Come on, show me how you do it.”
Leah is on all fours, rocking back and forth. She pulls herself up, holding tightly onto the couch cushion. Moving one foot in front of the other, she starts off slow, then picks up the pace. Leah teeters over to where Christian stands, cheering her on. “Come on, baby girl, you can do it.”
When she reaches him, she wraps her arms around his leg. Leaning down, he scoops her into his arms, kissing her cheeks. With a hearty little laugh, she smacks Christian’s face. “Dada,” she says in a tiny voice, then buries her face into his neck as he scoops her up.
My heart stops. My world comes to a halt. Everything freezes. The glass I was holding drops from my hands, shattering on the floor. Leah called Christian ‘dada’. Not knowing what to do, I rush into the living room, a look of shock on my face.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why she said that.”
Christian reaches for my shaking hand. “Rory, stop. Don’t apologize.”
“I…”
He lifts his finger, placing it over my lips. “Stop. It’s fine.”
“Sorry,” I whisper against his finger.
He removes his finger, leaning in and kissing me. “Don’t be. I love it.”
Powerful relief fills me. “Really?” Awkwardly, I clear my throat.
“I’m around her all the time. I’m no baby expert, but aren’t their first words usually mama or dada?”
“Yeah,” a cry of relief breaks from my lips.
“Baby, don’t cry,” he says, shifting Leah to his hip and pulling me in for a hug.
For the first time in a year, I cry tears of joy, rather than despair.
“It’s natural for Leah to call us mama and dada. Hell, Lincoln and Morgan were taking bets which Jaxson would say first.”
“Take Leah, I’ll go clean up the broken glass in the kitchen. I don’t want either of you to get cut.”
Once Christian is done cleaning up the mess I made, he calls out. “I’d like to invite you to dinner at my parents’ house. You didn’t get a chance to meet my mother at the gala. Camryn and Jamie will be there, so it won’t be anything formal…and I want you to bring Leah, too.
“Where did all the baby stuff come from in the family room,” Christian asks his parents when we walk into the kitchen with Leah snuggled against his chest. There is nothing sexier than a man with a baby carrier strapped to their chest, and a baby sound asleep in it. Leah loves Christian.
A pack-n-play is set up in the family room, and toys are scattered on the rug. My eyes settle on a monitor sitting on the countertop in the kitchen. Mrs. Townsend points, “In case Leah went down for a nap, we could hear her no matter what room we were in,” she says nervously.
Rory turns to my mom, “Thank you, you didn’t have to do all this.”
Christian’s mom wipes her hands on a dishtowel, then places it on the counter and walks over to greet me. She extends her hand. “I’m Gwen.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Townsend.”
A snicker comes from behind me. “It’s Gwen. I tried calling her Mrs. Townsend as a child and I was politely corrected,” Jamie says, leaning down, kissing me on the cheek. “Welcome to this craziness,” he says, earning an elbow in the side from his wife.
“I meant, welcome to the family.”
“Don’t mind him,” Camryn says, leaning against her brother’s side, moving the blanket Leah has tucked against her face.
“Don’t wake her,” he says to his sister.
“I plan to if she sleeps through dinner. I want to play with her.”
Walking over, I lift Leah out of the carrier on Christian’s chest, then walk into the family room, placing my still sleeping daughter into the pack-n-play. “She’s been asleep for the entire ride here, she should be out for about another hour, then all hell will be a blazing.”
“Great,” Camryn says rubbing her hands together.
“Can I help with anything?” Gwen is busy in the kitchen gathering plates from the cabinets and silverware from the drawer.
“No, dear. Everything is fine. Christian and Jamie can set the table. You pull out a stool, right there and have a glass of wine with me and my daughter.”
“Sounds good to me. Get to work, boys,” Camryn says over her shoulder, earning a glare from both her brother and husband.
Jamie raises a brow, “Hey, I’m a guest, why can’t I sit and enjoy a drink?”
Gwen walks over, shoving Jamie toward the counter where the dishes and silverware sit. “You’ve never been a guest in this house. You’ve been here as much as my own children. Now, get moving. The table isn’t going to set itself.”
With that, both men move to set the table. Christian’s father following behind with three beers in his hands. “We can drink in here, we don’t need to be in there with the ladies.”
“Good thinking, Dad,” I hear Christian say. “We’ll finish this,
then watch the Yankees take on the Red Sox.
“The Yankees are going down, my friend.” Jamie says loudly, earning a grin from his wife.
Dinner with his family goes off without a hitch. His parents are both warm and welcoming. After the men cleared the dishes from the table, which seems to be their duty, Camryn, Gwen, and I clean them up.
Once done we join the men in the living room, I’m stopped dead in my tracks in the doorway. All three men surround my daughter who is sitting in the middle of a blanket spread out on the floor. She picks up a ball, throwing it at Christian who then rolls it to her. She picks the ball up again and throws it to Jamie, who then rolls it to her. Leah grabs the ball again, throwing it wildly at Mark.
My daughter has the unwavering attention of all three men. My heart fills with love. My daughter is surrounded by a man who already loves her and two more who could grow to love her in time.
Leah is the reason I get up every morning. However, that changed when Christian walked into my life. Leah may be mine, she may own my heart, but tonight she stole the hearts of his family.
Tonight, surrounded by Christian’s family, there are no shadows across my heart. My mouth curves into a smile, while my heart sings with delight.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Christian
Camryn called earlier, inviting Rory and me over for game night at her place. Since Rory and I don’t get out much, I agreed to come. It will be fun. The girls all seem to love Rory, and if she is going to be a part of my life, I want her to feel comfortable around my friends and sister.
Rory is at work till seven, so I pull out my phone and shoot her a text.
Me: Camryn is having game night at her house tonight. Can you get a sitter?
Rory: I’ll have to take a raincheck. My parents are out of town this weekend. You should go.
Me: Do you trust me?
Rory: Of course I do. Why?
Me: Let me handle getting a sitter.
Unspoken Fears (The Unspoken Love Series Book 4) Page 22