Fall From Grace(66)

His heart stopped, and then it started wildly drumming under my hands.  Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.  This can’t be right.  He can’t care about me.

He pushed against my hand, eyes desperate to get away from me.  I almost let him pass, but I slammed my arms into his and pushed my lips to his ears.

“Is that what you think of me?  Is that what you need to hear?  That I’m like all the other girls?  Tell me, Shane,” I whispered, pulling my head back.

We stood inches apart, breathing each other in.  My whole body was on fire.

Glancing down at my lips, he gave me a small smile.  His hand traced the contours of my jaw and down my neck; I shivered under his touch.

“No.  I want you to tell me why you have a pair of broken angel wings on your shoulder. I want you to tell me why you cut your wrists and I want to know why and how you play and sing the way you do, but most of all I want you to tell me what I need to do to be a good enough man for you.”

I stepped back immediately, not expecting any of what he said.  I grabbed one of the remaining shots and gulped it down, loving the burn.  “Shane...” My mouth opened to say the words, but I couldn’t form a complete thought.  “I don’t want to be just another one of your girls.  I have other...things, too many things in my life.”  Why couldn’t I just tell him I was with someone else?  Because that would be a lie, I was alone, searching for someone else.  “I really just need a friend right now.”

“Hey!”  Ethan’s voice called from behind us.  “You guys about ready?” he asked, coming over to stand next to us.  Brayden followed.  They took the last two shots and drank them.  “Next time, we do them together,” Ethan said holding up the glass.  “That will be how we start each show with Grace.”

I laughed.  “Sounds good to me.  Shall we amaze them?” I said, looking out into the crowd.

Shane smiled down at me.  “Grace, trust me, they were amazed just by you walking in.”

I shook my head giggling and I walked to pick up my guitar, but not before I overhead Ethan say, “Shane, you break that girl’s heart and I swear I’ll rip yours out.  She’s off limits.”

“Dude, I don’t know what the hell is happening to me, but trust me, right now we’re just friends,” was his reply.

The manager of the bar, Kelvin, was standing in front of us at the microphone as we walked out.  His voiced echoed, “...new guitarist we’ve all been dying to see, and gentlemen, if any of your clothes make it up here, I’ll personally kick your sorry asses outta here!  Here’s Mad World!”

The crowd roared when we were all visible. I ducked my head and laughed as a hot pink lacy bra sailed onto the stage.  I plucked it off the floor and flung it at Shane, “I believe this is for you?” I teased into my mic.  Howls erupted and Shane wore his sexy woman-eating smile. He tucked the bra into his jeans pocket, letting it hang down his leg.

“Hey, everybody!” Shane addressed the crowd.  “I’d like to introduce you to the gorgeous Grace Taylor on guitar!”  I never heard so many catcalls in my life.

Shane’s perfect lips stretched across his face and when he nodded to me, something danced behind his eyes.  I locked eyes with him. Tilting my head, I took the cue and my hands started flying all over my guitar.  The crowd detonated into shrieks and screams.  Shane joined in and our harmony made us both breathless.  We played as one, staring at each other, neither one of us looking away. The crowd was somewhere in the distance, but we were in a place all our own.  If we weren’t careful, the fire in our eyes would cause an inferno, so I laughed and looked away.  We matched each other’s intensity. It overwhelmed my body and made me ache; this friendship would kill me. Right at that very minute, I wanted to die a thousand deaths for it.  Truth be told, I hadn’t felt this alive in years.  My fingers pulsated along the strings and then my voice burst out in song, alongside Shane.  It was more intoxicating than any drink or drug.  It burned through my veins and blazed into my heart, giving it a reason to beat.  Rapture enveloped my body and soul.