to reality and reminded me I wasn’t alone. I looked to the side to see Adam stroking Alice’s hand on the table, whispering into her ear and comforting her as tears slowly leaked from her eyes.
Adam’s date, Melissa, leaned across the table. “He’s a really good friend, huh?” she asked.
“What? Who?” I replied. Reluctantly, I turned away from Adam and Alice.
“Adam,” she said with a soft expression on her face.
“Uh, sure,” I started, before giving up and signally the bartender for a shot. Ignoring Melissa’s delusional ass, I turned my attention back to the stage.
“Thank you,” Jackson said and smiled at the crowd. “That felt good—so good, I’m going to sing one more.” The crowd erupted, but this time, Jackson tried to speak over the noise. “I’ve never performed this for anyone before, but this song speaks to me and says everything that’s in my heart. A lot more of you may know this one. It’s ‘Far Away’ by Nickelback.”
Wow, I loved that song. I knew every word, and Jackson had already started singing it to me. At least that’s what it felt like. Nothing else existed except him, his guitar and his amazing voice seducing me from the stage. I picked up the shot of Patron the bartender had just placed in front of me and downed it with a flick of my wrist. I concentrated on the burn in my throat instead of the one in my soul and focused on resisting the urge to order another one. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t block out Jackson’s soulful voice telling me that he loved me and he was home to stay. He came back for me. Tears began to prick my eyes. I furiously blinked them back and signaled for another round. I was so close to losing it and completely breaking down and sobbing in the corner like a baby. Only I could have everything I ever wanted offered to me like an all you can eat buffet, just to crash into the invisible bullet proof glass, keeping it out of my reach forever. Everything we could have been was ruined before it even began, and there was no fixing that. Damn, just damn.
A rowdy Jackson, Scott, and Will rushed up the stairs to the VIP area, in a much different mood from when they left. I knew the instant Jackson got a good look at me, because the unguarded happiness froze on his face. His lips thinned and pressed into a firm line as he took in the empty shot glasses in front of me and what I could only assume were red rimmed eyes, still brimming with tears.
Breaking the tense silence, Adam pushed his chair back and said, “Hey, Melissa, why don’t we try out the dance floor.”
Alice quickly did the same, turning to Scott and Will and asked, “Which one of you want to dance?”
“Why not both of us?” Will replied.
That seemed to bring Jackson back to the here and now. He stepped in front of Will and said, “No fucking way.”
Once again taking charge of the situation, Adam placed a hand on Jackson’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her.” Then he looked at Scott and Will and said, “Boys, meet Melissa,” tilting his head back toward his date. He took Alice’s hand and led her down to the dance floor. The others followed leaving Jackson and I alone.
“Dance with me?”
He held his hand out, helping me from the chair and pulled me straight into his arms. God knows it was the only place I wanted to be. Even if it was just this once as long as it was him and I. I held on tight and breathed him in as we swayed to the music. I was in Heaven and Hell. I felt every inch of his reaction to me. Everywhere I touched, muscles bunched and tensed under my hand. His solid warmth supported my weight as I melted into him. Our hearts pounded in unison while our accelerated breaths mingled in short bursts of air. Desperate to feel the connection we had, I looked up. I would never get enough of looking at his face, especially those unparalleled Montgomery eyes, turning me inside out. I wondered if he could see the depth of my feelings just
Adam’s date, Melissa, leaned across the table. “He’s a really good friend, huh?” she asked.
“What? Who?” I replied. Reluctantly, I turned away from Adam and Alice.
“Adam,” she said with a soft expression on her face.
“Uh, sure,” I started, before giving up and signally the bartender for a shot. Ignoring Melissa’s delusional ass, I turned my attention back to the stage.
“Thank you,” Jackson said and smiled at the crowd. “That felt good—so good, I’m going to sing one more.” The crowd erupted, but this time, Jackson tried to speak over the noise. “I’ve never performed this for anyone before, but this song speaks to me and says everything that’s in my heart. A lot more of you may know this one. It’s ‘Far Away’ by Nickelback.”
Wow, I loved that song. I knew every word, and Jackson had already started singing it to me. At least that’s what it felt like. Nothing else existed except him, his guitar and his amazing voice seducing me from the stage. I picked up the shot of Patron the bartender had just placed in front of me and downed it with a flick of my wrist. I concentrated on the burn in my throat instead of the one in my soul and focused on resisting the urge to order another one. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t block out Jackson’s soulful voice telling me that he loved me and he was home to stay. He came back for me. Tears began to prick my eyes. I furiously blinked them back and signaled for another round. I was so close to losing it and completely breaking down and sobbing in the corner like a baby. Only I could have everything I ever wanted offered to me like an all you can eat buffet, just to crash into the invisible bullet proof glass, keeping it out of my reach forever. Everything we could have been was ruined before it even began, and there was no fixing that. Damn, just damn.
A rowdy Jackson, Scott, and Will rushed up the stairs to the VIP area, in a much different mood from when they left. I knew the instant Jackson got a good look at me, because the unguarded happiness froze on his face. His lips thinned and pressed into a firm line as he took in the empty shot glasses in front of me and what I could only assume were red rimmed eyes, still brimming with tears.
Breaking the tense silence, Adam pushed his chair back and said, “Hey, Melissa, why don’t we try out the dance floor.”
Alice quickly did the same, turning to Scott and Will and asked, “Which one of you want to dance?”
“Why not both of us?” Will replied.
That seemed to bring Jackson back to the here and now. He stepped in front of Will and said, “No fucking way.”
Once again taking charge of the situation, Adam placed a hand on Jackson’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her.” Then he looked at Scott and Will and said, “Boys, meet Melissa,” tilting his head back toward his date. He took Alice’s hand and led her down to the dance floor. The others followed leaving Jackson and I alone.
“Dance with me?”
He held his hand out, helping me from the chair and pulled me straight into his arms. God knows it was the only place I wanted to be. Even if it was just this once as long as it was him and I. I held on tight and breathed him in as we swayed to the music. I was in Heaven and Hell. I felt every inch of his reaction to me. Everywhere I touched, muscles bunched and tensed under my hand. His solid warmth supported my weight as I melted into him. Our hearts pounded in unison while our accelerated breaths mingled in short bursts of air. Desperate to feel the connection we had, I looked up. I would never get enough of looking at his face, especially those unparalleled Montgomery eyes, turning me inside out. I wondered if he could see the depth of my feelings just
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