Page 4 of Rim Shot Rebound

He could tell something had been bugging her all night. For weeks he’d gotten the sense that she was avoiding him, but for the life of him he didn’t know why. Sure, he’d given her a lifetime worth of reasons when they’d broken up, when they’d lost more than just each other. Losing her had nearly destroyed him, especially knowing she was hurting too. At the time he’d thought he was doing the right thing, but now…now he wasn’t so sure he hadn’t done more harm than good.

Still, he thought they were moving past that. Things were easier between them again. Or at least they had been until recently.

Kelsey turned and waited for him to reach her car. She was beautiful illuminated by the moonlight. He wanted to reach out and run his hand along the smooth skin of her face, to kiss her soft, glossy lips under those stars.

Instead, he leaned his bass against the back of his van parked beside her. “Wild, right? You and me writing something. Just us. Without Camille.”

Her pale skin looked paler than normal. Maybe even a little greenish. Her face was missing any trace of the spark he was used to seeing. That bright-eyed, determined spark of hers that he’d fallen in love with. Over and over.

Her signature purple streak fell away from the rest of her straight, raven-black shoulder-length hair. He wanted so badly to reach out and brush it away, to tuck it behind her ear, but he kept his hand at his side.

“Yeah, wild.” She still wasn’t making eye contact with him.

Something was definitely up. More than even the semi-normal awkwardness that had wormed its way between them these last few weeks. But it didn’t look like she was going to tell him what was bothering her. And as much history as they had, he didn’t have any right to demand answers. He didn’t deserve anything from her, really.

“Maybe we should set up a quick meeting to touch base. Just to throw out some ideas. You got plans tomorrow night?”

“No.” Kelsey tilted her head and finally looked at him. “You don’t?”

He had plans to tell her all about why he didn’t have plans on a Friday night. But he wasn’t about to tell her that now. Not in the middle of Robin’s front lawn. “No. Want to come over tomorrow? I’m done with lessons around five. I could pick up Chinese so we could get started early?”

Her skin turned even greener when he said that. “Uh, yeah. Sure. I guess I’ll meet you around six then?”

“Sounds good.” He stepped away, reluctantly, and opened the back of his van. Her little red hatchback reversed into the driveway and rolled away as she gave him an awkward wave from the window, blasting Evanescence into the night air.

Something was definitely up with her. He wished she felt safe enough to tell him whatever it was. What he really wished was that he hadn’t caused that. He’d let her down, and he’d never forgive himself for that. Frankly, he wouldn’t have blamed her if she never spoke to him again.

But she had. And for some reason she continued to.

Eric slid his bass into the back of his van and closed the trunk. He waved to Robin on the porch and drove away, his head scrambling for ways to earn back Kelsey’s trust. He couldn’t erase their past or his mistakes. But he sure as hell could try to earn her back now.

And thanks to Robin and this song she wanted them to write, he now had an open door to do exactly that.

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