Page 53 of The Night We Met

I debate it for a second but then I slide him my debit card. “Start a tab please.”

The bartender nods at my response and goes to another customer. The Tequila slides down my throat in a smooth movement.

“A girl that doesn’t flinch when she drinks tequila is dangerous to anyone that gets close to her.”

I know that voice anywhere. Liam. “You should know.” I spit at him.

“Ease up Kam.”

I turn to look at Liam and see that he’s got his guitar slung over his shoulder. “I’m sorry. But I don’t answer to anyone Liam. I’m not gonna start now. And it’s not gonna be with you.”

“Okay.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Come on…it’s the only bar close by that has a stage for singing.”

I look at him with a raised eyebrow.

He holds his hands up in a defensive manner. “Okay, Sarah told me. Come sing with me.”

I haven’t sung with Liam in a long time. He always knew the songs that worked for me. It’s also one of the ways we became so close and how our friendship has lasted so long. The last time I sang in front of a crowd was when Mason arranged it. So now I guess I associate singing with him. Which opens the barely healed wound.

“Do you know “All I Ask” by Adele?”

He nods his head. But has a pensive look on his face.

“Okay.” I unlock my and pull up my phone's camera, switching it to the video mode. I turn to the only female bartender, “Will you record this for me please?”

She takes my phone. “Sure thing.”

A few more people have wandered into the bar and are looking like they don’t want their afternoon booze fest interrupted by my singing. Oh well! I don’t care. Liam plugs his guitar into the amp and hands me the microphone.

“Hey guys. I’m Kamryn and this is my…uh, friend…Liam. We’re going to play a song, or a few for y’all. This first one is for all you broken-hearted and it’sAll I Askby Adele.” Liam looks at me questioningly. But I nod for him to start regardless.

I look out to the crowd as I belt out the lyrics. Some have glassy eyes from either the alcohol or the song, and others are really listening to the lyrics.

A tear escapes and I quickly wipe it away. Is this the closure that I need? Can I move on from this? Can I loveagain? It still hurts like hell. I still miss Mason like no tomorrow. Because I’m carrying around my broken heart like it’s a prize. It’s not. I finish the song and the room erupts in applause. I look out at the room and even the employees have stopped what they were doing to applause. I wipe my tears as best as I can.

“Thank you,” I go to stand up and requests get thrown out to us.

When I turn to Liam, he shrugs like it’s not my fault that they love me.

“Okay. I’m only doing one more song and this one is a duet. Have any of you seen the movie ‘Country Strong’?”

Some hoots are all I get.

“This song isGive into Me.”

Liam starts up the guitar and the familiar tune of the song swims through my veins. But when he opens his mouth to sing, his voice warms my body and it feels like last summer all over again. Why did I choose this song? Him looking right into my eyes like he can see into my soul is unraveling everything that I’ve tried putting together. Does he like me?

But looking away from him is hardly an option. We’ve sung this song before. Just way before anything like what happened last summer happened. He was just my goofball best friend. We did everything together. Until I proposed that stupid arrangement in hopes that he and I could become more than friends.

My body unconsciously drifts towards him as we continue to sing about giving into each other. Whether as friends or more my mind is now conflicted. The words we sing to each other, like a back and forth conversation, wondering if our time is now.

Our stares linger after the song is over and the crowdgoes insane. I break the stare first and walk off the short stage to get my phone and quickly pay my tab. I can’t go back on my word now. I can’t have feelings for Liam again. But whatever it is I’m feeling isn’t slowing down my racing heart. I care about Liam as a friend. Did I maybe think that he and I would turn to more than friends? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it. He pushed me away. When I started to feel more, he pulled back. So I moved on.

I quickly uploaded the grainy video to Facebook in my haste to get out of the bar. In no time at all my phone is blowing up with text messages about my performance. But I ignore them all. A small part of me was hoping that a certain someone would see it. Would he see how broken I still am? Or would he think that I’ve moved on? Did he move on? My phone rings with Jax calling.

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