Page 39 of A Boy Called Lovesong

And yet part of me wanted to hold back, keep my grief and my anger in check, and deliver my vitriol of rage when he least expected it. After all, he had no idea who I was.

And I had no idea who he was either.

All I saw was a man standing before me, a stupid, kinda clueless grin on his face, the sheen of the storm still glistening on his muscular frame.

Around his neck hung a crucifix, sitting long and low against his abs.

He tussled his blond hair, trying to flick it dry, and I wondered why he wasn’t even looking at me. Me, the stranger standing next to Maybelle. Me, the stranger with the dog in his arms… until the man’s smile spread even wider, his pale blueeyes wandering around the room as he stated the damn obvious—

“There’s a dog in here. Maybelle? You found a dog?”

“No, Lovesong. I found you a roommatewitha dog.”

That was when Chet could contain himself no longer.

With a bark, he sprang out of my arms and scurried across the room to my damn nemesis.

Lovesong gasped with joy and crouched, his arms reaching high and wide like he was drunk, unable to pinpoint where Chet was until the dog bounced into his knees, jumping and licking.

“Hey fella! Who are you? What’s your name?”

“His name’s Chet,” I said.

“You’re kidding,” said Lovesong, talking not to me but the dog. “Now I know two Chets. You… and Chet Baker. Not that I knew him personally. But I got a bunch of his records. Maybe you and me can listen to ’em together one night, hey boy?”

Chet licked at Lovesong’s face like he’d just found an old friend, and Lovesong couldn’t help but giggle, playfully giving in to the abundance of love being showered upon him.

I had to catch my breath.

He knew who Chet Baker was?

Of course he knew who Chet Baker was.

But he didn’t know my dog, so what the fuck was my dog doing, acting like this man was a long lost friend?

I felt cracks in my wall, chinks in my armor.

Chet was Joel’s.

Chet was mine.

Chet was not—

“Chet! Leave the man alone!”

“Aw, he’s all right,” Lovesong said. “He’s just full of love, that’s all. He don’t mean any—”

“Chet!”

The dog whimpered, and although he stopped lapping at the shadow of a beard on Lovesong’s chin, he lingered with the stranger a moment longer.

“Chet! Come!”

The smile faded from Lovesong’s face and he nudged Chet away. “Go on then, boy. Back to your daddy.”

Chet reluctantly crossed the floor, but didn’t quite make it to my feet before he sat, midway between me and the stranger he’d just met, his eyes still on Lovesong in case he saw a chance to sneak over to him for more kisses.

Lovesong stood and looked past me at the fading light through the curtains.

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