Page 53 of Sing Your Heart Out

“She’s gone to the grocery store with Dee.”

I whirl on my heel, facing Mellie. She’s leaning in the doorway of the lounge looking completely unimpressed with me right now.

Then again, I can’t blame her. I imagine that Sarah told her everything that I said and did last night.

Raising my chin nonchalantly, I ask Mellie my question. “Do you know when she’ll be back?”

Mellie motions to me, backing up into the room. I follow her and find that she’s taken the entire couch. So I fall into one of the white chairs with a sigh.

Mellie lights up a joint, smoking it casually. “You really fucked up, Smith. I didn’t think it would be possible to separate you two, but damn. You did it. I’m impressed, honestly.”

I scowl at her, letting my head fall back so I can stare at the ceiling. “I didn’t mean to. It just sort of happened. Like I couldn’t control any of the things that were coming out of my mouth.” I pull a face.

“Well, you really screwed the pooch on this one.” She takes a long drag and exhales a big cloud of smoke. “What were you thinking, Smith?”

“Honestly? I have no idea. I just started to feel deja vu with her. Something about our dynamic brought up my history with my ex. And I freaked out. I said a lot of things I wish I hadn’t said, that’s for sure.”

She is quiet for a moment, then she shrugs. “Are you going to talk to her, then? Try to make some sense of things? Right now they are a hash.”

I nod. “That’s the plan.”

Mellie goes silent for almost a full minute. Thinking that I’ve been dismissed, I stand up. She waves me back down though.

“If you’re going to do this, you’d better do it right.” She looks at me sternly. “You’d better be very romantic and sweep her right off her feet. And most importantly…” She shakes her finger at me. “You had better not take longer than the weekend if you two do fix things. Sarah and I have got some serious money to make. Okay?”

I blink. “Uhh… okay…”

“Good. Now this is what I have in mind…”

20

Sarah

Iget ready to go to the airport in the wee hours of the morning. It’s for early that it’s still dark. Checking my watch, I hum to myself a bit.

Mellie has thirty minutes before I really have to wake her up. That’s plenty of time, right?

Loading my things into the back of the van, I close the doors and lean against the vehicle. The house looms large in front of me, reminding me of all the things that have happened to me since I got here.

Reminding me of Smith. I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. My throat feels swollen suddenly, as if too many things need to escape at once. I feel tears prick the corners of my eyes.

The front door opens. I raise my eyebrows. At first, the only things that appear are a dozen long stem red roses. Then the figure holding them materializes seemingly out of thin air.

It’s Smith.

“I can’t let you leave,” he says, shaking his head. “Not without talking to you first…” He pauses, hesitating. His gaze sears me through and through to my very soul. “Sarah, I am so sorry. We fought because I am a coward.”

There is a long pause. I stare at him, not sure where he came from. But I am sure as hell glad that he’s here right now.

“We were both saying some crazy things,” I admit softly.

“But you have to admit, I definitely lost our first fight.” His face creases with concern. “It doesn’t seem right or fair. Luckily, I had Mellie to help me… She made me get a few things for you before she would even help me plan this little confrontation…”

I sniff. “Mellie is a really good friend.”

“You’re telling me. With Mellie as a fairy godmother, I don’t think you will ever have a second of doubt. She’s a fucking lioness.”

My cheeks heat. “She means business.”

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