Page 71 of Behind the Bars

“It’s okay,” Ray said, shaking the guy’s hand. “Thanks for yourtime.”

“I wish I could’ve been more helpful,” he toldus.

“You’ve done more than enough,” Ray replied, giving him asmile.

He walked me back to the car and opened the passenger door for me to climb inside. He shut the door, then hurried over to his side of the car and hopped in. “I’m sorry,Snow.”

“It’s fine, noworries.”

“Are youokay?”

I laughed. “Of course.” I shook my head back and forth and gave him a big smile. “It was a long shot anyway. I just had totry.”

We drove back to the apartment and hung out until it was time for Ray to head to theairport.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you?” Iasked.

He smirked and cringed. “You’ve been driving on the wrong side of the road for the past six years—I think I’ll take my chances with a taxi.” He hugged me tight. “Anything you need, though, you call me,okay?”

“Okay.”

He walked into the hallway then called back to me. “And,Snow?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re in New Orleans, one of the best places in the world to redefine yourself, to rediscover yourself. Go find the music. Go find yoursoul.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Jasmine

Later that night,I put on a pair of jeans, a black shirt, and a leather jacket. I was going to do exactly what Ray had advised me to do: I was going to go searching for mysoul.

I went to see my favorite parts of the city—well, not my favoriteparts, my favoritepart.

I walked down Frenchmen Street and filled my lungs with New Orleans air. I traveled down the alleyway behind the bars and allowed myself to remember as the music from inside filled myears.

There was such a peacefulness about those bars, thatalleyway.

It used to be home to me, my safehaven.

I closed the dumpster and climbed on top, like we used to do. The sky was cloudy, and even though I couldn’t see a single star, I began to count them, because I knew they were there, just like I knew somewhere out there, a boy named Elliott stillexisted.

I thought about him often…only every single day for the past sixyears.

I always felt silly letting Elliott still exist in my memories. It had been ages since I’d last seen him, since he’d last written me, but still, I kept the key he’d given me around my neck.So you know you always have a home to come backto.

I didn’t have a clue why I kept it after all these years. For protection? For memories? For pain? For hope? I didn’t know, but during some lonely, dark nights, it was that key that kept me going. It was the reminder of a time when things weregood.

It was a reminder that maybe someday things could be goodagain.

So, whenever he did run across my mind, I’d wish for our paths to cross again. I’d selfishly ask the universe to do whatever it took to bring Elliott back into my life. I wanted to see him by any means, just for the knowledge that he was doing better than Iwas.

Where had he and his family ended up? I knew I was no one he needed in his life. I was so far from the girl he once knew, but still…I wondered about those eyes and who they stared at eachnight.

I prayed for my personal gain. I wished and hoped for his hazel eyes to somehow, someway, lock with mine. I just needed to see the man he’d become, even if only for a moment’s time. I wondered about his music and whose ears heard his sounds. I wondered if he washappy.

I hoped and prayed hewas.

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