Page 74 of Rock Me All Night
"Damn, it's hard to turn down a naked woman."
"You did last night."
"You know why I did." He runs his fingers through my hair. "How secret?"
"Very secret."
He chuckles. "I went as Harry Potter for Halloween all throughout middle school."
"You did not."
He nods. "I was shorter, smaller. My mom loved making my costume. She loved that kind of thing, the magic, the justice." His eyes go to the floor. "I was twelve or thirteen. Older kid took my fake glasses, threw them on the ground, and stepped on them."
"What did you do?"
"I flipped. Tried to hit him but I couldn't. He was bigger, stronger. The rest of the year, I never heard the end of it. Taught me the value of not reacting to things. Then I got bigger, learned how to hit. That was that."
"You stopped showing your emotions and started beating people up because a bully picked on your Harry Potter costume?"
"No. What is it you always call me?"
"Aloof."
"I'm aloof because I don't want anyone to know my weaknesses. I don't want anyone to know what hurts me." His expression gets intense.
"But your songs. You're confessing to the whole world."
"Yeah."
"What's the difference?"
"I'm in control. I'm the one on stage, commanding attention, making girls scream." His eyes meet mine. He runs his fingertips up and down my back. "Most people don't listen closely to the words. They don't see what's right in front of their faces."
I lean into his touch. It's difficult to concentrate what with his hands being on my naked body. But I can tell this is important. This really is a secret.
I stare back. "I did. I listened to that song a thousand times. That guy who was singing. He was my closest friend. He was the only person who knew where I hurt."
"I still know where you hurt."
"But I don't… it's not equal."
"You do." He takes a step backwards. "You know more than anybody else does."
He sits on the bed, his eyes filling with a look I can't place. It's sad but there's more to it than that. Nostalgia, maybe.
This was his uncle's place. It must mean a lot to him.
"This house seems untouched," I say.
"Don't come here by myself. It feels empty without Damon. Feels quiet without his laugh."
I scan the bookshelf. It's up to date. It has threeStar Warsbooks that came out over the summer. So he is here sometimes. Once at least.
"Do you have a favorite?" I nod to the books.
"No."
"Do you like other sci-fi or justStar Wars?"
