Page 34 of Meet Me in the Vines
He’s friendly and smiles back, but he always excuses himself and leaves them hanging. He stares at me, his sexy, strong arms crossed over his chest while he leans against the bar.
Now whose eye fucking who?
I look away, because if I stare any longer, I will combust on the spot. He got me all worked up when he caught me staring in the parking lot with his shirt off. Yeah, I eye fucked the shit out of him. And by the looks of that ridiculous muscle-flexing routine of his, he knows it too. He doesn’t even need to try hard. It’s annoying how hot he is. I haven’t felt this turned on in avery long time.
I do my best to move throughout the room and catch up with everyone. High school classmates who have moved back home and started their own families give me their condolences. They ask how my life is in New York and I’m curt at best.“It’s great.”“I’m so busy all the time.” “I love the city.”If they only knew the truth.
“It’s awful.” “I’m going nowhere career wise.” “My boyfriend hurts me.”
I feel a tap on my shoulder and spin around to face Donovan’s parents.
“Audrey, honey, welcome back,” Grace beams at me. “You’re just as beautiful as ever.” She pulls me in for a deep hug. It takes a second for my arms to reciprocate. I can’t tell if it’s because of the wine or because when she hugs me, it’s a comfort I’ve been craving my entire life. A mother’s warm embrace. She has the same chocolate brown hair as Donovan and the same beautiful ocean-blue eyes. I’ve always known her to be incredibly kind, gorgeous, and charming.
Just like Donovan.
“Thank you. It’s nice to be back.”
I look over her shoulder. Caleb looks uncomfortable. He wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy the last time I remember. His hand extends my way. “I’m sorry for your loss, Audrey. Violet was an amazing woman.” I shake his hand awkwardly.
Okay, not super cold, but not the warmest. I’ll take it.
“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. King. Thanks for taking care of my Pop.”
Caleb’s eyes break from mine, but Grace keeps her sympathetic gaze toward me and gives me another hug before walking away.
After playing a few songs, Josie slides up to the mic for an announcement. “Okay, ladies and gents. We have a special guest coming to the stage to perform for you all.”
My eyes get wide, looking around to see who this special guest is. Everyone else is doing the same.
“Oakwood Valley folks, please welcome Donovan King to the stage!”
My mouth drops to the floor. He strides past me, his hand grazing the small of my back as he confidently struts on stage. Josie passes him a guitar, and he slings it over his shoulder and sits on the stool next to her. Kerry and Wyatt make whistle noises at him. Jesus, he is so gorgeous. I sip the rest of the wine in my glass and motion Jackson for another. He juts his chin toward me as his eyes say,“I got you, girl.”
Good man.
“Uh, good evening, everyone. Josie here has been giving me lessons for the past year. I want to dedicate this song to Violet and Noah.”
I sit on a barstool and see my pop across the room at a table with Caleb and Grace. Pop’s eyes glimmer as soon as Donovan strums the first note. Josie follows, strumming alongside Donovan.
I know this song. I know this melody. I look down at my feet, trying to remember where I know it from. My chest squeezes the moment I realize. I look up and Donovan is staring straight into my eyes.Make It With You. The song we danced to the night at his graduation party. The night that changed my life.
It’s too many emotions at once. It’s anger, it’s heartbreak, it’s overwhelming happiness. My eyes fixate on him as he stares intently at his guitar strings. The moment he looks up, he finds me. His lips subtly curl at the corners as his eyes fill with longing. Before I can look away to catch my breath, he sings. My hands grip the edge of the bar, turning my fingers white. It takes everything in me not to faint.
He isn’t singing to everyone. He is singing to me.
The center of his night.
My eyes well with conflicting emotion as he strums his guitar, searing his deep blue gaze into my broken heart. I’m glued to the bar stool as his voice holds me against my will, pinning me down in this torturous moment. The words thatescape his lips talk about making it work with someone and going the distance. A chance we never got.
The overwhelming sense of loss crashes through me as I squeeze my eyes shut, trying everything in my power to forget the pain that courses violently through my veins. My head spins, dizzying me into a dark shadow of my mind where Donovan left me. He abandoned me. He hurt me and broke my heart in half. I can’t recover fast enough as I feel myself slipping, my breaths becoming erratic. I can’t keep looking at what could’vebeen. His voice taunts me with every beautiful word that leaves him. I can’t sit through this anymore.
I need to get the hell out of here.
I chug the rest of my wine and rush out toward the back door, stumbling into a couple of shoulders as I frantically shove my way toward the exit.
The moon shines bright above me. Cool air hits my face as I wipe my tears away. I lean my back against the wall with my hands on my knees.
Take a deep breath, count backward from five.
