Page 73 of Dirty Rock

Too close to you

Trying to breathe underwater

You’re making me your fool

Blinded by your comfort

Seduced by all you seem

Nothing can ever happen

We’re such a feeble dream

The little things we hide

The truth we dress as lies

The blank stares and we don’t cares

Shitty lust we hold inside

Pretend like we’re not filthy

Pretending we aren’t as one

Pretending there’s no desperate need

To make the other come

I sat back with a sigh and tossed my pen on the coffee table just as my phone pinged. Reaching for it, I swiped across the screen and saw Julia’s name staring back at me. My heart pounded, and my stomach turned over.

Finally.

Julia: Are the flowers from you?

Me: What flowers?

Julia: Doesn’t matter. Sorry.

I could imagine her face, creased only slightly as she pushed her fingertips to her bottom lip and stared at the phone.

Of course, the flowers were from me.

She was a day late reaching out, but I could forgive her awkwardness. I would forgive her anything at this point.

I waited her out, not responding just yet to see if I could get a read on where she stood with me after she’d quit the band and I’d walked away.

Julia: Actually, I’m not sorry. They have to be from you. The card says ‘For My Homely Girl’. Stop playing with me, Rhett.

Me: What else does it say?

Julia. ‘Come to me’.

Me: Oh, Homely Girl.

I smirked to myself as the bubble of her response appeared and disappeared several times before a text finally came through a few minutes later.

Julia: I don’t know why you sent them, but… thanks.

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