Page 27 of Two Is Better Than One

"All right, I'll sing it fast first and then I'll slow it down."

I tried not to pay attention to Casey Morgan in spite of the fact that the song was about him. The lyrics mentioned wanting something you couldn't have, and I tried to phrase it carefully and vaguely enough that no one would catch on that I had an actual crush on him. I named no names, but Casey probably had a good idea.

I finished the verse and chorus, playing it the faster way, and then I instantly changed the tempo and sang the second verse at half speed. I made eye contact with Casey during the slow one, and we shared a moment. I made myself look away eventually, but there had been a moment shared. It was real. His eyes were like smoldering embers.

"Oh, my gosh, that's so hard," AJ said, talking to Casey. "What do you think?"

Casey looked at me. "Could you do it again, the slow way?" he asked.

I had played the song quite a bit during the last few days, and I felt comfortable with performing. I gave them a sample, keeping it brief. I played a bit of the verse and a bit of the chorus, just to remind them how it sounded.

Casey suddenly got to the edge of the couch.

"I like it slow," he said. He cleared his throat. "But I see why you had trouble. I like it both ways. I'm going to use the restroom."

"Okay," I said, smiling and acting nonchalant.

Casey stood up and headed into the hallway to find the restroom. I watched him walk that way, and there was nothing I could do to stop myself from following him. I figured out what to say after I had already stood up.

"I’m going to put my guitar up," I said to my sister and AJ. "I'll be right back."

I followed Casey, carrying my guitar by the neck. I saw him stop in his tracks and turn around as soon as we were around the corner and out of their sight. He wrapped his hands around me and pulled me closer. I still had a hold of the guitar, but I held it down by my side and let it rest on the floor. There was a wall between us and my sister, but she was right there, in the next room, so Casey was almost silent when he spoke.

"I’m sorry, Summer, but that is just too much."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I can listen to your music in my truck, and it's fine and good, but I can't listen to it live, as it comes out of your mouth."

"Do you not like it?" I asked. His hand was on my lower back, and he was looking at me in such a way that I knew he liked it.

"I feel terrible for everybody who sees you with their own eyes and hears you sing but can't have you. I can't have you, and it's horrible. I don't know what I'm going to do next week. I feel like I'm going to rent a room in this hotel just so I can try to run into you—be next to you." I blinked and stared up at him, my heart feeling like it might burst.

"I thought you were leaving to go out of town for work," I said.

We spoke so quietly that we had to be right next to each other's ears to be able to hear. I was still holding my guitar so it wouldn't fall.

"I am technically leaving for work," he said.

"W-why do you say technically?"

"Because. I don't know."

"Why'd you say it?"

He stood there, in the dimly lit hallway, staring at me for such a long amount of time that I almost spoke again. "Because. I mean, technically I have work."

"Why do you keep saying it like that?"

"Because of you, Summer. You have that power over me. I'm standing here holding you, and I can't even believe you're real. You're so beautiful, and your voice… the voice is too much. But then I also like you. I like your personality. I think you're clever and funny, and I say technically I have to work because nobody can force me to do it. I don't have to go to work next week. Anybody can do anything. Well, at least most people can do most things. I don't know. I make my own choices."

Chapter 12

Casey Morgan

Summer stooped and quietly set the guitar on the floor at her feet. She moved carefully so her sister and AJ couldn't hear her from the other room.

There could only be one reason why Summer would want to set her guitar down in the hallway instead of taking it into the bedroom where she got it. She went into Casey's arms as soon as she stood up. She held onto him tightly, saying nothing, only standing there, holding him.

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