Liz couldn't shake the nagging feeling anymore. It told her to look
into the crowd, near the back on her let. She usually never looked into the
crowd during her songs. It just didn't seem right. At this particular
moment however, her mind demanded it. She finally gave in and looked
towards the throngs of people and her eyes immediately locked on to a
couple kissing. The girls blond curly hair blocked Liz's view of the guy's
face, but her petite figure and his strong build looked exceedingly
familiar. When they pulled away from each other Liz understood her need to
look into the crowd. It was to see Max and Tess... kissing. Liz felt sick and
destroyed at what she had just witnessed. The song had ended and Liz felt
like her whole world was going to collapse out from under her. She shook it
off and thought, 'Fine, they want to come here behind my back and insult me
to my face? Bring on the challenge. I'll win.' She backed away from the mic
and told each band member that the next song would be different then the
one she had planned. She pulled her acoustic guitar out of its case and
plugged it into an amp. Devon, her drumist, sat on a stool next to her with
some bongo drums.
"I'm going to play you guys something a little different for the rest of my gig. I'm ending a bit early tonight, so this will be my last song I'm going to sing. I was going to sing 'Whisper'" – the audience cheered and clapped loudly – "because I know how much you guys liked that one, but I've been inspired to sing one of my other songs by a member of the audience. You know who you are."
'I'd like to watch you sleep at night, to hear you breathe by my side
And although sleep leaves me behind, there's nowhere I'd rather be
And now our bed is oh so cold, my hands feel empty, no one to hold
I can sleep what side I want, it's not the same with you gone
Oh if you'd come home, I'll let you know
All you want, is right here in this room, all you want
And all you need, is sitting here with you, all you want
Max felt the bile rising in his throat. As he pulled away from Tess, he felt as though the shattered pieces of his heart had been collected and re-stomped on. The kiss didn't taste right. The simple fact was: Tess wasn't Liz. He wasn't even attracted to Tess, but it didn't matter anymore. Liz had seen him kiss Tess. He had met her pained gaze with a confused look, almost defiant in nature. 'Isn't this what she wanted?' When she made the song dedication to him, he wanted nothing more than to run to her, break down crying, and beg forgiveness. But her face no longer seemed capable of forgiveness. Tess had gotten up to get something to drink, and Max sat with his head low in defeat.
It's been three years, one night apart, but in that night you tore my heart
If only you had slept alone, if those seeds had not been sown
Oh you could come home and you would know
All you want, is right here in this room, all you want
All you need is sitting here with you, all you want
I hear your key turning the door, I won't be hearing that sound anymore And you and your sin can leave the way you just came in, send my regards to
her
I hope you've found that
All you want, is right there in that room, all you want
And all you need is sitting there with you, all you want
I'd like to watch you sleep at night, to hear you breathe by my side'
His anger at himself grew as she finished the song. How could he have done that to her? How could she have had the nerve to criticize him of wrongdoing when she had done the unspeakable? He felt split down the middle. Max met her eyes and they stared at each other for what seemed an eternity. Her glazed over eyes were pasted with regret, and his displayed a forced facade of indifference. He held her eyes until her shoulders slumped in defeat and he felt a small triumph at the miniscule victory. Only then did he avert his eyes. The cheers and clapping never seemed to end. Liz put on a brilliant smile and bowed, then clapped with the club's audience as the rest of the band took its turn bowing. She gave each member a kiss on the cheek and a comfortable embrace, then raised her arm at the bartender who nodded and went into the back. As the gang moved towards each other, Liz walked off the stage and headed towards the bar.
"You're looking especially depressed tonight. What's going on?" Liz sighed as the bartender, Jason, wiped a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"They're here... he's here – they followed me. All of them," Liz muttered.
"The 'he'? As in, 'Max' he?"
"One in the same."
"Oh god Bethie I'm sorry."
"It's not like you could have done anything about it. Besides, it's not his fault, its mine." She paused. "Get me a couple shots of the strongest alcohol you've got? I have a feeling I'll be needing it tonight."
Jason sighed and nodded. "You know that on any normal occasion you'd get a flat 'no,' right? However, I agree with you – you'll definitely need it."
Liz snorted. "Like you could resist my sirenistic charms." She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Jason set five shots of some unknown liquor in front of Liz and lifted her lowered chin up till her eyes met his.
"Like you would ever let me enjoy your sirenistic charms." He held her gaze longingly for a moment, then winked at her and smiled. "The truth always sets you free, you know. Whatever truth that may be." He then turned and went back to bartending.
"Not this one," Liz whispered to herself in a hushed voice. She felt a rough hand come to rest gently on her shoulder, but she didn't need to look behind her to know who it was. Liz closed her eyes and forced her mouth to work. "How long were you standing there Michael?"
"Long enough."
"Let's do this in the back Michael. I don't want to draw any more attention to myself tonight. I'm suddenly not feeling so well."
"I understand. Max is getting the others so he sent me to-"
"To fetch me? What Max does is his own business." She downs the shots consecutively and got off the barstool, giving a nod to Jason. "Well Fido, shall we depart?" Michael hid his grin and pretended to be offended. As the others came within view, Liz gripped his arm tightly and looked up at him. "I'm glad he sent you." Michael was taken aback by her comment, but couldn't help opening up to her.
"Thank you for never judging me," he replied. She smiled.
"Thank you for trusting me."
"It was a lot easier than I led you to believe. I couldn't help it, it became second nature to trust you."
As they walked up to the rest of the group, their brief understanding of one another ended. Michael closed his soul's door, and Liz's soul walked away from it. She unlinked her arm from Michaels and met Max's eyes, her voice solemn.
"Outside."
"I'm going to play you guys something a little different for the rest of my gig. I'm ending a bit early tonight, so this will be my last song I'm going to sing. I was going to sing 'Whisper'" – the audience cheered and clapped loudly – "because I know how much you guys liked that one, but I've been inspired to sing one of my other songs by a member of the audience. You know who you are."
'I'd like to watch you sleep at night, to hear you breathe by my side
And although sleep leaves me behind, there's nowhere I'd rather be
And now our bed is oh so cold, my hands feel empty, no one to hold
I can sleep what side I want, it's not the same with you gone
Oh if you'd come home, I'll let you know
All you want, is right here in this room, all you want
And all you need, is sitting here with you, all you want
Max felt the bile rising in his throat. As he pulled away from Tess, he felt as though the shattered pieces of his heart had been collected and re-stomped on. The kiss didn't taste right. The simple fact was: Tess wasn't Liz. He wasn't even attracted to Tess, but it didn't matter anymore. Liz had seen him kiss Tess. He had met her pained gaze with a confused look, almost defiant in nature. 'Isn't this what she wanted?' When she made the song dedication to him, he wanted nothing more than to run to her, break down crying, and beg forgiveness. But her face no longer seemed capable of forgiveness. Tess had gotten up to get something to drink, and Max sat with his head low in defeat.
It's been three years, one night apart, but in that night you tore my heart
If only you had slept alone, if those seeds had not been sown
Oh you could come home and you would know
All you want, is right here in this room, all you want
All you need is sitting here with you, all you want
I hear your key turning the door, I won't be hearing that sound anymore And you and your sin can leave the way you just came in, send my regards to
her
I hope you've found that
All you want, is right there in that room, all you want
And all you need is sitting there with you, all you want
I'd like to watch you sleep at night, to hear you breathe by my side'
His anger at himself grew as she finished the song. How could he have done that to her? How could she have had the nerve to criticize him of wrongdoing when she had done the unspeakable? He felt split down the middle. Max met her eyes and they stared at each other for what seemed an eternity. Her glazed over eyes were pasted with regret, and his displayed a forced facade of indifference. He held her eyes until her shoulders slumped in defeat and he felt a small triumph at the miniscule victory. Only then did he avert his eyes. The cheers and clapping never seemed to end. Liz put on a brilliant smile and bowed, then clapped with the club's audience as the rest of the band took its turn bowing. She gave each member a kiss on the cheek and a comfortable embrace, then raised her arm at the bartender who nodded and went into the back. As the gang moved towards each other, Liz walked off the stage and headed towards the bar.
"You're looking especially depressed tonight. What's going on?" Liz sighed as the bartender, Jason, wiped a strand of hair out of her eyes.
"They're here... he's here – they followed me. All of them," Liz muttered.
"The 'he'? As in, 'Max' he?"
"One in the same."
"Oh god Bethie I'm sorry."
"It's not like you could have done anything about it. Besides, it's not his fault, its mine." She paused. "Get me a couple shots of the strongest alcohol you've got? I have a feeling I'll be needing it tonight."
Jason sighed and nodded. "You know that on any normal occasion you'd get a flat 'no,' right? However, I agree with you – you'll definitely need it."
Liz snorted. "Like you could resist my sirenistic charms." She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Jason set five shots of some unknown liquor in front of Liz and lifted her lowered chin up till her eyes met his.
"Like you would ever let me enjoy your sirenistic charms." He held her gaze longingly for a moment, then winked at her and smiled. "The truth always sets you free, you know. Whatever truth that may be." He then turned and went back to bartending.
"Not this one," Liz whispered to herself in a hushed voice. She felt a rough hand come to rest gently on her shoulder, but she didn't need to look behind her to know who it was. Liz closed her eyes and forced her mouth to work. "How long were you standing there Michael?"
"Long enough."
"Let's do this in the back Michael. I don't want to draw any more attention to myself tonight. I'm suddenly not feeling so well."
"I understand. Max is getting the others so he sent me to-"
"To fetch me? What Max does is his own business." She downs the shots consecutively and got off the barstool, giving a nod to Jason. "Well Fido, shall we depart?" Michael hid his grin and pretended to be offended. As the others came within view, Liz gripped his arm tightly and looked up at him. "I'm glad he sent you." Michael was taken aback by her comment, but couldn't help opening up to her.
"Thank you for never judging me," he replied. She smiled.
"Thank you for trusting me."
"It was a lot easier than I led you to believe. I couldn't help it, it became second nature to trust you."
As they walked up to the rest of the group, their brief understanding of one another ended. Michael closed his soul's door, and Liz's soul walked away from it. She unlinked her arm from Michaels and met Max's eyes, her voice solemn.
"Outside."
