Chapter Two-Hundred and Nineteen

John took a seat on a stool in the music store, taking a brand-new Fender deluxe Stratocaster in navy blue from Vernon as he held it out to him. "Thanks." He smiled, placing the head phones over his ears and strumming a few chords. "And I'd give up forever to touch you 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be, and I don't want to go home right now… and all I can taste is this moment… and all I can breathe is your life. And sooner or later it's over I just don't wanna miss you tonight. And I don't want the world to see me 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand… when everything's meant to be broken, I just want you to know who I am… and you can't fight the tears that ain't coming, or the moment of truth in your lies… when everything feels like the movies, yeah you bleed just to know you're alive. And I don't want the world to see me 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand, when everything's meant to be broken I just want you to know who I am… and I don't want the world to see me 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's meant to be broken, I just want you to know who I am, and I don't want the world to see me 'Cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's meant to be broken, I just want you to know who I am… I just want you to know who I am… I just want you to know who I am… I just want you to know who I am…" His voice floated through the shop, making everyone inside go completely silent and begin to gather around the teen whose voice was like that of an angel and the devil all in one.

One looked to Vernon, motioning to John. "Is he yours?" She asked, able to see that this young man sang with enough love and passion to fill the world.

Vernon shook his head, smiling as John's voice brought tears to nearly everyone's eyes. Except for two. "No, I'm just his crazy uncle." He chuckled, watching as the couple whispered in each other's ears.

John felt the strings against his fingers, the whole time he sang thinking about Claire, and the life they would have together. "I just want you to know… who I am…"

Claire folded a pair of jeans, smoothing her hands over them and bending at the hips to place them on the rack. "We ain't in it for the money We ain't in it for the fame We ain't even in it for the perks We're in it for the journey Hopes and dreams come true. Rags can turn to riches and broken hearts and bodies can be healed with loving hands, however..." She sang John's song under his breath, jumping when she almost ran into her boss's chest. "Oh, Kyle…" She placed a hand over her heart, struggling to catch her breath from her scare. "Sorry… I didn't see you there…" She smiled, placing her hand on his shoulder to move him so that she could go back to work.

"Claire." He closed his hand around her wrist, pulling her tight against his body. "There's no one else here…"

"Kyle, please let me go." She tried to twist her wrist out of his grip, yelping when he shoved his hand into the front of her slacks. "Stop!" She tried to slap his hands away, closing her eyes tight against the feeling of how he was touching her. She pressed her lips tight against each other, trying to make him stop kissing her.

"HEY!" John's voice barked from across the store, the end of his crutch flying over her shoulder and hitting Kyle right in the arm. "Back off!" He pushed Claire behind him, glaring at the intruder with pitch black eyes.

Claire touched his shoulder, jumping as he turned on her. "John-"

"Get in the car." He ordered, already pulling the keys to Thomas's BMW out of his pocket. "We'll talk when we get home." He pushed her toward the doorway, leaning toward Kyle with what could only be described as a death stance. "Leave my fiancée alone."

"Or what?" Kyle asked, pushing his hand against John's chest so that he had to regain his balance. "Cripple?"

John was silent for a moment, before he let his crutch fly between Kyle's leg. "Next time I catch you, you won't have the testosterone to be horny." He spat, limping after Claire and giving her a nudge with his hand to let her know to move it or he would lose it.

"John-"

"Don't." He snapped, letting Claire know that he was about to explode.