by Kelly Moore
“Axel?”
“Yeah. He was drunker than shit. Somehow he still had his stage pass.”
“What does that have to do with Lyla?”
“He got on the stage after one of her songs. He took the microphone. He told the audience about Red and Jacob. He told them the only reason she got to where she is was because she cried a sad story, and everyone felt sorry for her.”
“That son of a bitch!”
“Lyla fell apart when he said maybe he should’ve had a kid die too, to get where she is.”
“Please tell me you fucking killed him!”
“I wanted to. Nick pulled me off him.”
“What happened to Lyla?”
“She ran off the stage. By the time Nick had me off him, she was long gone.”
“I’ll find her.”
“I haven’t seen her this upset in a long time. I’m afraid for her.”
“I said I’ll find her.” I hang up and go back into the control room and push the button so I can be heard. “This session is over. I have an emergency and have to go. I’ll call you when I can reschedule.”
As soon as he’s ushered out the door, I lock it behind me and run to the parking garage. On the way, I try Lyla’s phone. She doesn’t pick up. When I get in my car, I change over to Bluetooth and put her number on redial. “Come on, baby, pick up the phone.”
I race to the storage unit she moved her bike to when she moved to my place. I unlock it, and I’m relieved to find it still parked inside. I’d hate to think what would happen to her racing this thing at night.
My tires spin when I back out. “Where the hell is she?” My dash lights up with a call coming in from Boomer.
“Hey, Boomer, whatever it is I don’t—”
“Lyla is here,” he interrupts me.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s in pretty bad shape. The bartender said he’s been serving her nonstop drinks. When he cut her off, she went behind the bar and made her own. The bar’s been so busy, I didn’t realize she was here until some fans recognized her. She started screaming at them. She was shaking so bad, I had to carry her to my office.”
“Don’t take your eyes off her. I’ll be there shortly. And, Boomer.”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for taking care of her.”
I run through every red light but have to park a block away because the bar is packed. I hit the lock button and run to the Brew’s Brothers. The bouncer opens the door as soon as he sees me coming around the corner.
“Excuse me.” I push through the crowd and don’t stop until I swing open Boomer’s door.
He holds a finger to his lips. “She’s finally asleep,” he whispers.
She’s lying on his couch, covered by a blanket. I squat in front of her and brush the hair from her face. Her black mascara has dripped down her cheeks from her tears.
“I need to go out the back door. I’m going to take her home.” I lift her in my arms. She doesn’t open her eyes, but her arms go around my neck.
“I’ll unlock it for you.” Boomer digs in his desk drawer for the keys. “Got them,” he says and holds the door open for me, and we sneak out the back unnoticed. “Let me know if I can do anything,” Boomer says.
“Thanks for keeping her safe.” I walk past him and walk the block with her in my arms. I place my hand on the door, and it unlocks. I lay her down in the small back seat. She curls into a ball and mumbles something.
“I got you, baby.” I get in and call Elliot.
“Did you find her?”
“Yes. I’ve got her.”
“Where did you find her?”
“She was at the bar. Boomer called me. I guess she got pretty drunk and then scared when a fan recognized her.”
“Thank God she’s safe, but when I see that asshole…let’s just say, Nick won’t be around to stop me next time.”
“There might not be anything left of him when I’m done kicking his ass. I’ll deal with that another day. I’m taking her home. You should go home too.”
“I’ll be over in the morning to check on her.”
I park along the curb outside my building and carry her up to bed. I return to the car and drive it into the parking garage. When I get back to my bedroom, the bed is empty. “Lyla!” I call her name and hear a noise in the dark bathroom. I flip on the light, and she’s curled around the toilet. I take a washcloth from the closet and run it under cool water. “Here, baby.” I sit on the floor behind her and draw her into my lap. Her head flops back on my shoulder, and I wipe her face with the washcloth.
“He told everyone”—she swallows—“about my baby. He said…”
“It doesn’t matter what that asshole said. None of it was true. He’s angry and jealous.”
“I ran off the stage. I didn’t know what else to do,” she cries.
“You should’ve come to me.” I kiss the back of her head.
“Oh God.” She leans forward and pukes up whatever is left in her stomach while I hold her hair out of the way.
When she finally goes limp, I carry her back to bed. She doesn’t wake up when I clean her face. “Please don’t go somewhere dark on me.”
I don’t sleep all night, not wanting to take my eyes off her. She stirred several times and called out Jacob’s name.
The door buzzes downstairs, and I run to open it before whoever it is wakes her up. It’s Elliot, and he looks like shit.
“She’s still sleeping,” I say, opening the door. He pulls off his hat, and I see purple surrounding his eye. “Damn, is that from the fight on stage.”
“No,” he growls. “Joe had to bail me out of jail this morning.”
“You went after Axel?”
“Yeah, and he looks a lot worse than me.”
“Shit.”
“His sorry ass already dropped all the charges. He kept saying how sorry he was for what he did to Lyla. I told him too fucking late, the damage had already been done.” He stomps up the stairs.
“So, where is he?”
“After they had his wounds treated, the cops hauled his ass to rehab once they’d watched the video of the concert.”
“Well, at least he won’t be anywhere near Lyla.”
“How is she, man?”
“She was pretty rough when I got her home, but once her stomach settled down, she’s been sleeping ever since.”
“That’s probably the best thing for her right now. She finally gets her shit together, and that asshole takes her down. For the first time, in a long time, I thought she was going to be okay.” He’s pulling both his hands through his hair.
“Sit down. I’ll make us some coffee.”
I come back with two mugs to find him standing in the bedroom doorway with his hand braced up against the wall.
“Here.” I hand it to him.
He sits on the couch, and I walk over to stand in front of him. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
He looks down at his mug, then back up. “I’ve always loved her, but she was never in love with me.”
I sit in the chair beside the couch. “Yet, you’ve stayed with her and helped her all these years.”
“Just because she wasn’t in love with me, didn’t make me love her any less.”
“And then I come along.” I chuckle.
He leans forward and places his mug on the coffee table. “I didn’t want her to fall for you, but what she felt for you lit her up again.”
“I’m sorry. That had to be difficult for you to watch.”
He nods. “I’d give anything for her to love me like I love her. But, you’re a good man, and you make her happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for her. She deserves that, man.”
Stop Reading!
If you need a Happily Ever After, do not read any further. This ending is how I saw it happening.
But, if you’re an HEA only reader, I’ve given you that in bonus material.
Here is the link where you can continue the story.
/> * * *
Gypsy with an HEA
Chapter 17
I’ve hardly left my apartment or studio for the last two weeks. Lyla barely ate or spoke much the first week after the incident with Axel. She finally started to pull out of her darkness when I rented a ton of movies and curled up with her on the couch. It was a movie marathon. She smiled and laughed, seeming better.
I took her ice skating today, and she seems better still, but I can tell she’s still very fragile. I need to broach the subject of her next concert. I’m not sure what her reaction is going to be, but it can’t wait any longer.
“I talked to Greg this morning, and I asked him to postpone your concert scheduled for next week.” I take my eyes off the road to glance over at her.
“I’m okay with that.” Her lip quivers. “I’ve been thinking I don’t want to do it anymore, but I don’t want to disappoint Elliot and Joe.”
“Is that really what you want or are you scared?”
“A little of both. It doesn’t seem worth any of it.”
I reach over and place my hand on her leg. “You know I’ll support whatever you want to do. Greg can help find Elliot and Joe a new band.”
She leans her head on the window. “I know.”
“Did you enjoy ice skating?”
She grins. “Yes, thank you for taking me. I need to get out of the house more.”
“I couldn’t agree more. How about I plan a getaway? I have clients this weekend coming in to record, but we could do it the following weekend.”
“Sounds perfect.” She squeezes my hand, and she appears genuinely pleased.
“It’s settled then. I’ll call Greg when we get home to cancel the next several concerts to give you time to make sure you really want to give it up.”
We spend our weekend away in Chattanooga, seeing the sights, walking the town, and eating at upscale restaurants, all while accompanied by her security detail. They’ve made sure no one comes near her. At night, we’ve held each other for hours on end. Regardless of how good things have been, that darkness is still looming. I can feel it. It scares the hell out of me.
Greg agreed to a temporary break and found work for Elliot and Joe with an up-and-coming band. Elliot calls and checks on her every day. She’s still insisting that she doesn’t want to go back to the stage.
“I think I want to work on some music today.” Lyla walks into the control room where I’ve been tweaking a song.
“Do you have something new?” I perk up, thinking she sounds more like her old self.
“I have a few things I’ve scribbled down, but I want to work on the music, not the lyrics.”
“Are you going to play the keyboard or the guitar?”
“Guitar.”
I smile and snatch her hand, dragging her into my lap. “I love when you play the guitar. There’s nothing sexier.”
She giggles, and I love the sound of it. “Is there anything about me you don’t find sexy?”
“Hmmm…let me think.” I tap my chin. “Nope, every piece of you is sexy.”
She softly kisses my lips. “I love you, Jameson.” She gets up and goes into the live room.
I watch her as she picks up the guitar she wants to play and noodles around with it for a few minutes. She lowers the boom to her guitar, and I put on my headphones to listen. It’s soft and slow. She hums along, making it more beautiful. I push the record button and use the sliders to adjust the sound.
I’m still as mesmerized by her as the first day I heard her voice. Her eyes are closed as she focuses on playing the guitar. I can tell she sings the lyrics in her head by the changes in her facial expression. Near the end, I see a tear slip out and roll down her face. That ache in her is as strong as it ever was. She’s right; I’ll never be able to help her heal it. All I can do is be here for her. It’s part of her, and I vowed to love all of her. I end the recording when she’s done and join her. She lays the guitar down and wraps her arms around me, and a flood of tears come out.
“It’s okay, I’m here.” I hold her, and our bodies sway together like there’s a song playing.
She wipes her tears, then lies down for a nap. I decide to run to the store to cook dinner for her tonight. I pick up a bottle of wine and some candles to go along with our meal. After I put away the groceries, I peek in on her, but the bed is empty. “Lyla!” I flick on the light. The bathroom door is wide open, and she’s not in there either.
“Maybe I missed her in the studio.” I run downstairs. Her guitar is sitting where she left it, and there is no sign of her. “Shit!” I open the front door of the building and look out both ways. “Maybe she went for a walk.” I need to calm down and give her the benefit of the doubt. I pace the floor for the next two hours before I call Elliot, who got back in town last night.
“Hey, Jameson. How’s it going?”
“Fine, but it would better if you tell me Lyla is with you.”
“I haven’t seen her or talked to her since I got home.”
“Fuck!” I run my hand through my hair.
“What’s wrong?”
“I left her here napping to run to the store, and when I got back, she was gone.”
“Maybe she ran an errand.”
“I don’t think so. Something doesn’t feel right.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “Ah shit!” His voice has changed to panic.
“What? What is it?”
“Today is the anniversary of Red and Jacob’s death.”
“Goddamn it! Why didn’t she tell me?”
“She goes to their gravesite to visit them once a year.”
“Where?” I’m grabbing my keys. “Where’s the gravesite?”
“She had them buried outside of Nashville, overlooking the city because it was Red’s favorite place to be.”
“Text me the name of the place. I’ll call Boomer to make sure she’s not there first.” I’m huffing, running to my car.
“I’m sending it now. I’ll meet you there.” He hangs up, and I call Boomer.
“Hey, man. Have you seen Lyla?”
“She was here a while ago. She stopped in to thank me for all that I had done for her. It was a little strange, even for Lyla.”
“Was she drinking?”
“I…I don’t know. I never left my office. Is she okay?”
“I hope so.” I hang up and get the address from Elliot’s text. I race out and push my car as fast as it will go. I’m slowed only by the curves climbing up the mountain and the rain that has started to fall. When I get to the top, Lyla flies by me on her crotch rocket, going in the opposite direction. I do a doughnut on the narrow road and chase after her. She slows her speed and lifts her arms straight out to her side. Her head tilts up into the air like she’s trying to fly free. I look across to the road that curves up the mountain, and there’s a truck trudging upward. When I look back, Lyla’s bike is going down the wrong side of the road.
I lay on my horn. “Lyla!” I scream her name. The rain pelts down harder, and I continue to beat on the horn. She looks down at the last minute and swerves, but it’s not soon enough. The truck clips the front of her bike, sending her spiraling. It hits the ground hard, skidding on the pavement. Her bike hits the side rail, throwing her off and over the edge.
I slide to a stop mere inches from her smashed-up bike. Jumping over the side rail, I see her crumpled body lying on a rock. I hear Elliot’s voice yelling out the moment I go over the ledge to get to her.
“Lyla.” I cradle her body and feel for a pulse. It’s faint. She has blood pooling underneath her body. Slowly, I unfasten her helmet and take it off. Her eyes are open but dim.
“Lyla,” I cry again.
Slowly her eyes turn to look at me. “I’m so cold.” Her voice is barely over a whisper, and her lip is quivering.
Elliot jumps down beside me. “An ambulance is on its way.”
“Do you see him?” she says and looks back up into the sky.
“See who, baby?” I sa
y softly. My tears are dripping down onto her face as I hover over her sheltering her from the rain.
“Jacob. He’s so beautiful.” She reaches a hand in the air as if to touch him.
“Stay with me,” I plead.
She moves her head slightly toward me. “I don’t hurt anymore.”
“No!” I scream and rock her back in forth in my arms.
“It’s okay, Jameson. I’m going to be okay.” Her eyes grow dimmer and her face paler.
“Please don’t fucking leave me!” I cry harder. “I love you. I want you here with me.” I lean down and kiss her lips.
“I love you too.” She looks back out at the sky and smiles. Then I watch as the rest of the light leaves her eyes and her soul is set free.
“Why goddamn it! Why, Lyla?” I lay her on the ground and kneel next to her, crying over her lifeless body. I pound on her chest and breath into her mouth, but she doesn’t come back to me.
Elliot sits on the ground next to her holding her hand, looking as lost as I feel. The sound of the ambulance is above us, and the rain keeps pouring down.
Elliot pulls me off her when the paramedics make it down to us. “No. I’m not leaving her!” I fight him to get back to her.
He shoves me against the mountainside. “She’s gone.”
I struggle against him, but he shoves me again and grabs my face with his hands to force me to look at him and not her. “She’s gone. There’s nothing you and I can do for her now. She’s finally at peace.” He hugs me to him, and I go to my knees, crying out in misery.
The two of us stand frozen, watching her body as its lifted into the air and up the mountain. We’ve both loved this woman and lost her.
I can’t move. I let the rain pour down on me. “I couldn’t stop her.” My voice hitches. “I saw the moment she gave up.”
“What are you saying? She caused this?”
“That’s what it looked like to me. She changed her mind at the last second, but it was too late.”
“Shit.”
“Why wasn’t I enough for her?” My knees buckle, and Elliot grabs my shoulders before I make it to the ground.
