Lyrics of a Small Town

by Abbi Glines

  Rio was running down the street with his cupcake in hand toward Saul when I reached the bottom step. I couldn’t figure out what she was doing or why they were yelling or why the car was parked in the middle of the street. But what concerned me most was where Lily was and if she was alone.

  Rio reached Saul and he glanced at him then turned his head to look back in my direction. The sun was starting to set, but there was still plenty of light left to see his scowling face clearly. It was as if our day yesterday hadn’t happened and we still didn’t like each other.

  “You don’t love me!” Fleur called out then spun around again. I was starting to wonder why he didn’t just get her off the car and that was when it moved. Both Rio and Saul jumped out of the way and I covered my mouth in horror. No one was driving the car, but Fleur was on the hood of it. Had she left the engine on and the car in neutral or in drive? Why would she do this?

  “FUCK!” Rio shouted and his cupcake fell out of his hand onto the ground as he went to grab the driver’s side door as Saul did the same with the passenger’s side. I continued to stand there with my hand over my mouth. If Fleur fell off the car, it could roll over her, or she could bash her head on the asphalt, or she could break her neck…

  And it was at that thought the first siren roared to life and turned down my street.

  Fleur lay over the front window of her convertible then flipped head first inside the car, causing it to roll backward, even as the guys were holding onto it. The cop came to a stop and jumped out of his patrol car. I couldn’t hear everything, but I did manage to get that Fleur was drunk and high.

  With the officer’s help, Saul was able to climb inside and put the car in park. Then Fleur was cuffed and taken to the cop’s vehicle while she laughed about it. Saul talked to the officer and I saw him shake his head no. Two more cops arrived and the neighbors all seemed to be coming out onto their porches or front yards.

  Long after Fleur was put into the back of the police car, Saul stood there talking to all three cops. Rio remained by his side and a few nosey neighbors made their way out to ask questions. When the first cop drove away, Rio and Saul began walking back toward Gran’s house. Saul looked furious and Rio looked annoyed.

  It was Rio who reached me first and then Saul turned toward Rio’s Jeep and climbed in the passenger side. I said nothing, waiting for Rio to speak. A few neighbors were still outside looking our way. I felt like we were on display.

  “I’ve gotta go,” he said. “Saul needs a ride to the station to get Fleur bailed out.”

  “Oh,” I replied, thinking maybe she needed to stay behind bars a little bit until she sobered up.

  “Tomorrow?” he asked me.

  I nodded. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

  Rio glanced back at Saul who was sitting in the passenger seat with his head back and his eyes closed. “What is wrong with her?” I asked Rio, looking back at him.

  “She’s a fucking spoiled bitch who uses Daddy’s money to get herself high when things don’t go her way. Blames it on some shit that happened to her when she was younger. Saul won’t talk about it. Anyway, he saves her ass when she does this shit. It’s a damn cycle that’s been going on for years. He’s never loved her, they’re more old friends than anything.”

  He was saving Fleur, just like he saved his mother.

  Why would he want to be with a girl that had the same issues his mother did? Hadn’t he learned from his mom that this may never end? His mom needed him right now and he was having to deal with Fleur.

  “Don’t judge him. He sends her away. She comes back after he’s had time to get over it. Then this all over again. Remember he saved my ass twice when I did something stupid. I gotta give him a ride. You read the letters tonight. Tomorrow, we will go on our search.”

  I nodded and watched as he walked to his Jeep. When they pulled out of the drive, I headed back up the stairs and inside. I had letters to read and hopefully it would distract me from everything else.

  Fourteen

  I put the last letter down around midnight and stared at the pile on the coffee table. Rio was right about the Lyra who wrote the letters being my mom. I would know that handwriting anywhere. It was my mother’s alright. Albeit a bit neater back then.

  Whoever Rebel was that was the man who aided in my creation. I didn’t doubt that. The way Rio’s mom had written him, I was pretty sure Rebel was the only guy in her life too. There was a ninety-nine percent chance in my estimation that Rio was in fact my half brother. He had been sure of it when he took me out on the beach and told me, and now I could see why.

  Proving this was going to be another issue. Although we could easily take a DNA test. Did those tell you who your father was? Or would it just tell us we were siblings? I had never had to think about this before and DNA tests weren’t something I knew much about.

  Gran’s grandfather clock began to chime twelve and I knew I had to get in bed. Four in the morning would be here too soon. Yawning, I stood up and started toward the kitchen when a knock at the door caused me to yelp in surprise. Spinning around to see who had knocked, I froze when I saw Saul standing on the other side of the door. I stared at him a moment and he held my gaze.

  Why was he here?

  Slowly I moved to the door and battled with myself over if I should open it or tell him to leave through the glass. When I reached it, I already knew which side of me had won. It was the stupid side. I unlocked the bolt then the knob itself before turning it and opening it up.

  “Can I help you?” I asked him, hoping to at least sound snippy since I had opened the dang thing.

  “No,” he replied and his short response was the reminder I needed to close the door back.

  His hand flattened on the glass and stopped me before I could move. It was as if he had read my thoughts. Maybe he had that power too. He could look sexy in anything he wore, he could make girls do stupid things, he had the ability to sting you with one glance, why not read minds? Seemed feasible. If you were Edward Cullen at least. Yeah, I was getting delirious and needed to get some sleep.

  “Can I come in?” he asked me.

  “No,” I replied.

  He sighed. “Please,” he added.

  Damn, damn, damn, I was such a girl. I stepped back and opened the door wider but said nothing. I would let him say what he wanted then I would tell him to leave so I could go to bed.

  Saul walked inside and stopped just a few inches from me. I closed the door behind him and waited. He had come here. I hadn’t invited him. I did not have to make conversation or beg him to tell me why he was here. But he stayed silent.

  “How is Lily?” I asked him. That was the only thing I cared about.

  “Better, for now,” he replied, but he didn’t turn his head to look at me.

  I wanted him to elaborate on that but decided I would go visit her myself and find out. He had brought me the gate key to get into his mother’s penthouse but hadn’t mentioned then Lily was his mom.

  The longer he stood there not looking at me and not talking, my aggravation turned to anger. Why had he come here to act weird and say nothing? He didn’t like me; he had made that clear. I knew now that the few times he had been nice to me was for my Gran’s sake and not mine. I knew nothing about him but that he had an addict for a mom, but was also very wealthy, which was probably how he afforded a million-dollar home, and he had a girlfriend who seemed to be heading down that path as well.

  “It’s late, I have work in the morning, I don’t know why you’re here, but I need you to go,” I told him.

  He didn’t move nor did he look at me.

  Was he on something? Did he do drugs too? Was that another secret I didn’t know about him?

  “Saul, please leave,” I said with more conviction and started to move to open the door back up.

  His hand shot out so quickly I didn’t see it until his fingers wer
e wrapped around my wrist. It wasn’t painful, but it was firm. “Don’t. Please,” was all he said.

  Sighing in frustration, I tried to free my arm from his grasp, but he didn’t loosen his hold. “Saul, if you’re high, I can call Rio. He can come get you, but I am tired and I am done with this-”

  “Rio,” he said, interrupting me. “He was here. Two nights this week you were with him. You like him?” he asked, finally turning to look at me.

  I stared at him completely baffled by this line of questioning. Was he here to warn me away from Rio too? Well tough luck because Rio may be his friend, but it was looking like he was my brother. I had greater dibs.

  “Not your business,” I said, pulling harder on my arm this time with no luck.

  Saul groaned and muttered a curse word. “Just tell me. Do you like him?”

  “Why does it matter?” I shot back. “Are you going to tell me to stay away from him too?”

  “No,” he said. “Rio isn’t Drake.”

  His response surprised me enough to be still and stop pulling at my arm. Saul lifted his eyes and met mine. “Do you like him?”

  I growled in frustration. Why did he care so much? “Again, not your business.”

  He turned then and he was facing me. Much too closely. He smelled of sunscreen and cigarettes. “Rio is my friend. My best friend,” he said.

  I waited for more and fought the urge to step back. He was too close.

  “Then ask Rio,” I replied.

  “I want to know if you like Rio,” he repeated.

  “Why?” I shot back at him.

  He took a step closer to me, his eyes hooded and hard to read. “Because, Henley, if you like Rio, it changes things.”

  “What things?” I asked confused.

  “Fuck it,” he muttered.

  At that moment, it felt like slow motion, but it also happened so quickly I didn’t have time to prepare. Saul’s mouth was on mine and his hands were on my hips, pulling me against him. His hard chest pressed against my softer one and I was overwhelmed to the point my knees no longer felt very sturdy. I swayed slightly and one of his hands grabbed the back of my head to hold me there as his mouth opened over mine and I was tasting him. I was sure he could feel the pounding of my heart as I found myself holding onto his arms for support. The warmth of his body and scent of sunshine on his skin was intoxicating.

  The kiss was turning into something much more intense than two lips colliding. Everything inside me was humming with a pleasure I had never experienced. Clinging to Saul, wanting to get closer to him and not ever let go. All the anger, hurt and annoyance that had built up from his treatment of me vanished in the moment. I cared only about this.

  Saul’s hand slid down over my hip, and just as I thought he would touch more of me, he was gone.

  I stumbled from the loss of his support as my eyes snapped open in confusion. My gaze met his and he looked to be in some sort of physical pain while I had been experiencing the exact opposite.

  “I can’t. This… we…. I can’t.” He said the words in a hoarse whisper before he turned and left the house. The firm click of the door closing behind him.

  I stood there unable to move. My lips still tingling from the kiss, my head still reeling from all that had happened. My heart slightly damaged from a beautiful boy who was set on breaking me.

  The next day I woke up at four, baked my items, delivered them, and tried to go back to sleep. When I couldn’t sleep, I called my mom, listened to her complain about me wasting my summer, how I needed to move on with my life, how I was messing up my future, then I went for a walk on the beach. Rio didn’t come over because he had to work an extra shift to pay off the bail money his pop had given him to repay Saul. I didn’t feel like attacking another item on Gran’s list. I wanted to believe it was my phone conversation with my mother that had gotten me in this funk, but I knew… it was because of Saul.

  Fifteen

  The line of women and a few men began forming outside Signed Sips around two in the afternoon. The book signing did not begin for another five hours. I hadn’t known what was happening at first and thought the ladies outside were waiting to enter. When an hour had passed and the line had only gotten longer, I had asked Hillya what they were doing.

  “They’re here for the signing,” she told me.

  “But that’s hours away,” I replied confused.

  “Yes, and the line will continue to grow. It’s Colleen Hoover and she always brings a crowd. This will be our third summer to have her here. Last year, there were over three hundred in her line. We sold tickets this year. Each reader gets a drink of their choice, a slice of cake, and one of her new books to be signed for their ticket price. I had hoped it would lessen the number of people, but we sold three hundred and sixteen tickets.”

  My mouth dropped open in shock. This was going to be a long evening. “Do we have enough cake?” I asked.

  Hillya laughed. “Yes. What do you think I’ve had Emily in the back doing all morning. She’s slicing the cakes. I started making them yesterday morning. We have blueberry cream, cinnamon coffee cake, and lemon pound cake. There should be over four hundred slices when we are done. However, if you will go in the back and make up some of your banana loaf and chocolate cake, I will run the front. Having gluten and dairy-free options tonight will be good advertisement.”

  I glanced once more at the line of over twenty women and one man outside. “Do you think I should take them some water after I get the cakes in the oven?”

  Hillya nodded. “That would be nice of you. Maybe take them some of the items in the bakery case that have been there since yesterday. We need to clear them out today anyway.”

  “Okay, I’ll be back out in about thirty minutes,” I told her and headed for the back. It had to be at least ninety degrees outside today and those people were out in the heat, waiting to meet an author and get books signed. I had never known there were readers that dedicated. I was looking forward to the evening more than ever now.

  This was a distraction I desperately needed. I had barely gotten any sleep, woke up at four to bake, delivered the items, and stayed instead of going home like Hillya suggested to get some more sleep since it would be a late night. Saul was in my head and had been since he kissed me the other night.

  I had compartmentalized him before. I didn’t allow myself to think of him too much and I could shut it down. Until that kiss. It was as if my lips knew what I was thinking about and they would tingle from the memory. Saul had been an issue since day one, but now he had made it even worse. I was not here to develop feelings for a guy. Especially one who didn’t feel the same.

  My reasons for coming here had been deeper than that. I had to keep remembering why I came and stop thinking about Saul. His brooding was too much for me and his life was much darker than anything I’d ever experienced. I didn’t need that kind of damage in my life. I was trying to fix me; Saul would do the opposite. I feared he could destroy me if I gave him the power.

  “Oh thank God, please tell me you’re back here to slice cake,” Emily said as I walked into the kitchen.

  “Afraid not. I have to make a couple banana loaves and a chocolate cake, but I promise I will slice them when they are ready,” I told her.

  Emily groaned. “Why would so many people come to get a stupid book signed? Just buy the damn thing on your phone and read it. Who needs to meet the author? Heck, I can’t remember who wrote the last book I read.”

  Laughing, I began to get my ingredients and place them on the counter. Apparently Emily wasn’t a big reader. I would guess her last book was one she had to read for a class. If she truly loved reading, she would remember the author’s name. Now, the line forming outside was shocking to me, but I did find it cool. I just had never considered going to stand in line to meet someone before.

  “Do you remember the last book you read and the a
uthor’s name?” she shot back at me.

  I grinned as I poured my ingredients into a bowl. “The Perfect Game by J. Sterling.”

  “Oh my God. Please don’t tell me you go to book signings and wait in line for hours.”

  “No, I go to the library and pick out books, read them, return them, repeat,” I told her.

  Emily sighed. “I don’t care much for reading.”

  “You haven’t found the right book yet. When you do, it changes things. You’re reading the wrong things,” I explained.

  “I’m reading what I have to read to pass my classes,” she replied.

  “Exactly. Why don’t you get one of the books from the author coming tonight and try it out? Might be your thing,” I suggested.

  I glanced over at her while I stirred the batter. She did not look convinced, but she shrugged. “Maybe.”

  The rest of the afternoon, I ended up baking three of the banana loaves and two chocolate cakes, which came to fifty-eight slices. I took cups of water and baked goods to the thirty- seven people in line at four- thirty, and I made a dairy-free espresso martini for Hillya to try out. She had cases of red and white wine and her signature cocktail she was offering was an espresso martini. She just hadn’t considered that those with dairy allergies couldn’t have it. I gave her another option and she went and added it to the chalkboard menu.

  By seven o’clock, the author was here and the line was almost at three hundred people. It wrapped around to the back of the building and then was separated into three sections. Hillya had hired some security to keep things safe and orderly out back. Per city ordinance, we could only have sixty people in the shop at a time. Mrs. Hoover was friendly but swift with each reader, making them feel special while they came up to the table but not letting them stay too long. She was obviously a pro at this.

  I poured more white wine than anything, but occasionally, there was an espresso martini order. Three of those had been for the dairy-free martini. My banana loaf and chocolate cake had also been a surprise to those with allergies. I had heard several of the readers talking about the fact we had those options.