I nod.
Camryn shoves my chest. “I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
Jamie walks in and sits on the couch, pulling Camryn onto his lap.
“That when you fell, you’d fall hard,” a corner of her mouth lifts. “She’s beautiful. The two of you seemed really happy at the gala. I wasn’t sure if there was something there you weren’t sharing, but I’m happy for you.”
“I’m happy, too.” My mouth twitches.
“She fits into our group well. All of us had a good time with her at the gala.”
Jamie shoves my shoulder, “You’re fucked, man.”
“I am.” My smile fades.
Falling in love with Rory was easy. Keeping Rory’s past in the past… that may be hard.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rory
Christian holds my hand in his as we approach the table surrounded by his friends and sister. Turning to look at him, his sexy lips pull into that trademark smile of his.
“What?” I ask.
He shakes his head, “Nothing,” he replies calmly.
Christian pulls the stool out, gesturing for me to sit.
Morgan writes on a piece a paper, then slides it to Camryn. Tapping the tip of the pen on the paper, she exclaims, “I have a good one.” She writes on the paper and proceeds to slide it to Karsen who sits next to her.
Leaning into Christian, I ask, “What are they doing?”
A devilish smile spreads across his face. “You’ll see. You’re next.”
Raising a brow. “Next for what?”
Karsen slips the paper in front of me. The heading of the document gives it away. “Are you kidding me?” I ask Christian while shooting daggers at him.
“What?” he replies sheepishly.
“He didn’t tell you what we were doing tonight?” Jamie asks as his forehead furrows.
Shaking my head, I give Christian the evil eye. My eyes scan the sign-up sheet with everyone’s song selection. I bite my tongue to refrain from voicing my disapproval, but he sees my annoyance all over my face. Scribbling down the title of the song I’ll perform, I pass it to him.
Leaning over, I whisper in his ear, so only he can hear. “I can’t believe you did this. You are so dead.”
Slinging his arm around my shoulder, he pulls me against his side. “You’ll be fine. I’ve heard you sing before.” He leans down, placing a kiss on my forehead. My annoyance evaporates the moment his lips touch my skin.
Pulling back to look at him, I mutter, “You’ve heard me sing to Leah. Not in front of a room filled with people.”
He squeezes my shoulder gently, “Stop worrying. You’ll do great.”
Christian fills in his song choice and Lincoln proceeds to take it up to the guy on the stage.
Leaning forward to see around Christian, I’m able to get Jamie’s attention. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” I nod my head to the hallway leading to the restroom.
“Sure,” he replies, scooting his stool back to stand.
Looking to my right, a concerned look appears on Camryn’s face. “Is everything okay?” she asks.
Nodding my head, “Yeah, I just need to borrow your husband for a second.”
Christian furrows his brows. “You okay?”
Leaning in, I kiss him on the lips. “Yes.” Then kiss him again and pull back to look him in the eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
People fill the tables and the surrounding booths. Jamie and I weave our way through the crowded bar. Reaching the quietness of the hallway, Jamie leans his back against the wall. Casually pushing his hands into the front pocket of his jeans, he asks, “What’s up?”
My hands are sweating, and I tangle my fingers together, as I figure out a way to ask Jamie to help me. Tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, my eyes drift to the floor. Taking a deep breath, I lift my eyes and find Jamie watching me.
“I know this is a lot to ask, but will you sing with me? The song I selected needs a male counterpart.” My breath stalls waiting for his response.
His lips twitch, “Now was that so difficult to ask?” He laughs. “We better make sure we kick ass out there. What song did you pick?”
Leaning in, I whisper it in his ear.
He nods his head, obviously approving my selection.
When we return to the table, all eyes are on us.
“You good?” Lincoln asks.
Smiling at him, I nod.
Christian and Camryn furrow their brows when we both take our seats. Silence settles around the table as every one’s eyes bounce between me and Jamie.
Jamie’s face instantly shifts into a devilish grin. His boisterous laugh breaks the awkwardness. “You guys better bring your A-game. Our girl here is going to crush it.”
A noise from the microphone catches my attention. The emcee grips the microphone in his hand and jumps down from the stage. He begins to walk through the crowd as the lights dim throughout the bar. “Good evening, folks! Who has the urge to sing tonight?” He gazes over the crowd smiling.
A few people shout in response to his question. He holds a piece of paper in his hand. I assume it’s the sheet we completed and was being circulated around the room.
“I’ll select names from the list in random order. Keep in mind, you will be choosing the winner at the end of the event.” He climbs the steps to the stage. “When the performance is done, make sure to cheer if you want them to proceed to the finals. The winner will walk away with an appealing prize at the end.”
He shakes a large glass bowl filled with folded pieces of paper. “Morgan, come on down. It’s your time to shine,” his boisterous voice fills the bar.
Morgan jumps to her feet. “I’m gonna win this shit, you watch.”
“Keep dreaming, sweetie. My man is taking home the gold tonight,” Camryn taunts her.
The emcee hands the microphone to Morgan. She clears her throat, lifting her hand and waves. “Hi, I’m Morgan. I suck at singing, so don’t expect much.” Laughter fills the bar.
“This is a song that requires my best friend’s singing capabilities, as well. It’s one of our favorites and it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t ask her to join me up here. Camryn Banks, come on down here and join me to perform this song.”
Camryn’s eyes grow large and look like she is going to vomit. Shaking her head quickly, she yells. “No, they didn’t call my name, they called yours.”
Lincoln stands from his stool, pushing Camryn to stand. Jamie stands, tossing his wife over his shoulder, carrying her to the stage. Camryn kicks her feet, smacking his back in the process, while yelling, “Put me down.”
The bar erupts in laughter at the scene unfolding before them. Jamie settles at his wife’s feet on the stage, helping her stand upright, then quickly steps back, avoiding her arms swinging in his direction. “I’m going to kill you,” she growls at him. Her statement earns more laughs from the crowd.
Morgan hands Camryn a microphone, wipes her hand on her pants, and then grips the microphone between her hands. Camryn stands nervously by Morgan, glaring daggers at her husband, who sits across from me with a shit-eating smile on his face. Music begins to filter through the speakers and Morgan’s song selection gets an immediate reaction from the crowd. Morgan belts out the lyrics to Love Somebody by Maroon 5.
Quite a number of females in the audience sing along to the lyrics. Morgan works the packed bar not only with her singing abilities but with her dance moves, which gains the attention of quite a few guys who begin to cat call as she wiggles her rear in their direction.
Camryn loosens up when the chorus begins and bounces on her feet singing in sync with the song. They both take turns singing parts of the song, but when the chorus begins, they both jump on their feet, their hands in the air while they sing.
Lincoln smiles as he points to Morgan. “They may not win them with their voices, but the shaking of their asses may take home the gold.”
Peeking over to Karsen, she sits there laughing at her friends. Th
ey finish their rendition of Maroon 5’s song, taking a bow as the audience cheers.
The emcee dips his hand into the bowl, fishing out another piece of folded paper. “Next up we have another combo act. This is about to be interesting. Jamie, Christian, and Lincoln, come on down. Let’s see if you can beat these fine ladies.”
Christian leans in, whispering, “It’s all about having a good time tonight,” against my lips, then kisses me quickly before walking to the stage. Both Lincoln and Jamie follow suit, each grabbing a microphone.
“Alright, ladies, try not to swoon too hard for our performance,” Jamie says, getting a few hoots and hollers from a table in the corner filled with ladies.
Christian starts off the song by placing his hand over his heart as he sings the opening lyrics to Sugar by Maroon 5. Lincoln and Jamie join in on the second verse. Each guy takes a turn singing a verse, while they all seem to be doing the theatrics to match the words. With each swing of their hips, the crowd cheers for them. All of us girls stand by our seats dancing to our men’s performance. They are good. Christian’s eyes find mine and they burn with desire. His eyebrows wiggle, then he sings his lyrics directly to me, causing my stomach to flutter.
Jamie sings all the high points that only Adam can seem to hit, but Jamie nails it. He is an amazing, talented artist. When they finish, they receive a standing ovation, and in their nature, they all take a bow.
The men make their way back to the table, each taking a drink of their beer.
After a few minutes, the emcee pulls the next performance out of the bowl. “Rory and Jamie, come on down.”
“You might as well congratulate us now. We’re taking this shit,” Jamie says as he leans over the table toward his wife. His face a mere inches from Camryn’s, he whispers, “Don’t worry, babe, I’ll still love you even though you’re not going home a winner.”
Leaning closer, Camryn cups her husband’s face and kisses him quickly on the lips. “I’d be disappointed if you don’t win, considering you’re the musician in this relationship.” She releases his face, tapping the tip of her finger on his nose.
Standing, my gaze meets Christian’s as he makes a hand gesture toward Jamie. “Really? You picked him over me.” He lays his hand over his heart, “I’m broken.”
“I had to go with the man with more talent….” Christian wraps his arms around my waist, pulling my body between his legs. “In singing,” I laugh and motion to Jamie. “More talent with singing.”
Christian sticks his hands in the back pockets of my jeans, squeezing my butt. “You’re lucky I’m not a jealous man.”
Leaning down I whisper in his ear, “You have other talents I enjoy immensely.” Nipping his ear, I pull back and kiss him on his lips. “I’ll be right back.”
“Knock ‘em dead, babe,” he replies, swatting my butt when I walk past him.
Jamie and I climb the steps to the stage. Looking back at the table, my gaze swings over to Christian, who watches me across the room carefully.
Eyeing Jamie, I ask “Am I crazy for picking this song?”
“You picked it for a reason, am I right?”
My throat tightens thinking back to when I first really listened to the lyrics. Clearing my throat, I nod. “I was in a terrible place for a really long time. It was hard time in my life and I didn’t know how I was going to survive it.”
Jamie’s eyes widen at my confession. He glances over my shoulder. I turn to see where he’s looking at and my eyes land on Camryn. He brings his attention back to me. “I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t know much about you, or what you’ve been through. All I can say is life sometimes has a funny way of throwing things at us when we least expect it. All we can do is try to make the best of it. What doesn’t break us, only makes us stronger. Camryn knows that all too well. She has been to hell and back and survived.”
Jamie looks over to where his wife sits with their friends. He nods his head in their direction. Love fills his eyes. The adoration he has for his wife in his unspoken words is evident.
“If you ever need anyone to talk to, I’m sure she’ll be willing to lend you an ear. My wife is the strongest woman I know. She’s also the most loving woman I know. She is a good friend to have. If her brother sees something special in you, she will welcome you with open arms.”
Jamie pulls me into a hug. “This song is emotional, as you well know. Sing it from your heart. If it gets to be too much, focus on me if you have to.”
Taking a deep breath, I exhale. “You can do this,” I say out loud, giving myself a pep talk.
I send a pointed glare at Christian, as he sits there with a grin on his handsome face. Why did I agree to this? I should make a run for it. I’ve never sang in front of people before. I sing in the privacy and comfort of my home, I sing to my daughter, never in front of a crowd but there’s no turning back now.
Jamie takes the microphone from the stand, nodding his head to the stand in front of me. I remove mine with a trembling hand, gripping it tightly, my knuckles turning white. I wave nervously to everyone. A few chuckles greet me.
Smiling nervously, I lift the microphone to my lips. “I’m going to murder my boyfriend when I get off this stage. So, if you see me on the news tonight, you’ll know why.” Everyone laughs while Christian lifts his hand to his lips and blows me a kiss.
My smile slips and I swallow thickly. “I’m not good at explaining myself or expressing my emotions. This song is very personal to me.” I pause briefly, clearing my throat. “I’ve experienced something I hope no one ever has to. Losing someone is the worst. But in losing someone, I also found someone.”
My eyes make contact with Christian. I lift my hands to my lips, blowing a kiss back to him. “You are my someone.”
Christian and the group watch from their seats, across the room. Camryn and Morgan try to contain their smiles but fail. Both ladies are trying their best to encourage me.
The bar goes completely black except for the lights focused on the two of us. The light from the teleprompter illuminates, showing the lyrics to the song. I don’t need to look at it, I know the lyrics by heart. I’ve listened to this song a thousand times in the past. But until recently, the song has a different meaning to me. Before, this song was about Keith. How I was frozen in time, without his touch, without his love.
But now, this song represents my relationship with Christian. He’s helped me heal. He’s picked up the broken pieces of my shattered heart. At times when I feel guilty about moving on, I look at Christian, and cherish that he’s given me what I needed. He’s brought me back to life without even knowing. The melody begins to play, piano notes echo loud and clear through the speakers. As the first words leave my lips, my mind focuses on the man who brought me back to life.
After the first few lines, my eyes lift and find the man they search for. The man I’ve fallen irrevocably in love with.
It’s good to be loved again. It’s good to finally be whole again.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Christian
Rory’s white dress shines under the light. She looks like an angel sent from Heaven just for me. An angel fallen with broken wings. I won’t give up, I will carry her to ensure she makes it. That she never feels the pain she’s felt in the past.
Seeing her up there has my dick coming to life. Her strapless dress accents her breasts and small waist. She is gorgeous as her wavy auburn hair falls across her shoulders.
The opening line of the song leaves her lips effortlessly, her voice is angelic. She sings the first few lines with her eyes closed and only the piano playing. The song begins with how she leads a person into her core, where she’s become numb. If I were standing, the emotion in her voice would bring me to my knees. Nothing could have prepared for this song.
Several gasps sound around me. “She’s incredible,” Lincoln says in shock.
Nodding my head in agreement. “I know,” I smile proudly.
When the tempo picks up, she opens her eyes, focusin
g her eyes on me. Her haunted eyes shine with fear. They swim with tears when she sings the lyrics about living without a soul, how her spirits sleep somewhere cold. That she was lost until she was led back home. She glances to the ceiling then back to me, her eyes and glistening as tears run down her cheeks.
Her tone changes as Rory sings the rest of the verse directly to me as Jamie stands close to her, tapping his hand against his leg to the beat.
“Christian, did you know she could sing?” Camryn whispers beside me.
Ignoring my sister, my eyes never leave the beautiful redhead who captivates my every thought. She sings every word from her heart, from her soul.
Rory turns to face Jamie who stands next to her. Jamie comes in during the second chorus, his voice commanding. The two of them sing the lyrics back and forth as if they were fighting with each other. The emotion on both of their faces express the meaning behind the words. Letting her voice go, she shows everyone here the power her voice holds.
Jamie’s voice is powerful as he and Rory sing the lines back and forth as if they are pleading with each other. Rory sings of needing saving from the nothing her life has become, as Jamie begs to wake up and be saved.
On the outside, Rory has it all together, everything is normal, she puts on a great façade. However, on the inside, she was lost.
“Christian,” Camryn taps my arm.
“Not now,” I growl.
Camryn places her hand on my arm.
Rory’s voice is amazing as she begs to be saved. The first time I heard her sing to Leah, I was speechless. It’s a voice that once you hear, you never forget. It’s that powerful and with every word, she sings with untainted emotion. As each verse continues, she becomes more comfortable on stage. She walks the stage focusing on the crowd sitting close to the stage.
During the chorus, Rory walks closer to Jamie clutching the front of this shirt as she sings to him about saving her from the nothing she has become. She begs to be saved from the nothing she’s become.
Unspoken Fears (The Unspoken Love Series Book 4) Page 21
