Chasing Lyrics (Music & Lyrics #1) (14 page)

Chapter
27

‘Engraved
on my heart is a You-shaped scar’

Lyrics –

      The castle was amazing. The
taxi driver was right; it was very romantic. When we finally make it back to
the hotel, it hits me hard that I only have two more days here. I know Jennifer
deserved to be punched, but I wish it wasn’t me that did it. The hotel is very
quiet, almost too quiet. When we get up to the room I say, “Thank you for an
incredible day. I really had an amazing time with you.”

      Tanner glances at me and
looks away quickly. He opens the balcony slider and says, “Get your notepad,
let’s write.” Nothing he said could have sounded more perfect.

      When I sit in the chair,
immediately I cross my legs Indian style and get cozy. Tan adjusts himself so
he is facing me. The somber tone is thick between us and there is no use in
trying to pretend our time together here isn’t ending.

      Tanner nudges my foot
with his and his beautiful eyes meet mine, “I can always come home with you.”

      I force a smile, even
though I wanted to throat punch him for saying that. I softly say, “Let’s
write.”

      He says, “Let’s play the
song game.”

      My eyes light up, “Sure,
you first.”

      We sit in silence for a
moment and he says, “Is your pen ready because this is gonna be awesome.”

      I smack my lips and tell
him, “Just go already, geez.”

     He barks back with, “Okay,
okay pushy.” Tanner begins playing the air guitar and then sings in his gruff delicious
voice,
♫
“
Trying
to find my smile but it’s lost with every anticipated separating mile.”

      My heart clenches tight. “You’re
here with me right now, but knowing what’s coming up feels like I’m already
gone.”

      He looks down and sings,
“The song on the radio is screaming at me telling me don’t let her turn into
another girl in a country song.”

      I look at him and tears
fill my eyes. “Whiskey, beer, rye, nor weed takes the place of this You-shaped
need.”

       He belts out, “Attempting
to fill the hole, standing in this bar just makes it undeniable that on my
heart is a You-shaped scar.”

      I can’t take this anymore.
As I wipe my tears away, he leans over and cups my face with his hands. He
captures my stare and softly says with a genuine tone, “Babe, we were made for
each other. I will be home with you soon.”

      Panic sets in and with an
uncontrollably ugly cry I babble, “No, five months is a long time, I mean and
with her. That stupid bitch. Why does she get to spend the time with you? I
hate her.”

      He laughs which pisses me
off. He says, “Dylan, it’s you, baby. You are mine and I am yours. She doesn’t
play any part of this. I am so in love with you. You are my Lyrics, always. Please
don’t cry, baby, please.”

      I pull myself together
and we begin to write the song. Hours pass and this song is turning out amazing.
Tanner, with very heavy sleepy eyes asks me, “What do you want to do tomorrow?”

      I smile and slur, “You
mean today?”

      He half grins and says,
“Yeah, today.”

      I am exhausted and can’t
imagine going sightseeing again. I say, “How would you feel about sitting by
the pool and relaxing all day? We can drink, eat, and swim.”

      He leans over, kisses my
lips, and then says, “Sounds perfect.”

      We are both so tired,
it’s 3:45 a.m. and for some reason I ask Tanner, “What ever happened with
Daniel?”

      He looks at me as if I am
looney. He asks, “Daniel, the one who you first had sex with?”

      I laugh, “Yes, that
Daniel.”

      He looks at me strangely
and asks, “You sure you want to know?”

      My eyebrow raises and I
say, “I think so.”

      He sits up a bit and
says, “Remember, you asked me to tell you.”

      I nod and say, “Just tell
me. It’s not as if I care at all. He was a total douche bag.”

      Tanner says, “The night
you came to my house crying, when you went home and I was sure you were
sleeping, I went to pay Daniel a visit.” My eyes pop out of my head. He
continues. “I knocked on his door and before he opened it, he mumbled something
like, Dylan? I knew you’d be back for more.” My mouth drops open. Tanner has
such sadness in his eyes. He says, “When he opened it I fucking punched him
right on his cheek bone and just started yelling and wailing on him. A neighbor
came and pulled me off. The neighbor was happy that somebody finally knocked
that fucker out. Before I left, I made sure he understood that I would end his
life if he ever contacted you again. To think, I thought I loved you then.”

      Oh my God! For whatever
reason, tears started streaming down my face again. What’s with this fucking
water works? I look at this beautiful man next to me, my best friend, my Tan. I
can’t believe how much a part of each other’s lives we have been. I mouth, “I
love you.”

      He wipes my tears and
says, “Always. You are my always…always have been and always will be. I love
you, baby.”

      Tanner says, “Since we
are in the questions mode, can I ask you one?”

      I look at the clock and
it is now 4:23 a.m. I mumble, “Sure.”

      He hesitates and says,
“You don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to.” I roll my eyes wondering
what in the hell doesn’t he already know about me. He looks at me and asks, “We
never really spoke about this and I know it is a shitty topic, but how was it
when your mom was sick?”

      I say, “I’m sure we’ve
spoken about this. How could we not have?”

      He says, “I never wanted
to make you sad.”

      I say, “I was seven when
she was diagnosed with brain cancer so I didn’t know exactly what was going on.
I knew dad was sad and Mom cried a lot at first. She and I were at the grocery
store and she slipped on a spill. She hit her head and I guess she blacked out.
I just remember screaming and thinking she was dead.”

      Tanner asks, “You can get
cancer from bumping your head?”

     I can’t help but laugh. “No.
When she had a CT scan to make sure there was no internal bleeding, they found
a mass on her brain. It must have been large because they did a biopsy the next
week and discovered that she had inoperable and untreatable cancer. The doctors
gave her about six months to live, which of course I only found that out from
eavesdropping on a conversation she and Dad had. I remember getting out a
calendar and flipping to when six months would be. It was so close to my
birthday and I felt so bad because I was angry that she might die on my
birthday. Wow, I never told anybody that.” Tanner reaches out and softly rubs
my hands with his. I can see the tears forming in his eyes. I continue, “It was
hard seeing her fade away and become unable to move or eat. It was like looking
at a shell of what my strong, beautiful mother was. That part was horrible. She
would always act strong around me though. That’s when she gave me the
handkerchief. Looking back, I think it was the only thing in arms reach for her.
She told me that when I felt weak or scared, just hold the handkerchief and she
would be there with me. Seeing Dad sad was maybe even harder. He wasn’t nearly
as strong as my Mom was. He would spend a lot of time in his shed fixing shit
that wasn’t even broken. I just think he didn’t know how to cope with the love
of his life dying. He sure didn’t know what he was going to do with me.”

      Tanner smiles and says, “He
did a great job with you.”

      I nod yes. I look down
and say, “When she finally passed, it was July 11. I woke up and went to give
her the usual morning hug and sing her a song but she had died that night. We
had the funeral that Friday and then it was just Dad and me. I could tell that
it hurt him to be in the house without her there but he didn’t want to make me
move from the house where I grew up. So, five years later...I moved next door
to what would turn out to be the most important person in my life! Your mom is
something special.” Tanner pushes me over and laughs. I say, “Of course, you. Who
would have thought such a tragedy would lead me to you, my best friend?”

       Tanner pulls me on top
of him and says, “I’m more than just your best friend. I’m your future husband
and baby daddy”

      A smile spreads on my
face. “Yeah, babe, you’re my everything.”

       Tanner grabs the notepad
and says, “I got a song and you can’t see it yet. Go to sleep baby.”

Chapter
28

‘Should’ve
known then what you would mean to me but hell we were only thirteen.’

Tanner –

      I look at the clock on
the bed stand and it is 8:15 a.m. The nerves are roaring in my stomach and I
want to wake her up so badly. I grab my phone; write a note on a napkin telling
Lyrics I’ll be back in a while, and rush downstairs to the concierge, hoping
Stefan is there. I haven’t slept in what seems to be forever and I’m sure I
look like a cracked out junkie. I say as I shake his hand, “Stefan, please tell
me you know a jeweler that is willing to make some money right now.”

       His eyes grow wide and a
smile almost cracks his statuesque face. He asks, “What kind of jewelry do you
want? Is it a ring perhaps? For beautiful Dylan, I presume.”

      My heart begins to thump
so hard I swear I feel it in my ass. I say, “Yes sir, I am going to ask her to
marry me. I just need a ring.”

      Stefan looks at me and
says, “My cousin Andre has a jewelry store, very beautiful stuff. I’ll call him
now.” He hangs up and flags over a driver. He says, “Take him to Andre’s store.”

       I shake his hand and
say, “Thank you, sir, so much, thank you!”

       Apparently, everybody
knows Andre. We drive for about five minutes and he pulls in front of a dingy
little store front, with no sign at all. He points and says, “You are a lucky
man, Andre doesn’t jump for anybody.” I smile and give him a tip. The door
opens and I step inside. It is bright and everything is shining in here. The
inside is completely different from the dark outside storefront. I have never
been more certain of anything in my life. I can’t imagine a day without her. I
have this pulling on my soul that is telling me that I need to make this woman
my wife. I need her more than I need anything else in this world.

      Andre comes over to me
and I can tell he isn’t happy to be here this early. I shake his hand and thank
him for coming. I figure I should make him aware that I will spend a good
amount of money and make it worth his while for getting here so quickly. I say,
“I am interested in the two-carat rings.”

       That did it, his eyes
light up, and miraculously a smile forms on his face. He goes into the back and
comes back with a case that has eight rings in it. I ask him which one is the
highest quality and in her size. He takes out the two that I have my eye on and
says, “You’ll never find a better ring at this price.”

     I say, “And what is this
price?”

      He picks one up, examines
it, and says, “$120,000 American dollars.” I choke just a little. He says, “And
this one is $95,000 American dollars.”

      I look at him and say, “I
would like the first one.”

      He says, “Excellent
choice. How will you pay for this?” I take out my card and he slides it through
the card machine. Comes back denied! I about shit my pants.

       I say, “Impossible. Let
me call them.” He looks at me as if he is ready to whoop my ass. I get on the
phone and the lady on the line says that a red flag went up because of the
expensive item and in Germany. She just needed my approval. I nodded for Andre
to run it again. He did and it went through. There’s the smile again.

      My mind is going a
thousand miles a minute and I can’t get to the hotel fast enough. The driver
must sense how nervous I am because he hasn’t spoken one word the whole drive
home. We pull up to the hotel and I grab the box and hop out. I am lost in my
own world walking to the elevator when Stefan hops out of his office and says,
“Mr. Staff, can I see?” He startles me.

      I smile and say, “Of
course!”

      I open it up and he steps
back and says, “Holy shit! That is beautiful. It will be more beautiful on Ms.
Dylan’s hand. When are you going to ask her?”

      I smile and say, “As soon
as I get upstairs. I wrote her a song too.”

      Stefan says, “Very good, you
pulled out all the tricks.” We both laugh. He shakes my hand and says, “Good
luck my friend.”

      When the elevator door
closes, I can hear my heart beating so loud. It’s the longest elevator ride
ever. Once I reach our floor, I practically run to the room, fling open the
door, and there she is. Lyrics is sitting on the sofa writing. She looks like a
fucking angel! She says, “Hey, babe, where’d you go?” I’m like an idiot
standing there with no words coming out. She says, “Hello? Earth to Tanner.”

       I take her hand and
stand her up. I tell her, “I wrote you a song. Can I sing it to you?”

      She says, “Of course.” She
tosses her note pad on the couch and says, “Okay, I’m ready.” I don’t think I
have ever been more nervous in my life. I take a deep breath and then begin
singing.

♫
Skipping rocks on the lake behind Ol’ Mr. Jones’ house

Should’ve
known then what you would mean to me but hell we were only thirteen.

Watching
as you wrote so many songs, writing, erasing, and writing some more

Never
thought I’d be singing for you, hell, so much I never thought we’d do

Chorus
– We ain’t thirteen anymore, baby. We ain’t kids without a care in the world. We
are so in love, know everything about each other.

I gave
you your first kiss, nothing I’d ever want to miss.

Just
one thing missing in our life, baby, would you be my wife?

Seventeen
years we’ve been side by side

You’re
the only one sitting shotgun on this ride.

Together
we’ve tackled life’s greatest curves

Before
going on stage, you’re the calm to my nerves.

I’m
madly in love with your smile, laughter, and kiss

Being
on the road, it’s just you that I miss.

Chorus
- We ain’t thirteen anymore, baby. We ain’t kids without a care in the world. We
are so in love, know everything about each other.

I gave
you your first kiss, nothing I’d ever want to miss.

Just
one thing missing in our life, baby, would you be my wife?
♫

     I take her hand, kneel
down on one knee, and ask her, “Dylan Brooks, please make me the happiest man
on earth and be my wife!”

       She has a steady stream
of tears running down her face. She asks me, “Are you sure?”

      I can’t help but laugh. “Of
course, I’m sure, silly. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

      She says with a big Texas-sized
smile, “Yes! Of course, yes!” My heart practically slithers out of my skin. I
slip the ring on her finger and realize that Stefan was absolutely right, it is
way more beautiful on her hand. She can’t stop telling me how much she loves
the ring. I stand up and kiss her. This is the first time we kiss as fiancés
and it’s fucking awesome!