Chapter 19
Chapter nineteen
Cole · Then
Sad Song – We The Kings
Eighteen Years Old
Crisp classical music stirs the air.
Wind flutters the curtains, blue lightning splitting the grey clouds in flashes.
I roll my neck, hands gliding over the black and white keys, feet dancing between the pedals as the melody spills from my fingertips. I lose myself in the notes, the knots in my stomach easing with every breath.
I don’t stop when the door creaks open, nor when footsteps clink across the hardwood, not even when the stool beside me dips. Warmth caresses my skin as fingers tickle the nape of my neck.
Hendrix doesn’t speak.
She’s been doing that a lot lately, keeping her voice from me.
The closing notes fill the silence between us.
I drag in a laboured breath.
Applause rings out from beside me. “You never cease to amaze me, Rock Star.”
“You like it?” I ask.
Hendrix props her head against my shoulder. “I loved it. What was that one?”
“Gaspard de la nuit.” I kiss her hair, breathing in the strawberry and lemon scent of her shampoo. “Gaspard of the night. It’s inspired by Aloysius Bertrand’s poems of supernatural beings.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful.” I curl my arm around her and lift her into my lap. She presses her hands against my chest, her forehead dropping to mine. “Hi, baby.”
“Hi.” She kisses me, soft and gentle.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” She exhales a slow breath as her body tenses. “I got my letter from LIPA.”
“And?” I slide my hand into her hair and tug until we're eye-to-eye.
Sparks flicker through me with every press of her fingertips as they brush over my shirt, goosebumps pebbling across my skin. Gold flashes in her eyes. “I got in.”
“You got in?”
She nods, blinking furiously as tears gather on her lashes. “Unconditional scholarship offer.”
“Holy. Fuck. Rixie.” I cup her cheeks and slam my lips to hers. I feel her smile against my mouth. Peppering kisses on every inch of her face, I laugh. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”
She kisses me then.
Firm, hard, almost as if she’s afraid I’ll disappear.
“Hey.” I tip her chin. “What’s going on? This is amazing news, baby.”
“No. I know. I just…” She chews the ball in the centre of her lip.
“You’re scared?”
She tucks her head into neck and her arms band around my back. “Everything’s about to change.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” I tell her, running my fingers up and down her spine. She shivers, pressing herself deeper into my skin. My heart cracks with every tremble of her shoulders. “Talk to me. Please.”
“We’ve never been apart.”
Lead sinks in my stomach. “This is why you’ve been pulling away from me?”
“I just—” She sucks in a heaving breath. “I don’t want to know what it’s like to live without you.”
Ice slides down my spine, chilling every inch of me. “You don’t have to know what it’s like. I’m not going anywhere.”
“But I am.” A sharp, broken sob steals her lungs. “I’ll be three hours away, busy with university. You’ll be here, busy with the band. We’ll never see each other.”
I huff a laugh. “You really think you can get rid of me that easily? Wherever you go, I’m following.”
Pure sorrow seeps into her expression.
“Sure, we won’t see each other every day,” I say, my hold on her tightening. “But every weekend, every break you have, I’ll be there or you’ll be here. It’s just another road on our journey. Another step closer to reaching our dreams. Together.”
My chest vibrates as she presses a kiss to my heart.
I push up to stand.
Her legs wrap lock my waist, her arms coiling around my neck.
“Now, perk up, baby,” I tell her. “We’ve got leavers assembly in an hour, and if Saint sees you crying he’s going to blame me and I really don’t fancy having a black eye in the millions of photo’s Mum is about to take of us.”
She laughs then.
I slide her down to the floor, my fingers pinching her chin. “I love you, Rixie Moore.”
“I love you.” She steals my breath as she seals us together in a searing kiss. “Always and forever, Cole Hayes.”
I brush my thumb over her puffy lower lip. “And even after that?”
“Even then.”
Hendrix slides her fingers between mine as we weave through our classmates.
I spy Saint sitting on the edge of the stage, Theo tucked between his spread knees as he fingers the braid in her icy blonde hair.
He finally locked her down at the start of the year, and they’ve been inseparable since. God knows how he did it, but I’ve never known either of them as happy as they are now.
Saint waves his free hand in the air.
I tug Hendrix, shifting her in front of me with a hand on her hip, and steer her towards them.
“Schools out. Forever,” he shouts, garnering the attention of those around him. “Fucking finally.”
“I dunno.” Theo’s eyes glisten as they dance over the hall. “I think I’m gonna miss this place.”
Saint snorts. “You would. Little miss popular.”
“Shut up.” She swats his arm, ducking when he puckers his lips and aims for her neck. “It’s not my fault you and Rix would rather smoke weed in the forest than hang out with the cool kids.”
“Rude.” He clicks his tongue. “We are the cool kids, Teddy.”
She rolls her eyes, before turning to Hendrix. “Did you get your letter?”
“Unconditional offer.” Hendrix’s grip tightens. “Liverpool, here I come.”
“Production?” Saint asks.
Hendrix nods.
He pecks Theo's lips before nudging her aside and throwing his arms around Hendrix.
He slams his lips to her forehead. “That’s my girl. I’m so proud of you, Rix. This is it, you know. The start of getting everything we want.”
I watch them for a minute, a smile curling my lips.
Most people expect me to be jealous of their friendship, but I’m not. They give each other something Theo and I can’t. How could I ever be jealous of that?
I slink next to Theo, rocking her shoulder with my bicep.
She peers up at me with a soft grin. “Hard to believe it’s all over, huh?”
I shake my head. “Saint’s right. It’s just the start.”
Of everything. Hendrix will get her degree. Reckless Abandon will get signed. Theo will dance. Then, in years to come, we’ll look on this moment right here and know that forever was always in our grasp.
“You ready for this bumpy ride?” I ask her.
“Not sure I’m ready for anything that boy has coming my way.”
“Too late. You’re stuck with us now.”
Her entire face glows as she looks at Saint who has his head down with Hendrix, muttering amongst themselves. “No place I’d rather be.”
“You’re good for him, you know,” I tell her, hoisting myself onto the stage. “He’s different when you’re around. Between you and Rixie, that boy has never felt such love.”
She snorts. “It’s not us. We’re just his girlfriend and best friend. You’re his soulmate, friend. Without you, he doesn’t shine half as bright. You realise that, right?”
“Give over. You’re getting all sappy on me, woman.”
“Can’t help it,” Theo says as Saint snakes an arm around her waist and presses a kiss to the side of her head. “Something about chapter’s closing always gets me right in the feels.”
Hendrix jumps up beside me.
Her eyes glitter, her fingers shaking as she links them with mine. “We should all do something this summer. Us four, Ax and Cart. Before I leave, before you guys lock in in the studio, and before you start with the company, Theo.”
“What are you thinking, baby?” I ask, warmth seeping into my veins as she presses herself against my side. I hook an arm around her back as she looks at Saint with a cocked brow. “Not sure I trust you and Saint with making plans…”
Saint glances at Theo, eyes sparkling as he plays with her fingers.
Then he turns to me with a crooked grin. “Vegas, baby.”
“Vegas?” My brows knot. “Why?”
Theo’s lips twist. “Really? Can we even afford Vegas?”
Saint blows a raspberry, his nose wrinkling. “Well, maybe not Vegas. But I do have the next best place.”
“Where?” I ask.
Hendrix leans into me, her breath tickling my cheek as she whispers in my ear. “I’ll tell you later.”