I opened my eyes and sighed. I wanted my head to be in this song, and it wasn’t. Maddie had taken up my thoughts since he went for a walk, and I’d had trouble removing him from my head. I usually could escape reality with my music, but it seemed not this time.
I set my journal and pencil down, then grabbed my favorite guitar. Nelly, my first guitar from my sixteenth birthday, had seen better days in our past. Her purple coloring had faded, showing splotches of the natural wood underneath. Whenever I had issues writing, I turned to her, like my very own old faithful. I had more expensive guitars that cost more than my first car now, but there was history engrained in Nelly’s wood. My fingers had scars from playing her so much. She was my tool to get me through the rough times.
Those scars caressed the strings, and I closed my eyes again. Listening to the trees rustle and the wind chimes sing together in a tune of nature beyond my studio. My fingers moved without a thought to guide them, just unknown emotions directing their course.
I hummed as the music filled me, my spirits lifted and drained away the struggling thoughts trying to consume me. Trying to force the muse to give me words to a song right now wasn’t what I needed. I needed to let myself loose and see what happened.
“I feel lost and all alone.”
I tilted my head to the sky.
“But now he’s here, and it feels like coming home.”
Warmth saturated beneath my skin, and I smiled from the glowing sensations within me. Those were the only words that came to me, but they felt right. They felt like the beginning of a story. No doubts lingered as to who inspired this song, but I would wait it out, see what other words my muses would gift me.
My thoughts about Maddie didn’t seem so haunting after those few words. I still had immense confusion battling inside me, but my spine seemed a little taller. We’d pushed the elephant out of the room with our admissions and now we could move on. He could do his bodyguard thing and I would live my life with a grateful heart as I did before he showed up.
With a smile on my lips, and a hopeful mindset, I played my favorite songs from other artists and danced around the room. Music cheered me up, and I wanted to laugh about the state of my life, not cry and embody anger.
I sang until I felt silly. I strutted around my studio, leaning against my grand piano like it was a stage prop. I acted wild and free, like my normal self. When I finally put down my guitar and walked to the main house, my shoulders weren’t as tense and the smile remained on my lips.
Maddie sat at the table with his tablet and didn’t glance up as I walked into the kitchen to grab a drink.
“Feel better?” I cheerfully inquired, which caught his attention.
“Yes, did you have fun?” He smirked, like he knew the silly Hazel had come out to play.
“I did, in fact. Started writing a song about you. How you shake my house when you snore.” I stuck my tongue out and sat at the table across from him.
“The second Hazel Kennedy single I inspired. You’re going to make my head even bigger than it already is.”
I gave him a sheepish smile. I didn’t regret the song I wrote for him years ago, since it gave me my big break.
“I harbor no anger toward you. I fucked up, and you’re the woman you were always meant to be.” He raised his eyebrow, giving me a chance to retort his words.
But I wouldn’t. He was right. We both ceased talking for a moment. He read something on his tablet, and I sipped my orange juice. The tension that had threatened to suffocate us before seemed lighter, almost open, where we could let go of the past for now and see what happened in the future. I hadn’t forgiven him, but I didn’t hate him anymore. I understood the reason he had left and couldn’t fault him for it.
In the beginning of learning my own powers, I’d made some damaging mistakes. I accidentally grew flowers in my hair when I became overjoyed. One time at the restaurant where I had waitressed, a particularly pissy customer had me so riled up, all the plants in the dining hall grew and turned the place into a jungle.
Another time, I’d been on one of my hero jobs and a robber broke into a hippie store looking for pot. I wrapped him up in lavender from one of the planters in the window, only to find out he was allergic to lavender. I chocked the coincidence up to karma, giving the criminal a little justice, but I still paid for his allergy shots when he arrived at the hospital. Maybe if I’d knocked him out with my fists, he would have been OK, but I liked to think destiny intervened on my lavender decision.
I’d been so caught up in thought, I didn’t notice his probing stare. Yikes!
“Yeah, well they say everything happens for a reason right?” I drank my juice in hopes it would occupy my mouth long enough to not say something I’d regret.
“My stuff is being delivered today. I figured as gracious as you are to host me in your home, you’d feel more comfortable if I didn’t live in your space. I have another arrangement in mind, so don’t mind the truck when you see it. I’ll be out and about the premises. You’ll be safe no matter what.”
Another living arrangement? What was he going to do? Throw together a log cabin in a day?
Chapter Eleven
Hazel
“You can’t be serious. Wouldn’t you rather be inside the house? Truly, it’s not a big deal,” I scoffed, looking at the twelve-foot by twelve-foot tent Maddox had assembled in a clear space of yard next to the house. There was even a tiny wood burning stove inside.
“I’ve lived in worse.” He lifted a bag and tossed it inside. I mean, we both were homeless and would have sold our souls for a tent like this but seriously . . . I was a millionaire, and I could have something built for him. Hell, I could use my powers to build him something sturdier.
“Seriously, Maddox, you’re going to live in a damn tent outside my house?” Flabbergasted, I did not understand why he’d give up my guest room for this. I even used his given name for emphasis, much like a mother would use to lecture her child.
