“Have you ever been in love?” I ask, as my heart pounds nervously in my chest and my palms turn clammy. I’vealready discovered that hearing about the women Eric has been with is difficult, and this is going to suck, but the sooner this topic is covered the sooner I can cross it off the list and we can move on.
“Twice,” he says, his eyes move back to focus on me, but they’re distant. It’s not the vibrant, playful, sapphire gaze I saw thirty seconds ago. It’s guarded and pained, and I already hate myself.
“Amy, I assume.” He nods. “And the other?”
He flashes a sad smile before looking down at the hands he has wrapped around his mug. He removes one and rubs at his chest, eyes fixed on the table.
“Someone who didn’t feel the same way.”
I shake my head, unable to imagine anyonenotfalling in love with the man sitting across from me.
“Where should we start?” I ask.
“From the beginning, I guess.”
TRACK 4
Love Hurts
THIRTY-TWO
Eric
? Just Say When - Nothing More ?
As always, I was the first to arrive at the studio we’d rented out for the month. I plopped down on the blue velvet couch in the back room and unpacked the Thai I picked up on my way in. I was halfway through when Josh showed up, followed soon after by Kevin and Max.
We were close to finishing our third album,Fade, when the record label contacted us and requested we do a collaboration with a new band they’d just signed—a group of four sisters called Murphy’s Law. They’d sent a few of their tracks over for us to listen to in order to get familiar with their style and their lead singer’s vocal range, and I was immediately intrigued. Amy Murphy’s voice was like nothing I’d ever heard before—full and rich and hauntingly beautiful.
“Wrote three more last night,” Josh said, tossing a notebook down on the coffee table in front of the couch.
“Jesus, how do youdothat?” I asked, setting my Pad See Ew to the side and turning the notebook toward me, reading through the lyrics on the first page.
Josh shrugged and let out a heavy sigh.
“Turns out writing lyrics for angry rock songs is easier when you’re in the middle of a divorce.”
I leaned back into the couch and ran a hand over my face. Josh and his almost ex-wife, Emily, had been married less than two years. When he met her, he’d fallenhard. I’d never seen him with a woman like he’d been with her—all in from the start—and I hated seeing him so down about the whole thing coming to an end.
Kevin picked the notebook up and read through Josh’s words as Max looked on over his shoulder.
“Do you have a melody or anything for these?” Max asked and Josh shook his head.
“Nothing concrete,” he said, picking at his nails.
I saw motion out of the corner of my eye, and when I looked toward the doorway, I found myself staring into the eyes of the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
I stood from the couch and the other three looked up to see what had snagged my attention.
“Hi,” the woman said, setting a giant bag on the floor inside the door. She stepped forward and extended her hand to Josh, because of course she did. They always went for Josh first. “I’m Amy.”
“Josh,” he said, taking her hand. “It’s great to finally meet you. I listened to your album. Your vocal range is insane.”
Her cheeks flushed and her shoulders slumped a little, like she didn’t know what to do with Josh’s compliment. Like she wasn’t used to people telling her she was a powerhouse.
“Thank you,” she said, her hand still in his. “That means a lot, coming from you. I’ve been a fan of yours since I heard ‘Echoes in the Dark.’ Your voice is sick on that track.”
Josh flashed his signature smile, and I wanted to punch him. Five minutes ago, he’d been down about Emily, and right now I don’t think he’d be able to pick her out of a lineup.
