Yvonne gave me a patronizing look. “Glory, you’ve got to stop staring at those perfect pectorals and start getting to know the guy. He could be a con artist, or a murderer, or a carnival worker. I had you pegged as someone who was more sensible.”
I opened my mouth, but couldn’t form a response. I was spared from trying to defend myself by another cluster of customers. I mechanically filled orders, but Yvonne’s words had once again struck a nerve. How much did I really know about Clayton? He had talked a lot about his dreams and ideas, things he wanted to do and places he wanted to see, but whenever I had asked about his personal life he had said something vague and changed the subject. I didn’t even know his last name! How had this happened? Me, the girl who was wary of practically every guy I met was falling for a man I hardly knew.
Right then my phone beeped. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw I had a text from Clayton.
Glory, I can’t wait to see you tomorrow, and I seriously hope I will be seeing you for many days, weeks, months, and years to come.
Despite my recent misgivings, my heart melted a little and I felt myself relax. So I didn’t know every little detail about him, but there was time for that. It would all work out, right? My heart and my hormones desperately hoped so.
“Hey Glory,” Yvonne called from the other side of the counter, “Leanne just called and said she was going to be a little late. Could you cover for her until she gets here?”
“Sure,” I replied, “that should be fine.”
*****
I raced out of Monet Cafe and looked up the address for the concert on my phone. Covering for Leanne hadnotbeen fine. A little late had turned into two and a half hours late. I had called Piper and told her to go on to the theater without me and that I would meet her there. I smelled like sandwiches and paint, but I was already 45 minutes late and I didn’t want to make myself even later by going home to change.
I found a place to park at the venue and then rushed inside. The space wasn’t very large, but it was packed. With some effort I found Piper in our seats near the back.
“Glory! Finally!” She exclaimed. “You’re here in time for my favorite song!”
I turned to focus on the band and saw... Clayton? I blinked several times, trying to process the scene in front of me. It made no sense, but itwasClayton front and center, playing the guitar and singing, and doing a fantastic job of it. He had mentioned he played the guitar. Maybe this was the mysterious thing he needed to tell me, that he was in a band. But why would he feel like he had to keep that from me?
I turned back to Piper. “Hey, I know that guy,” I yelled, trying to be heard over the music. “I met him two weeks ago...”
Piper’s eyes widened. “You met Collin Finlay?”
I stared back at her. “Wait, what?”
“Collin Finlay, the lead singer,” Piper yelled back, pointing to the stage. “You met him? I am so jealous!”
I felt as though someone had submerged my heart in a bucket of ice water. Collin Finlay, the boy I had written to for over ten years of my life. The boy I had fallen in love with. The boy who had broken my heart.
I felt sick. All at once everything made sense. Now I knew why he had seemed so familiar, why he had been so ambiguous about his life. I stared at him, wondering why he would do this to me. I listened to the words he was singing and began to feel even more indignant. Dreams of Mars under her mother’s desk? Loses herself in art? Her life is a glorious mess? The song was about me.
I was so angry I was shaking. He had taken intimate, personal thoughts I had shared with him years ago and he was now crooning them out to the entire world. They finished the song and the crowd cheered, but I just stood there seething. I feel completely violated and betrayed, and I was done.
At that moment Collin looked straight at me. By the look on his face, I could tell that he knew that I knew.
Chapter Twenty Two: Collin
No. Not now. Not here. Not like this.
I felt my fingers go numb. I held Glory Parker’s gaze for a moment, observing her expression of pure loathing, then she shook her head and ran out of the theater.
I took off my guitar and shoved it at Marco, who gratefully caught it as I ran offstage.
“Okay, it looks like we’re going to take a quick break,” I heard Jeremy say as I went out the door.
I ran outside, searching desperately for Glory, praying that I hadn’t already lost her. I spotted her walking briskly down the street and sprinted after her.
“Glory! Glory, wait!” I called, catching up to her just as she reached her car.
“What do you want, Collin?” She spat, her voice a mixture of anger and sadness. “Do you have more lies for me?”
“Glory, I’m sorry, I meant to tell you...”
“Why didn’t you tell me in the first place? What were you trying to do anyway? Come here and manipulate me? How dare you! Especially after what you did to me seven years ago!”
