“Okay.”
As she opened up a tea bag and dropped it in the cup, she asked, “Do you think we’re almost done?”
“Almost. We need to record some overdubs today.”
“Oh. For which songs?”
“Most of them. I have certain places marked for each track. We’ll go over it in the studio.” With that, he drained the sink before drying his hands on a dishtowel.
“Um…is everything okay?” she asked, hoping to get something out of him.
“Yeah. I’m just a little tired.”
And, with that, he exited the room.
How the fuck had she misread that first kiss…and what had followed? Clearly that night meant nothing to Quentin—not like it had her. Once again, she’d been one fucking easy mark.
And she was left standing alone, once more easy to discard.
The best, the only way Raine had ever learned to work through her emotions was through song. And it was time to do just that.
Later that day after the work was done, she made her way to her room and pulled out her old blue notebook and a pencil and started pouring out all her feelings. They weren’t a song yet, but she needed to vomit them out so she could actually start crafting lyrics.
When they came to her, so did a tune, and she let out a soft breath as she let them flow, singing slowly as she wrote them down.
* * *
My life is like the set of a made-for-family television show.
It looks real with the white picket fence and the windows all aglow,
With matching furniture and a bright kitchen of blue and white,
You only see what you should while the rest is tucked out of sight.
* * *
But I’m not that great an actress; I don’t know how to play my part,
Because when he touched my body, he also touched my heart.
Can’t play this game with one who can’t be the man I need.
Still all the while we pose and smile to feed the camera’s greed.
* * *
I’ve never been the chosen one. I’ve always been the easy mark.
You touched me like I was fire and discovered that you’d already gone too far…
* * *
You don’t need to say it, because I can hear it loud and clear, piercing.
It’s everywhere but it’s not in your words. It’s in the spaces in between.
Chapter 20
