Messed up my quiet and I love it so”
The melody rises with the word love and shudders run across my skin. His eyes close, every word full of longing.
“Lord, help me, cause I’m fallin’ again
Cause I don’t stand a chance, I don’t want tame
I want her…”
He pauses and the rhythm picks up as hestrums the guitar. The chords ring out like the first streaks of sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
“T-R-O-U-B-L-E
She’ll cuss me out and kiss me after
Wild like honeysuckle and sweet like summer rain
She’ll call me fool, call me her favorite
Got a temper like a match struck in July
Music in her laughter, fire in her eyes
She’s my chaos, she’s my calm
She’s the reason I know I’m alive
Her love’s the best trouble I’ve been in
And I don’t wanna get out”
Rust switches back to fingerpicking with the second verse.
“Without her my world was grey
But she got lightnin’ on her tongue
She got thunder in her stride
And trouble is where my heart belongs”
He follows up with a variation of the bridge and finishes with a repetition of the chorus. The last note lingers on the wind, vibrating through my soul. I wipe at my eyes, sniffling.
Trouble is where his heart belongs.
Rust gives a wry grin, putting down the guitar. “Okay I didn’t think it was amazing, but it was so bad it made you cry? Damn, I suck.”
I shove him gently. “You idiot! That was the most beautiful song I’ve ever fucking heard!” I giggle and a tear escapes, rolling down my cheek.
His face lightens. “You’re not just saying that cause you’re tryin’ to get in my pants?”
“Please, you make it sound like getting in your pants is difficult. Those jeans have an open-door policy.”
“Only for you.”
I roll my eyes. “You know, for a man who claims to suck at composing, you’re alarmingly good. This is a first draft, but you could play this song on the radio right now and win awards. Somehow you made me sound like a natural disaster and a divine miracle at the same time. I love it. Thank you.”
I lean over to sling my arms around him, hiding my face in the bend of his neck. He embraces me and my breath stutters as I inhale his smoky, woodsy scent.
