“About me loving you?” I shift, stroking her cheek, letting my thumb trace the line of her lip. “What’s there to talk about?”
“Not that—” Melanie says, biting her lip.
“No.” I cut in. “I don’t want to talk about that.” I push up on my elbows. “A rep from my record company called. He’s in Philly and wants me to meet him tomorrow,” I add, my voice sharper than I mean. “I’m supposed to have something to show him.”
“Wow,” Melanie says, brows lifting. “I guess you have to go.”
I nod solemnly. “I do. I don’t know what I’m going to play for him.”
“Play ‘Every Song,’” Melanie suggests without hesitation. “It’s a great song.”
“I can’t play that song without you.” I sigh and run my hands through my hair. “Come with me? Maybe they’ll like the idea of a duet.”
Melanie scrunches her nose, uncertain. “This is your thing, Josh.”
I shake my head, pushing up to my elbows. “No, come on. If this song makes it on the EP, it’soursong. Your name will be on it as a composer.” I take her hands, squeezing them gently. “Please, Mel. I need you there.”
Melanie leans over and pushes me back on the bed. Then she tucks into the crook of my arm and sighs. “You’re lucky I love you so much.”
Then
Last day of school! I can’t wait for tonight. Bonfire on the beach. Can I finally tell Cara you’re my girlfriend?
I’m not sure… I don’t know how she’ll take it.
Come on, Mel. There’s only one way to find out. My feelings for you are getting stronger. I don’t want to hide them all summer.
I know. Me neither. Let me think about it.
I don’t think you understand what I’m trying to tell you, Melanie. I am falling in love with you.
Josh…Wow. I love you too.
So why can’t we tell the world? Or at least the school?
We will. Soon.
19
MELANIE
NOW
Idon’t know how I let Josh talk me into this, but somehow I’m in the car with him on our way to Philadelphia. We’re meeting an executive from SoundShift Records, and Josh thought it would be awesome if we played “Every Song” for him—together. There is a little part of me that is excited. Playing music I wrote for a record producer is something I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to do. The other part of me is completely terrified—sweating palms, uneasy stomach, racing heart. Josh didn’t even tell this guy, Mark, that I’d be coming. I never thought Josh would think a surprise is a great idea, but he seems more at ease than he’s seemed in weeks. Every time I look his way from the passenger seat, he gives me an easy smile.
Last night we ordered dinner and rehearsed the song until my fingers burned. I think we’ve got it down—we added a bridge and harmony on the third verse. I am really happy with it. Josh seems to be too.
We’re quiet as we merge onto the expressway that will take us right into Philadelphia. I’m lost in thought, remembering our last summer together. I can’t stop thinking about that day. Josh just finished up his sophomore year, I’d finished up my junior. He was begging me to come clean to Cara about us. We’d been sneaking around for weeks under the guise of writing music. Josh had just told me he was falling in love with me, and I loved him too. That night, there was a party on our beach. The one where we’d lost our virginity together. There were so many people, and we sat around a blanket with Cara and Liam, stealing glances at each other when we thought they weren’t looking.
I can still hear the conversation in my mind.
“Oh, will you two stop making googly eyes at each other?” Cara scoffed. “Don’t act like we can’t all see you.”
My cheeks and neck grew hot. I felt so self-conscious in that moment—why would Cara embarrass us like that?
Josh recovered before I did. He looked tenderly at me and just when I thought he was going to admit to our secret romance, he said, “Mel and I have been working on a song we’re excited about. That’s all.”
“Oh, a song, huh?” Liam chimed in. “Are you going to play it for us?”
