EIGHTEEN
THE SONG OF I LOVE YOU
SEBASTIAN
The minutewe got out of the pool, Alex went straight to his phone. While everyone else dried off and changed into their street clothes, he sat down, still dripping wet, hurriedly tapping on his screen.
I stalled, so he wouldn’t be the only one falling behind, but once the others told us they were going ahead, he looked up, set his phone on the bench, and reached for a towel.
Our eyes briefly met, and we exchanged smiles.
“Do you want to stay or go home?” I asked, glancing at his phone again. An app similar to the one he used on his laptop for our music was on the screen.
His eyes followed my gaze. “Sorry about that. We can stay. I just wanted to jot down a quick idea before I forgot it.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be the last one to stop you from writing new songs. After all, that’s what we planned to do today. If you need more time, just say so. I’ll happily wait.”
“Maybe another minute? Or two?”
He pursed his lips, and I took the opportunity to brush a quick peck on them.
“Let’s say five, so you don’t have to rush.”
Once we were dressed again, I waited while Alex put on his headphones and worked with focused concentration for exactly five minutes.
We then met the others on the second floor of the hotel, in the back area Nicholas had shown me earlier. Three hours went by in a snap while we played billiards and ate pepperoni pizza Jason had prepared for the impromptu party. I mingled with all four of Alex’s friends, while he, after half an hour, retreated back into the cocoon of his phone.
The others didn’t care. They kept talking to me, telling me how excited they were for us and offering their support if we ever needed it. They just as easily gave us space when I wrapped my arms around Alex and rested my head on his shoulder, watching him compose.
Shortly after ten, he put his phone down.
“Done?” I whispered to him.
“As much as I can do on the app. I’ll show it to you later.”
We joined the others again for another round of billiards. When Jack, Nicholas, and I won as a team, it seemed to settle things—everyone agreed it had been a fun evening, but it was time to call it a night.
We said our goodbyes, all six of us agreeing to do this again the next time I was in Seastone.
By the time we reached the car, Alex was already pulling out his phone again. “Do you mind driving?” he asked. “I want to show this to you so badly, but it needs some final adjustments.”
Seeing the eagerness in his eyes, I couldn’t deny him.
As I drove down the dark street into the valley, I listened to the engine. The extension cord we had used to play music on the way to the hotel was still plugged in, but I didn’t turn on anything because I didn’t want to distract him.
The stars lit up the sky. The moon caressed the mountaintops. The orange streetlights downtown bathedeverything in a warm glow. Somehow, the whole scene filled me with a longing unlike anything I had ever felt while looking at Seastone.
About two miles from home, Alex sat up and grunted cheerfully. He pulled off his headphones.
“Are we done?” I asked.
“It’s so rough, but I think this is it.”
“Show me,” I said, pointing to the radio.
“But don’t be too harsh on it yet?—”
As ifIwere the one who was always hypercritical. But I wasn’t going to argue with him now. The first stage of creating something was always the most vulnerable. Any bit of criticism risked killing the euphoria, which was the best part of any creative endeavor. That wasn’t something I ever wanted to put him through.
