But as we’ve established, I’m physically incapable of blocking out Jenny Dawson. The song seems to seep into my very bones before she even gets to the chorus.
I frown, realizing it’s a song I haven’t heard before, even though I thought I’d heard all of her new album.
“Start it again,” I say, needing to hear it from the beginning.
He complies, and it hits me why this song is so different. It’s sad. Haunting. Her other songs wavered between romantic and flirtatious, angry and sassy. But never sad.
And this one…
This one feels like Jenny’s heart.
You tell me I can’t stay, that we’re better off this way…
I bend, setting the toolbox on the floor.
I’d’ve made a place for you, if just you’d asked me to…
I cross my arms, trying to block it out. The song. Her. But I can’t. The lyrics keep coming, and it’s like a barrage. As though that damn beautiful voice is reaching through Finn’s fucking phone and trying to kill me.
I didn’t need a ring. I’d’ve been happy with the swing…
“I don’t get that part,” Finn whispers. “Sounds kinky, though.”
Vaughn shoves his shoulder.
“Turn it off,” I say gruffly.
“You just told me to restart it.”
“Off!”
Neither friend complies, and my chest feels tight. I reach out to swipe the phone out of Finn’s hand, but he pulls it out of reach, though not before I catch the last bit of lyrics.
You shoulda kissed me, ’cause I had something to say. You shoulda kissed me…I would have told you, and now you’ll never know. You shoulda kissed me…
The song fades out, and I make another grab for the phone. “What the fuck? Where’s the rest of the song?”
“That was the end.”
“Bullshit!”
“It was the end!” Finn shouts back, turning the phone around so I can see. “Also, I thought you wanted me to turn it off.”
“Don’t be an ass,” Vaughn murmurs. “Preston—”
“Noah,” I roar.
He holds up a hand. “I’m sorry. Noah. I know you think you’re better off without her, but—”
“What was she going to say?” I interrupt. “What the fuck kind of song ends on a damn cliff-hanger?”
Vaughn sighs wearily. “I think you know full well what she would have said. Even dipshit Finn here can figure it out.”
Finn nods. “I can think real good.”
I ignore their antics, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Fuck you guys.”
“Calm down. You would have heard it eventually.”
He’s right. I would have heard it eventually, and it would have ripped my fucking heart out.
You know how I said Jenny’s voice sounded like her heart?
I’m wrong.
Her voice sounds like my heart.
And I want it back. I want her back.
“Aaaannnd…there it is,” Finn says softly, holding out a hand to Vaughn, who irritably slaps a twenty in his palm.
I point. “What’s that?”
“We made a bet on how long it would take you to figure out that you’re in love with the famous girl.”
“I’m not—”
I break off abruptly. The denial doesn’t roll off my tongue like I think it will.
“As we thought,” Vaughn says, pulling an envelope out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
He hands it to me, and I take it tentatively. “And this is…?”
“Plane ticket.”
My head snaps up.
“To Hollywood,” Finn says.
“LAX,” Vaughn clarifies, just to be a prick. “Hollywood doesn’t have an airport.”
For once Finn doesn’t rise to the bait. He’s watching me. “The premiere’s tomorrow, man. She invited you, right?”
Not one of my better moves, telling these two clowns about that. I blame the copious amounts of whisky consumed the night she left.
“Yeah, but that was before all the shit went down. Pretty sure the invitation doesn’t still stand.”
“Which makes it better,” Vaughn says. “You can surprise her.”
I stare at him blankly. “Surprise her with what?”
“Jesus.” Vaughn rubs his forehead. “Here’s your plan, and if she ever asks you, you thought of this all by yourself. You use that plane ticket that your good friend Vaughn bought you. You arrive at LAX, where a car will pick you up and take you to a hotel, also paid for by your good friend Vaughn. A tux will be waiting. Convenient, actually, that you got your measurements taken for the wedding before actually calling off the wedding. You’ll be driven to the premiere in another car, which Vaughn paid for—”
I hold up a hand, looking over at Finn. “What did you pay for?”
Finn points to Ranger. “I’m watching your dog.”
“Yeah, because that’s even,” Vaughn says.
“Have you smelled this dog’s farts?” Finn asks. “Trust me, we’re even.”
“So what happens at the premiere?” I ask, feeling both ready to puke and like I could take on the entire world just from the sheer possibility of having another chance.
“Okay, some of this has to be on you,” Vaughn says, exasperated. “I won’t be there to hold your hand. I connected with Jenny’s friend Amber—who sounds hot, by the way—who connected me with Jenny’s publicist, who is thrilled at the thought of you making a surprise appearance. She says that whichever way it goes, it’ll be front-page news.”
I frown, realizing it’s a song I haven’t heard before, even though I thought I’d heard all of her new album.
“Start it again,” I say, needing to hear it from the beginning.
He complies, and it hits me why this song is so different. It’s sad. Haunting. Her other songs wavered between romantic and flirtatious, angry and sassy. But never sad.
And this one…
This one feels like Jenny’s heart.
You tell me I can’t stay, that we’re better off this way…
I bend, setting the toolbox on the floor.
I’d’ve made a place for you, if just you’d asked me to…
I cross my arms, trying to block it out. The song. Her. But I can’t. The lyrics keep coming, and it’s like a barrage. As though that damn beautiful voice is reaching through Finn’s fucking phone and trying to kill me.
I didn’t need a ring. I’d’ve been happy with the swing…
“I don’t get that part,” Finn whispers. “Sounds kinky, though.”
Vaughn shoves his shoulder.
“Turn it off,” I say gruffly.
“You just told me to restart it.”
“Off!”
Neither friend complies, and my chest feels tight. I reach out to swipe the phone out of Finn’s hand, but he pulls it out of reach, though not before I catch the last bit of lyrics.
You shoulda kissed me, ’cause I had something to say. You shoulda kissed me…I would have told you, and now you’ll never know. You shoulda kissed me…
The song fades out, and I make another grab for the phone. “What the fuck? Where’s the rest of the song?”
“That was the end.”
“Bullshit!”
“It was the end!” Finn shouts back, turning the phone around so I can see. “Also, I thought you wanted me to turn it off.”
“Don’t be an ass,” Vaughn murmurs. “Preston—”
“Noah,” I roar.
He holds up a hand. “I’m sorry. Noah. I know you think you’re better off without her, but—”
“What was she going to say?” I interrupt. “What the fuck kind of song ends on a damn cliff-hanger?”
Vaughn sighs wearily. “I think you know full well what she would have said. Even dipshit Finn here can figure it out.”
Finn nods. “I can think real good.”
I ignore their antics, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Fuck you guys.”
“Calm down. You would have heard it eventually.”
He’s right. I would have heard it eventually, and it would have ripped my fucking heart out.
You know how I said Jenny’s voice sounded like her heart?
I’m wrong.
Her voice sounds like my heart.
And I want it back. I want her back.
“Aaaannnd…there it is,” Finn says softly, holding out a hand to Vaughn, who irritably slaps a twenty in his palm.
I point. “What’s that?”
“We made a bet on how long it would take you to figure out that you’re in love with the famous girl.”
“I’m not—”
I break off abruptly. The denial doesn’t roll off my tongue like I think it will.
“As we thought,” Vaughn says, pulling an envelope out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
He hands it to me, and I take it tentatively. “And this is…?”
“Plane ticket.”
My head snaps up.
“To Hollywood,” Finn says.
“LAX,” Vaughn clarifies, just to be a prick. “Hollywood doesn’t have an airport.”
For once Finn doesn’t rise to the bait. He’s watching me. “The premiere’s tomorrow, man. She invited you, right?”
Not one of my better moves, telling these two clowns about that. I blame the copious amounts of whisky consumed the night she left.
“Yeah, but that was before all the shit went down. Pretty sure the invitation doesn’t still stand.”
“Which makes it better,” Vaughn says. “You can surprise her.”
I stare at him blankly. “Surprise her with what?”
“Jesus.” Vaughn rubs his forehead. “Here’s your plan, and if she ever asks you, you thought of this all by yourself. You use that plane ticket that your good friend Vaughn bought you. You arrive at LAX, where a car will pick you up and take you to a hotel, also paid for by your good friend Vaughn. A tux will be waiting. Convenient, actually, that you got your measurements taken for the wedding before actually calling off the wedding. You’ll be driven to the premiere in another car, which Vaughn paid for—”
I hold up a hand, looking over at Finn. “What did you pay for?”
Finn points to Ranger. “I’m watching your dog.”
“Yeah, because that’s even,” Vaughn says.
“Have you smelled this dog’s farts?” Finn asks. “Trust me, we’re even.”
“So what happens at the premiere?” I ask, feeling both ready to puke and like I could take on the entire world just from the sheer possibility of having another chance.
“Okay, some of this has to be on you,” Vaughn says, exasperated. “I won’t be there to hold your hand. I connected with Jenny’s friend Amber—who sounds hot, by the way—who connected me with Jenny’s publicist, who is thrilled at the thought of you making a surprise appearance. She says that whichever way it goes, it’ll be front-page news.”
