How to Save a Life (18 page)

“You got it," he gave me a wink before he turned to get mine and Tessa’s drinks.

I perched my elbow on the edge of the countertop and looked around at the space. There were tables lined on the side of the walls so there would be plenty of room to stand around and dance in the middle. The stage was located in the very front and it looked pretty generic with a black curtain running across to shield the crowd from what was happening on stage at the present time.

Grady came back with Tessa’s bottle of beer and my Diet Coke in a glass mason jar. I took it from his hand, “Thank you. Um, you wouldn’t perhaps have a piano backstage would you?"

He placed a hand on his hip and it looked like he was deep in thought, “You know what, there is an old piano back there but who knows how long it’s sat there unused. I’m sure it would need to be tuned."

My lips curved into a bright smile, the thought of being able to play on an actual piano again. My keyboard was amazing and towards the top of the line but it didn’t even compare to the eighty-eight keys of an actual piano.

“Would it be alright if I took a look at it sometime?"

“That would be fine by me, you play?" Grady responded as he grabbed the white towel out of his back pocket and began wiping off the condensation from the bar countertop.

“Something like that." I didn’t really have it in me to explain my situation to him or to anyone else at the time. Mike knew, and for now that was enough.

The curtains on the stage swept back, the house lights turned down, and a spotlight appeared on Toby.

Tessa yanked at my arm, “Come on, let’s move a little closer."

We winded our way through the bar bypassing numerous people she knew as she hooped and hollered at each and every one of them. Finding a free spot directly in the center just being a few feet from the bottom of the stage, I had the perfect view of all of the members.

It was slightly comical seeing Charlie out of his Sheriff’s uniform and decked out in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Brock was standing just across from him with his guitar slung over his shoulder as well. Toby being the front man was standing, well in the front. Tonight he was donning some black skinny jeans which appeared to be tighter than mine, I really felt sorry for his boys as I had absolutely no idea how they were breathing. And a black fitted tee with a yellow leather bomber jacket with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. I would ask him how he was keeping from sweating, but I could just imagine him saying, “It’s all in the name of fashion, doll."

My gaze then traveled to the man sitting behind the drum kit. The man who seemed to occupy my thoughts at all times of the day. Mike was wearing a pair of cargo khaki shorts and a button down plaid shirt that was rolled up exposing those amazing forearms. He actually wasn’t wearing his hat which surprised me because I hadn’t ever really seen him out of it. Of course, he didn’t wear it when he was working as a paramedic but by the time he came home, his hat was back in its rightful place atop of his head. His dark hair had a messy look going on and it would’ve been about the exact length which would have made it perfect for me to run my fingers through.

And he was currently staring at me.

Our eyes connected and it was as if the rest of the world diminished and we were the only two people left. I know you hear about that in movies and romance novels, but it was true. I couldn’t see the massive amounts of people circled around me, including Tessa who was dancing around like a mad woman.

I had no idea that Toby was even speaking until Tessa shoved me with her shoulder and it released me from my daydream session with Mike.

“Not with Mike my ass. Y’all were practically eye fucking each other. You can keep denying it, but that boy has got it bad for you."

I looked back towards Mike to see that his eyes were still trained on me. Then they started playing their first song.

By the time their last song rolled around Tessa and I had been dancing to their music, they were absolutely fantastic and Toby had a voice that would make the actual singers of the covers cry from embarrassment. Oh and Mike hadn’t taken his eyes off of me, not one single time.

They began their last song for the night and Tessa instantly perked up looking behind her for someone in the bar. “Oh, Emmalynne will be so pissed that she isn’t here. They are covering her favorite bands newest single “Sleeping With A Friend" by Neon Trees."

The last swallow of my Diet Coke traveled down the wrong tube and I instantly started choking. Tessa lightly pounded on my back until I could catch my breath. What were the odds that they were playing a song about sleeping with a friend?

Mike’s gaze had zeroed in even more on me if that was even at all possible.

Toby was traveling around the stage doing little twists and turns as he sang.

It was a different tune for them, but the song was catchy as hell. I found myself singing along to the chorus even though I had never heard of the song or the band before now.

The song actually described Mike and me perfectly, talking about how it wasn’t easy to get together but once it happened, and it would happen, it would be explosive.

Then Mike had a drum solo and something completely feral and all-encompassing passed between the two of us. I was done pretending that there was absolutely nothing between us. I just knew that, in the end, one or the both of us would get our world ripped apart and our heart broken, but then there was that little chance that everything would turn out perfectly alright. I wanted to believe in that little chance. I wanted that little chance to expand into something amazing and my worrying to end up being a nonexistent glimmer of doubt.

I felt completely stripped bare and all of my emotions towards this man were being brought to true light. I couldn’t hold back another second longer.

This was finally it, the moment that I would give into everything that I had sworn against. The stage lights faded out and the house lights came on but dimmer than before and music began streaming through the strategically placed speakers once the band exited the stage.

I didn’t know how long it would be until Mike came out and found me, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it would happen.

I left Tessa where she was standing and went to discard my empty glass back at the bar and as soon as I sat the glass on the counter. I felt a light tap on my shoulder and a warm breath at my ear that instantly made a shiver run down my spine, “I bet you could play this song much better on the piano."

I hadn’t even noticed that “Faithfully" by Journey had come on through the speakers, I was so into my own head trying to decide the next step between the two of us. I turned around and looked straight into Mike’s eyes, the vulnerability and raw passion that was reflecting back at me was enough to take my breath away. He was so unbelievably beautiful, every single bit of him down to his deeply hidden emotional scars. I pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth as he took my hand and led me to the center of the makeshift dance floor.

He pulled me close to where one of his hands was curved around my waist while the other held one of my hands on his chest between us. “Dance with me, Sheridan," he said huskily. It wasn’t a request, it was more of a command. You could tell that he was definitely feeling the effects of being so close to me. I wrapped my free hand around his shoulder and rested my chin up on it as we just swayed to the beat of the song.

It really brought a smile to my face whenever he began softly singing the words in my ear while he drew tiny circles on my lower back. I would’ve never been one to peg Mike for the singing type, but he had a beautiful tone. To hear him sing about being only mine, it almost made me believe it. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed this time that we had being enraptured by the moment.

I could feel eyes on me, so I casually lifted one eye to see Tessa standing in my line of sight with the goofiest grin on her face. I could almost see her shouting to the entire room, “
Told ya so!"
I really wanted to retaliate against her, in a loving way of course, so I mentally gave her the middle finger in a silent fuck you!

The song quickly changed to John Legend. “All of Me" began playing and I leisurely lifted my head so I could lock eyes with him, “What are we doing here, Mike?"

Mike

This night was actually turning out better than anything I had hoped for. Sheridan looked incredible and here she was with me in my arms, where she belonged.

I was honestly expecting her to give me some kind of lip about my bossiness and basically trapping her into dancing with me, but true to Sheridan she surprised me at every single turn.

After the change of songs, I continued to hold her tight, I would’ve been extremely complacent just standing here all night having the curves of her body in my arms.

She moved her head from my shoulder to look up at me, “What are we doing here, Mike?" Her voice as well as her facial expression was screaming passion and that she was into this moment just as much as I was.

“I’m not entirely sure, but I’d love to find out. Give us tonight," I said as I leaned forward to nuzzle her neck.

I could’ve kicked the shit out of myself for only offering tonight, but I would worry about the rest later because she eagerly nodded her head affirming my notion to get the hell out of here. I wasn’t going to waste another minute.

Releasing her waist, I started lightly pulling her out of the exit but in the end, she sped up her steps and she was almost to the point of pulling me out.

I hoped to hell that I could make it back to my house because the feral feeling I had right now I wanted to take her outside against my truck and there was no way in hell that was happening. I needed to take my time with Sheridan and savor over her every inch.

Once we stepped outside of Emmy Lou’s, we were each hit with the muggy summer night air, which did absolutely nothing to cool down our rising temperatures. I didn’t expect Sheridan to be so forward until she was shoving me up against the outside of the building and her lips were upon me.

I sent up a slight ‘thank you’ to the heavens above. I couldn’t honestly believe that I was actually having another chance to kiss her because after that one time in the garage I thought that would be it, and it did absolutely nothing to quell my thirst for her.

If rough was what she liked, I was more than happy to oblige. I grabbed her hips in my hands and she wrapped her legs around my waist, then it was my turn to push her up against the building. Her eyes were glazed over and her breathing accelerating. “I have to taste you," I said moments before I nipped her bottom lip then smoothed my tongue over it to dissipate the sting. I began devouring her neck while my hand was massaging her breast through her clothing. My dick had never been so fucking hard, I needed to slow down or run the risk of ending things right here before they ever really began.

I broke apart from her and sat her on her feet, I was out of breath, so in between each rise and fall of my chest, I tried to tell her we had to get home. “Home…" Deep breath. “Now…"

She practically sprinted to my truck, I had never seen her move so quickly. I followed suit and hoisted myself into my seat and fired it up, peeling out of the parking lot. I needed to get home as quickly and safely as possible, I didn’t want her to have a change of heart. I hoped to God that wouldn’t happen, I still couldn’t even believe that we were in this situation.

It was funny to think that just a few months ago I was relieved for the barrier of the center console and now I was cursing the damn thing’s existence as it was a hindrance from me touching her.

She seemed to still be holding on, she was currently chewing on a fingernail and fidgeting with her hands, something that I had noticed her do whenever she was nervous, and her feet were resting on my dashboard. Normally I would say something to her, but at this split second she could be completely covered in mud and I wouldn’t give a flying fuck about it.

And that’s when I knew I was a goner. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I put Sheridan before my beloved truck, I had finally let another woman entirely into my life and into my heart. I took a minute to pray that nothing would mess this up.

I quickly turned onto my street and whipped around the cul-de-sac, slamming on my breaks and skidding to a stop in front of my house.

We were both out of the truck and onto my front porch in a split second. Sheridan had yet to mutter a single word since leaving the bar, I needed to make sure that we were on the same page. I quickly unlocked the door and before I was able to speak a word, she shoved me inside the door and jumped into my arms. I chuckled a bit as I slammed the front door closed with my foot, “So I take it you are still ok with this?"

“Well, if you don’t get a move on to your bedroom, I will have some choice words for you. So why the hell are you standing around in your entryway when we could be in your bedroom getting naked?"

She began alternating kissing and nipping my neck, “Well alright then." I didn’t waste any more time, I went straight to my bedroom and literally threw Sheridan on my bed. The sound of her giggling as she soared through the air helped me in realizing that this was really happening and I was going to show Sheridan how amazing we would be together. But first I had to take care of a little problem that had been on my heels since entering the house.