Naomi plays the song and I close my eyes, listening to what her amazingly gifted mind has created. It’s not exactly what I had come up with on my own, but I can also see where she was going with it and how she got here. I think maybe a blending of our two would be sinisterly beautiful.
Like her.
When she finishes, I open my eyes and twist toward her, scooting back on the bench a bit to give us some space. “That was beautiful. Will you play it again tomorrow for Jasper? And Keith and Henry too, but I especially want Jas to hear this.”
She nods. “Of course. Just shoot me a text in the morning and let me know what time. I was hoping to get out on the water early, but I should be done by late morning.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you tomorrow.” And because I cannot help myself, I lean in and press my lips to her cheek, inhaling her soft fragrance as I do.
My fix.
It’s been days since I tasted her. Held her deep in my lungs.
I get up and walk out, scooping a still sleeping Adalyn up into my arms and heading for the front door. Naomi doesn’t show me out, and I force myself not to glance over my shoulder in her direction. I’m too busy mentally locking myself down. Because by tomorrow, when we really get started on this duet, I need to have myself in check where Naomi Kent is concerned.
There just is no other option.
Chapter Thirteen
Naomi
* * *
“I officially hate you,” I tell Lyric as I hop in my car and drive off toward Jasper Diamond’s house. Gus texted me this morning with an address and told me to come whenever it was convenient. Who says something like that? I mean, how freaking unhelpful?
I texted him back, informing him that the devil is in the details, and all I got back was that devil smiley emoji. Again, so freaking unhelpful.
Lyric laughs lightly into the phone. “What did I do now?”
I roll my eyes because the tone of her voice tells me she clearly knows exactly what she did and is wholly unrepentant for it. “Gus Diamond, Lyric Rose. Gus Motherfucking Diamond.”
Silence.
“So, I’m confused here. Are you angry because you think he’s hot as fuuuuck,” she sings, “and you want to jump his bones? Or are you pissed because you’re super over the moon excited about working on his duet and you think he’s hot and you want to jump his bones, but now you can’t because you’re working on his duet?”
I shake my head, growling out something indiscernible under my breath.
“Casper Goddamn LaCroix came to my place yesterday when Gus was there. And no, I don’t want to jump Gus’ bones.” I totally do.
“But you think he’s hot,” she states with a certainty I wish she didn’t have.
“His looks mean nothing.”
“Ha!” she laughs exaggeratedly. “His looks mean everything. He’s sinfully gorgeous and you should be on that. Like all the time, if you can manage it and still complete the duet. He’s single. You’re single. It’s kismet.”
I roll my eyes as dramatically as I can without crashing my car off the side of the highway.
“Lyric, babe, you do realize he’s still in love with his ex, right? And for real, did you miss the whole Casper Goddamn LaCroix came to my place?” I ask because I cannot think about me being on Gus Diamond like that. I mean, I can. And I think that’s part of the crux of my problem here. He’s in love with another woman. A woman I’m on my way to meet at this very moment.
Talk about a smack in the face.
I shouldn’t be thinking about Gus like this. I shouldn’t be lying in bed at night, reminiscing about the way he looks at me. Or the things he says. Or the way he touches me in seemingly innocuous ways that are anything but. I shouldn’t be fantasizing about Gus Diamond because though Gus Diamond may think I’m pretty, he made his position on our situation clear.
Off-limits. Friends only. He’s all about meaningless fucks.
I’d have to be an utter moron to even contemplate being anything more with him than friends. I’ve been hurt enough for one lifetime, thank you very much.
She breathes out a loud sigh. “No, I didn’t miss it. I heard the other day they were planning on recording in LA. I’m sorry, Nai. I would have warned you if I had known sooner. I’m on the east coast for the rainbow ball and to deal with my piece of shit ex, Jameson.” Another sigh. “Exes fucking suck. At least it was Casper and not Florian who showed up. What did he want?”
“Just to catch up, I think. He said he wanted to have dinner some night this week.”
“Could have been worse. What did Gus do?”
I take a right and head toward the Hollywood Hills where Jasper’s house is. I hate this part of the city. Florian talked about us getting a home up here and therefore, it’s evil. That’s how my mind is working today, and I won’t change my defense mechanism. It’s keeping me sane and strong and whole.
“Nothing. He said hi to him or whatever. Casper was a total dick as always and I think- it’s time I move to Alaska.”
Lyric sputters out a cough. “Alaska?”
“I hear it’s beautiful up there. It’s one of the few places I’ve never been.”
“It’s also dark and cold this time of year. Listen Nai, you knew you were going to have to face this eventually. Maybe you’ll get lucky and Florian won’t seek you out.” I frown at that. I can’t decide which I’m hoping for. To avoid him forever or have him want to talk to me. Neither feels particularly good. “In any event, you’re working on this song and this song is going to be so good. I mean, just soooo good. And Gus is amazing and so are all the guys in Wild Minds. You’re in great hands with them. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have even considered you for this. This is your song, Nai. Your. Song.”
My song.
A song about heartbreak and loving someone you can never have and trying to move past it. Yep, I suppose it’s my song. Only, over the years, my heartache with Florian isn’t so much based on him per se as what he did to me. Or didn’t do.
Maybe that’s why I’m still reeling after all this time.
I feel no sense of closure where he’s concerned.
“We’ll see. I haven’t met with the band yet. They could tell me to screw off.”
Lyric laughs loud into the phone. “You’re forgetting I heard you and Gus sing together. Jasper and I already talked on the phone about it. You and Gus have that thing. That amazing chemistry that only comes around once in a lifetime. Like your parents.”
A rush of air expels from my lungs.
“Too far?”
“Yes. Way too far.”
“Fine, but Naomi, remember what I’m telling you here. Write this song with Gus. Make this song with Gus. And start your life again. Start writing music again. Start creating music again. It’s what you were always meant to do.”
I let her words hold me captive for a very long minute. My eyes glisten with tears that I know better than to let start to fall. She’s right. It’s what I was always meant to do. It’s where my heart and passion reside.
This duet is my path forward.
Now I just have to make it through this without jumping Gus and climbing him like a tree.