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Troy chuckled. “You’re so cute,” he lowered his mouth next to my ear. “I want to kiss you so bad.”
I smiled feeling, butterflies take flight in my stomach. “Same here, but you still haven’t told me why Kirk is with them.”
“The technical term is a mouthful, so we call them Sleepers,” Remy said in amusement. “He’s able to render people unconscious with a simple touch. If the conversation starts going south or if Alison tries to use her gift, or if the new inhibitors don’t work, then he’s the backup. Greg determined Alison and another man we’re not familiar with are the strongest in their group and the ones to watch.”
“They will be staying with us for a while,” Troy added. “They seemed to be the closest to Horatio, and they may be the ticket to finally bringing him down.”
“Ta-da,” Jaxson cried triumphantly from behind me, making me jump. I hid my squeak just in time. He smiled, and I knew he purposely startled me. I gave him an indulgent smile as he handed me my guitar. “You’ll be happy to know that our apartment looks great. A lamp got knocked over, and we have to replace a few photo frames, but all is well.”
“That is great to hear,” I said with a smile. I really hoped he didn’t see the uneasiness in my eyes. I thought he had the right to know that his mother was here, but I really didn’t want him to lose this side of him. He had been in a funk since we found out about Lincoln, but the last couple of days felt like I was getting him back. He was and always would be my candle. Even in my darkest places, he would shine the light. He held me through my terrors. He comforted me when I couldn’t sleep. But what endeared him to me the most was his ability to make me laugh and force me to find the humor in almost everything.
Ben and Taylor had already gotten back, but I hadn’t even realized they were waiting patiently for us.
“Okay let’s do this,” Ben said with a smile. “I remember you have an eclectic taste in music. What are we feeling?”
I laughed. “Well, I know you like alternative and rock. You choose. I may or may not know it. Gavin’s pretty much all country, though.”
We got up and arranged our chairs in a circle. Gavin pulled up beside me, Ben on the other side, and Tyler across from me.
“Do you know Framing Hanley’s Hear Me Now?” he asked as he pulled out his tablet.
I remembered from our sessions in the past that he had a music app that had the lyrics and music to almost every song out there. It self-scrolled and made it easy to follow along.
“I’m familiar with the song. I’ve never played or sang it before.” I admitted. “Push play, I can follow.”
Gavin was unable to read music yet. Jace was teaching him now as part of his Christmas present. He had a great ear, though, and picked up the music reasonably well.
“You sing?” Ben asked, looking over at Gavin.
Gavin nodded. “A little,” he said humbly.
I laughed. “He’s good,” I reassured Ben.
Ben smiled and nodded. “Okay, how about this, I’ll take the first verse. We all sing the chorus. Then my man…?” Ben shrugged and pointed at Gavin. Ben was horrible with names at times, and I assumed they hadn’t been introduced properly.
“Gavin,” Gavin supplied with a small grin.
“Right. Gavin, you take the second verse,” Ben continued. “Blake, I want you to take the bridges, and at the end of the song I want you to ad lib where you think we can use it.”
“Okay,” I nodded as I checked if my guitar was in tune. I tuned it up and held up a thumb when I was ready. Ben found an additional chair to prop his tablet up for me and Gavin. I assumed that this was a song that they had been covering for some time.
Ben started to play, and I pushed play on his tablet. I was immediately transported into the song as everything around me faded away. I liked that about music. Music had a way of transferring us to many places.
I was vaguely aware that we sat in a mountain cave, in a lunchroom half full of people. My primary focus was on the music and listening to Ben as he belted out the lyrics. He really did have a great voice. I waited for the bridge and sang my part. Then as the chorus started, I harmonized with Ben and Gavin. I couldn’t help but notice how good our voices blended together.
I was a soprano, Ben was a tenor, and Gavin was a baritone. Combined, our voices flowed with ease. This was the first time all three of us played and sang together, and it didn’t even sound like it. I could see the pleasure in Ben’s eyes, and I knew his thoughts reflected mine.
When we were done with the song, Ben clapped and let out a whoop. “Wow, that was good. What song’s next?”
“Your turn, Gav,” I smiled at Gavin.
He really was coming out of his shell when it came to performing. I could see him shed his reservations and really getting into the song.
Gavin took a deep breath in as he contemplated it for a moment. “Let’s do Just a Fool, by Christina Aguilera.” I gave him a raised brow, and he laughed. “What? It’s a good song and country isn’t the only music I listen to, just the one I prefer the most. Blake takes the first verse, we’ll join you at the chorus, and Ben you can do the second verse.”
Ben already had it pulled up on his tablet, and I noticed even Taylor had to stand behind us to learn the song.
I never even heard the song before, but as I sang it, I still gave it my all. I liked the song. It was probably the perfect song for how Gavin was feeling right now. I tried to convey his longing and pain into the song, imagining how he probably felt. He was struggling with his emotions and how Jemmy was treating him.
