Echoes of Us (30 page)

“You okay?” Lucas asked.

“Sort of numb,” I answered.

Lucas patted my back. “Here comes the inspector general.”

I chuckled and watched as my mother approached us. She looked sad, but I was pretty sure she was going to be okay.

“Lucas,” my mom said. “Kate is waiting for you in the house.”

Lucas let go of me and walked away, leaving me alone with my mom.

“Come walk with me,” she said. She took my hand, and we walked to the edge of the newly combined wheat field. The stalks crunched under our feet. “I’m going to miss your father.”

“Me too,” I said, and I meant it. Over the past few weeks, he had let me into his life, and I had shared mine with him.

She ruffled my hair. “You’re a good man, Rylan, and I’m proud of you. We didn’t say it enough when you were growing up, and I’m so sorry for not being available to you when things weren’t good.”

I placed my head on her shoulder and sighed. She dug in her jacket pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. She carefully unfolded it and smoothed out the wrinkles. I stared at the familiar scrawl of my dad’s handwriting.

Don’t hide from your talent. The world deserves to hear you.

“He’s right, Rylan. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but you need to find your place in the world, and hiding in this small town isn’t for you.” She took a deep breath. “You can talk to me about anything. I know you’re hurt and sad and confused, and nothing I say will make it better.”

“Mom,” I said and leaned against her. She put her arms around me and held me, rubbing my back while I sobbed on her shoulder. “I hurt everywhere.”

“I know,” she said, and she did know. The haunted look I carried in my eyes was in hers as well. She’d lost her partner, her lover, her friend, just like I had lost mine. Only Dad was permanently gone; Jade was still wandering the earth.

Noise from across the field caught our attention. We heard car doors slamming and low murmurs of conversation drifted through the air. People were mingling around the yard. “You ready?” my mom asked as she laced her fingers with mine.

I wasn’t anywhere near ready, but I nodded. I’d become an expert at lying.

As we got closer to the tent, my mom stopped. “Would you sing for me?”

“Right now?”

“Yes,” she said.

“I might need a drink to get through it,” I said.

My mom nodded, and we went over to the bar. I was surprised at the amount of people who were gathering near the stage. I caught a glimpse of brown sun-kissed hair and frowned. It was nothing new. I thought I saw him everywhere. Maggie and I had started calling my random sightings echoes.

People cleared a path so we were able to get to the bar. Lucas was standing there with his very pregnant wife. My mom waved at Kelli and Maggie to come over.

“Tequila,” she said to my brother. He put up four shot glasses and poured the liquor.

“Do you want lime and salt?” my brother asked.

My mom shook her head. “I’m doing the first shot alone,” she said. She took her glass and stared at it for a few seconds. I saw her lips move, silently telling Dad she loved him. She tossed her head back and sucked the drink down, then slammed the empty glass on the bar for my brother to refill.

“To Dad,” I said. Kelli and Lucas repeated my words, and we drank. I set the glass down and looked at my mom.

“To family,” she said and drank her second shot.

“Hit me again,” I said to Lucas. “And fill another glass.”

Maggie had backed away from us, but I waved her over and handed her a shot glass. Her eyes were swimming with tears. “Without you,” I said, staring straight at her, “I don’t think I would have survived this past year. To you, my friend.”

“To you, Rylan,” Maggie whispered.

“To us,” I said.

“To us,” she repeated. We clinked glasses and drank.

“My mom wants me to sing,” I said. “Will you come up with me? I don’t think I can be up there alone. There’s always been someone with me.”

She put her arm around me. “I’ll be there for you.”

I reached for Kelli and both women walked with me to the small stage. Someone had set up a microphone, along with a keyboard. There was also a guitar leaning against a chair. Kelli and Maggie wrapped me in their arms.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” I murmured. I hadn’t played any music since Madison Square Garden. The only thing I’d done was write “Echoes of Us,” and I didn’t know if I could sing that song. It might destroy me.

My mom was standing up at the microphone, and the crowd quieted.

“I am humbled by the outpouring of support for me and my family. Davis would think you were all crazy for shutting down harvest today, but I’m glad you did,” she said. The audience laughed. “My son, Rylan, is going to grace us with some music.”

“You’ll be fine,” Maggie said. “Go.” She gave me a push toward my mother and her outstretched arms.

Mom walked me over to the keyboard and kissed me on the cheek. I bit my lip and stared at the guitar.

“Uh,” I said into the microphone. “Thanks for coming. My dad is the only person who’s ever heard this song. He insisted I share it with you. You’re going to have to bear with me, though, because I’m not really a solo act. I’ve always had someone up here with me, but I guess it’s time to learn to stand on my own.

“This is called ‘Echoes of Us.’”

I poked at the keys, playing a few notes. I had to start over three times before I could get the first line out of my mouth. It made my entire body ache.

Standing here all alone

In a place we used to share

You are everywhere, everywhere

Your voice fills my head

But it’s fading fast

Slipping through my outstretched hands

Like an echo dying

Echoes of us, Echoes of us

I frowned and stopped playing, lowering my head. Tears dripped on the keys. “I can’t do this. I’m sorry. I’m not a solo act. I never wanted to let him go, but I had no choice.”

There was a loud gasp from the audience, and I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry,” I choked.

“Me too,” the voice whispered.

The whisper wrapped around my heart, and I was scared to turn around. It was possible I’d finally stepped off the deep end.

I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lip, willing myself to turn around. He looked real. His hair was slightly darker and a little longer. Those beautiful brown eyes stared back at me with an intensity that made my toes curl.

“Jade,” I whispered.

“Rylan,” he said. He reached out and moved my hair away from my eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m hoping it’s where I belong,” he said.

“Kiss the boy,” someone yelled. It sounded like Mrs. Morgan. “I didn’t come all this way for a sad ending. I demand my happily ever after.”

“Is that Mrs. Morgan?” I asked.

“I went home and you weren’t there,” Jade said. “Mrs. Morgan hollered at me for about forty-five minutes before she told me what happened.”

“You deserved to be shouted at,” I said.

“I’ll never let you go again. Not for anyone or anything,” Jade said.

“You promise,” I whispered.

“Always,” he said. He touched my wrist, then dug into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out my infinity bracelet. “I had it fixed.”

I let him put it on my wrist.

“That was a beautiful song you were singing,” Jade said.

“I wrote it for you,” I said.

“I don’t want to be an echo anymore,” Jade said.

I turned away from him and stared at the bright blue sky. It reminded me of the day my dad died. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and you could see for miles in all directions. Sometimes I wished I could see my life as clearly as I could see the land in front of me. My gaze settled on Jade, and my dad’s words came back.

He is it for you, like your mother is for me.

“I won’t be your dirty secret anymore,” I whispered.

“Does that mean you want to try?” His voice trembled, and I could see his hand shaking.

“I’m scared,” I said truthfully.

Jade took a step closer to me. I resisted the urge to put up my walls, and held my ground. He slowly raised his hand, letting his fingers graze my cheek, trailing down my jaw until he traced my lips.

“Can I show you something?” Jade asked.

I nodded, and he rolled up his sleeve, revealing his tribal tattoo circling his bicep. In the middle of his arm, dripping off the tattoo, was the heart. Only now, there were two letters surrounding the heart. JheartR.

I bit my lip and raised my shirt, exposing my heart tattoo. It was now RheartJ with the infinity symbol embracing the initials.

“Nice,” Jade said, tracing the infinity symbol. His touch sent shocks racing through my body.

“I went to the tattoo parlor with my mom after Dad died. I had this added while she got her own tattoo.”

“Rylan,” Jade said.

“Hmmm,” I said.

“I never stopped loving you,” he said.

“I tried to stop,” I said. “It wasn’t good, Jade.”

“I would like to kiss you,” he said. “I mean, if you’ll let me. I mean, you know, Mrs. Morgan deserves a happy ending. It was a long fucking drive.”

“Shut up, Jade,” I muttered and pressed my lips against him.

I was home.

The crowd roared, and Mrs. Morgan wolf whistled. When I opened my eyes, members of our band were filing up to the stage. Ella waved and blew me a kiss. Ms. Diaz was talking to my mom and Serena. She had on a gold sparkly hat with a silver blouse and gold billowing skirt. She glowed in the sunshine.

Trevor jumped on the stage and bear-hugged me. “Great to see you, man,” he said. “After the party, I want to talk to you and Jade about signing with me.”

“With you?”

“Yeah, I’m breaking out on my own, and I would like to sign you two,” he said, grinning at me. “The real you.”

I grabbed him and gave him a real hug. I felt more people hugging me and turned around to see Ethan, Jens, and Brody grinning at me.

“God, I’ve missed you guys,” I said.

It was the best group hug I’d ever received.

There was noise up on the stage. Brent and Dave were helping some other guys set up equipment.

“Shall we jam?” Ethan asked.

“I’d fucking love to,” I shouted and grabbed Jade, dragging him to the microphone. “This is Jade, and I’m Rylan. Hang around and we’ll blow your panties off.”

Mrs. Morgan pumped her fist in the air. My mother put her fingers in her mouth and whistled. Mrs. Morgan knuckle bumped her.

We played until the sun touched the ground and set the sky on fire. When everyone had finally cleared out and it was just my friends and family, I stood next to Jade and watched as the darkness settled and the stars slowly came to life.

I smiled at my sister and brother. Kelli dropped to her knees and lay back on the ground. Lucas followed suit, pulling his very pregnant wife with him.

I smiled at Mrs. Morgan, who grinned at my mother. Soon everyone was flat on their backs, staring up at the sky. Jade laced his fingers with mine and we joined everyone.

“This is magnificent,” Mrs. Morgan said.

A star shot across the sky. “Make a wish,” Jade whispered.

“Don’t have to,” I said. “It already came true.”

About the Author

T
EEGAN
L
OY
began writing a long time ago. Notebooks filled with ideas were stacked around the house. One day, she sat down with renewed ambition and something fantastic happened: she completed a story. Now most of her time is spent writing, but she takes an occasional break to go to the movies, where she imagines her stories on the big screen. She also enjoys watching hockey, filling her iPod with music, and driving her daughter around town to various activities.

You can find Teegan at the following:

Twitter: @TeeganLoy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teegan.loy

Her blog: http://teeganloy.wordpress.com

Or you can e-mail her at [email protected].

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EEGAN
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OY

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