Somewhere outside of Richmond, I broke the silence. Because I was going crazy with my own thoughts. “Maysie told me you guys were going on tour again,” I said, glancing at him out of my peripheral.
Garrett didn’t take his eyes off the road, but I saw the satisfied smile dance on his lips. “Yeah. Josh, Mitch’s cousin who helped us set up the tour over the summer has us lined up to for a cross-country promotional thing. He’s been slinging out our demo to a bunch of radio stations and a few of the smaller ones have started putting us into rotation. It’s all for the exposure, you know,” Garrett explained and despite the knots in my gut, I couldn’t help but be taken aback by the excitement on his face. I couldn’t recall a time he ever seemed pumped about anything.
Even when Garrett played music, he oozed this laid back, unconcerned vibe. As though he would do the same thing in his sleep. So seeing this side to him, a side that showed enthusiasm and…well…purpose, was startling. And even in my confused mind, I could admit it was appealing.
The truth was I was beginning to learn there was a lot appealing about the man sitting beside me.
“Wow, that’s awesome,” I said tiredly. I meant it, really, but Garrett looked at me warily, as though looking for the punch line.
“Thanks,” he said and then fell silent. And this time, the quiet between us was uneasy.
“I really do appreciate you taking me tonight. You were right, I would never have been able to drive myself,” I said. Garrett’s eyes were once again trained on the road and I noticed the tightening of his jaw, as though he were uncomfortable with my gratitude. Yeah, I get that he hadn’t seen a whole lot of the nice, genial Riley Walker. I was so accustomed to being sarcastic and cutting that genuine pleasantness was like a sucker punch to the jaw. It left you wondering where the hell the fist came from.
“Like I said, I couldn’t let you drive all the way home in the state you’re in,” he said shortly.
“You seem to speak from some kind of experience,” I hedged, not knowing how my dig for information would be greeted.
Garrett started to fiddle with my radio, trying to find some music to fill the awkward tension that took over the interior of my car. “Yeah, well, I’ve been there. I get it,” he explained without really explaining anything at all.
I took in his sloppy disheveled appearance. His blue, button down shirt gaped open, his muscular chest on proud display. His shoulder length hair was more than a little wild and I was hit with a sudden surge of memory. I remember how it felt that first night to put run my fingers through it. I saw with sudden clarity the way his face looked as he hovered above me, his hair hanging down around his face. Oh God, I finally remembered the aching tenderness in his eyes as he kissed every inch of my face.
I shook my head, ridding myself of those unwanted memories. “Can you tell me how you get it?” I asked carefully. Garrett gave up on trying to find anything on the radio and turned it off with a frustrated flick of his fingers.
He let out a loud and noisy sigh. The hand that came up to push his hair back off of his face shook slightly. “I lost both of my parents when I was a senior in high school. I remember the call that told me they were gone. It was like my world stopped and I couldn’t understand how I could keep going without them,” he said gruffly. He cleared his throat as though to dislodge the lump in his throat.
I blinked rapidly, feeling warmth flood my eyes. I had never bothered to understand how the loss of his parents had shaped the person he became.
Until now. Until I could see for myself the devastation of his loss.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, my voice the barest hush of a whisper.