Love Songs

Chapter Sixteen

Jessica - Monday, 7:30pm.

After classes had finished that day, I escorted Allie back to our room to call it a night. She still wasn't feeling well, and I figured the best thing for her was to get her into bed early so she'd be ready to go the next morning. She didn't protest the suggestion, and I certainly didn't protest the time away from her to try to untangle the growing mess with Shay.

I stayed in the room, pretending to be reading until I was sure she was sleeping. When her breathing became steady from underneath the blanket that was pulled all the way over her eyes, I decided it was time to go.

I was only wearing a tank top and plaid pajama shorts, but I wasn't exactly going on a date. Shay had seen me looking like a mess thousands of times. Why should things be different now?

I opened her door without knocking. I figured I couldn't be intruding on anything too private, because at this point in the relationship, private was out the window. 

When I walked in, Shay was sitting on her bed, writing in a notebook, looking pensive. She was wearing her glasses, which I rarely ever saw. She looked adorably studious. 

"Aww," was all I said, looking at her write.

She took them off her face immediately, realizing I was here. "Shut up," she said.

"No," I protested, coming to sit next to her. "They're cute."

"You're a liar," she said.

"No I'm not. What are you writing?"

"Nothing," she said, hitting me off the head with her notebook before attempting to put it on the table next to her. I intercepted her, taking it from her hands and bringing it to eye level.

It was music.

"Why were you hiding this?" I asked, confused. "As if I could read it."

She laughed, relaxing a little bit. "You don't sight read?"

"I don't even know what that means," I said turning the page. 

"Then why are you reading it?" she asked. 

"It's pretty," I said honestly.

"It's pretty?" she mocked.

I nodded, somewhat intrigued by the expertly drawn dots and lines that adorned the page. "Do you know what all this means?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, when you look at this, does it make a song in your head?"

She smiled, but I didn't know why. "Yes," she said. "I guess you could say that."

"What does it sound like?"

"Right now?" she said. "Happy. Comfortable. Tranquil."

"How come?"

"That's how I feel."

I giggled, pressing closer into her. "You love me," I teased.

"Oh, you wish."

"You can't take it back now," I smiled haughtily.

She glared at me. "You know, I just opened up my heart and soul to you and you're really making me regret it."

"Oh, relax," I said. "You don't have to be so tough all the time."

"I can't help it if I'm tough," she defended quietly.

"You don't think I know you better than that?"

"What do you mean?"

I looked her in the eye. "I know you have a sensitive side deep down."