The best of him

Not Quite The Beginning

After an hour or so of girl talk and getting ready, I walk downstairs in my dull orange tank top, my ripped jeans, and my ankle high biker boots.
"Hey Lindsay are you gonna sing karaoke tonight?" Brian asks once I get downstairs.
"I think I will,"I smiles, "but I think I'll enlighten y'all will my own song first."
"I can't wait to here it, Little Lin," Tyler smiles. I walk out on the patio with the guys and steal Tyler's beer.
"You don't even look old enough to drink,"he says grabbing another beer out of the cooler.
"I'm only like a hundred years old. Can't you tell?"I joke.
"You look like you're fifteen,"Brian jokes.
"Well at least I don't look like I'm fifty,"I shoot at Tyler.
"Ow! That hurt,"he says dramatically.
"It's the hair,"Brian chimes in.
"Need any help?"Brantley says as he walks out on the patio.
"Nope we're just making fun of the old fart,"I giggle.
"And we're making fun of the minor poot,"Tyler laughs. BG just looks at all three of us confused. Britney and Hayley come outside and sits with us with their ice cold beers.
"I think I'm going to take a dip in the pool before everyone gets here,"I ask everyone.
Of course as I go to take off my shirt because its covering my bikini, all three boys think it's cute to chant,"Take it off! Take it off! Take it off!" in unison. I giggle as I slip out of my jeans as well. I walk over to the diving board and dive in. Before I could even get my eyes opened after coming up, there was a half naked Brantley Gilbert canon balling into the pool. He was followed by Britney and Hayley, and then finally Brian joined us while Tyler grilled.
"Brian. B. Both of y'all keep your hands off my woman!"he joked knowing no one here would mess with her.
"Hey where's the party?" Miranda says excitedly as she comes around to the patio along with Blake that's holding two bottles of wine and two bottles of tequila.
"Hey look Little Lin finally joined the party!"Blake says noticing me in the pool.
"I couldn't stay away forever."

When night hits, everyone is here, and I'm back in my tank and jeans setting up for karaoke.
"Hey can everyone hear me?"I boom through the mic,"if you can hear me, raise your right hand." When most of the people raise their hands, I grab my guitar. "Then can I sing a song I wrote?" Everyone followed with a "hell yeah!"

"I'm gonna tell everybody what you did, you did
Tell 'em what you did to me
I saw you and that who did, who did
Underneath the willow tree
Two-timing bandit
Caught you red-handed
No free card out of jail
You can't deny it, I ain't keepin' quiet
If you're gonna kiss, I'm gonna tell
I'm gonna tell
You can't shut me up, can't hush my mouth
I'll bang a drum, I'll be so loud
You can't cover up the truth with duct tape
Boy, it's gonna hit you like an earthquake
Gonna sound like thunder from your rooftop
All day, all night, can't make me stop
I'm the siren that you can't unplug
No, you can't shut me up, up
I'm gonna tell your mama what you did, you did
Gonna tell the preacher too
The other girl you've been foolin' foolin'
Is gonna know how you do
If you need a reminder
You'll be the headliner
Black and white on the front page
Or just come to a show, stand in any row,
And I'll be singin' it up on the stage
You can't shut me up, can't hush my mouth
I'll bang a drum, I'll be so loud
You can't cover up the truth with duct tape
Boy, it's gonna hit you like an earthquake
Gonna sound like thunder from your rooftop
All day, all night, can't make me stop
I'm the siren that you can't unplug
No, you can't shut me up, up
I'm gonna be a megaphone
Tellin' everybody how you did me wrong
The only switch that I got is "on"
Yeah, I'm gonna be a megaphone
Tellin' everybody how you did me wrong
The only switch that I got is "on"
You can't shut me up, can't hush my mouth
I'll bang a drum, I'll be so loud
You can't cover up the truth with duct tape
Boy, it's gonna hit you like an earthquake
Gonna sound like thunder from your rooftop
All day, all night, can't make me stop
I'm the siren that you can't unplug
No, you can't shut me up, up
I'm gonna be a megaphone
I'm gonna be a megaphone
I'm gonna be a megaphone"
I wipe sweat off my face with the back of my hand and take a drink of water.
"For this next song I need BG. Where's he at?"I say determined and squinting at the crowd from the wrap around balcony above the patio.
"Here I am darlin,"he says as he grabs a mic and walks over beside me. I take a deep breath as he incloses the space between us. Then he lifts the mic to his mouth again,"what are we singing?" I let out the breath slowly and count to three. Then the music started:

(Lindsay, Brantley, Both)

"I was crying out your name. Standing in the driveway
Little bare feet wearing my cotton dress in your way
I can still feel the rain chasing tears down my face
It was back in October when I said it was over and hid
Behind the door
Behind the shame of my conviction
Beside myself
Beside some empty pill prescription
Can hear her screamin now
No baby don't, you're making my heart hurt
Don't say those words take it back
You know you don't mean that
You swore when I wore your ring
It meant forever
I've got it on baby
How can you say I lost it
Oh, you promised
Started crying while I was sleeping
Waking up and reaching out
To a bed as empty as the heart inside my chest
So I gathered up some pictures
Said I had some things to give her
I let her read a letter
I had written her to give her on the day we tied the knot
I saw the tears
I saw them fall as she read the part about growing old
I heard her say
It'll never work
And I hit my knees and cried
No baby don't you're making my heart hurt
Don't say those words
Take it back
You know you don't mean that
You swore when you wore my ring
It meant forever
You've got it on baby
How can you say you lost it
Yeah and you promised
We were different people then
Look at all the hateful things we've said
And I'm just as guilty
But girl that's no way to be
Take it easy baby I'm still broken
Memories enough to tear me wide open
When I see you boy I curse your name
Makes me wanna say
No no baby don't
You're making my heart hurt
Don't say those words
Take it back
You know you don't mean that
You know when you wore my ring
We said forever
But I took it off baby
Safe to say we're through
No matter what you do
You know I'll always love you
Well I have to
Cause I promised"

As soon as the song was over, I shove my mic to Brantley's chest and run down the steps. I try my hardest not to look upset because its all true.

"I found a box of memories,
Read a letter,
Dropped a tear where you signed your name,
And turning the page,
Smearing the ink into "Love Always."
Girl, I always start this way
And then I end up in a bottle screaming out your name,
Punching the walls, carrying on like I've gone insane,
And in the mirror,
I can see the man who just shook his head with no remorse,
Watching an angel cry her tears,
Stepping over my beers as you walked out the door.
And there ain't nothing like a memory,
When it's coming on strong like a hurricane.
How can love like that just up and walk away?
Killing me baby.
It's got me pouring up another drink,
Bourbon's hitting me hard like a freight train,
With my back against the wall or on my knees,
When the worst of your memory gets the best of me.
Well, I remember it all too well, riding 441 down to Milledgeville,
Crossing the bridge as the sun set on Lake Sinclair.
I couldn't wait to see you smile,
But all I saw were tears in your pretty eyes and that said it all,
It was all downhill from there.
And I remember you saying, "Baby, please don't give up on me."
Oh my baby, this stubborn man is gonna lie in the bed he made.
'Cause there ain't nothing like a memory,
When it's coming on strong like a hurricane.
How can love like that just up and walk away?
It's killing me baby.
It's got me pouring up another drink,
Bourbon's hitting me hard like a freight train,
With my back against the wall or on my knees,
When the worst of your memory gets the best, the best of me.
Baby, there ain't nothing like a memory,
When it's coming on strong like a hurricane.
How can love like that just up and walk away?
Your killing me baby.
Got me pouring up another drink,
Bourbon's hitting me hard like a freight train,
With my back against the wall or on my knees,
When the words to your memory gets the best, the best of me."

Brantley sang along with a couple of party songs. I walk inside to get away from the commotion and excitement, but it didn't quite work that way.