Play Me That Song

9

I don't know how long I have been laying on my bed, clutching my phone to my chest, and staring up at the ceiling. Minutes? Hours? They all bled together, making it hard to tell. Although I feel like I crying, the tears never come. Instead, I just feel incredibly numb. 

Why did I send that?

As I ask myself that question for what must have been the thousandth time, my phone rings. Startled by the sudden movement, my grip on the vibrating device tightens. I slowly tilt the screen to get a view of the caller ID. My breath feels like it's been sucked out of my lungs as soon as I see the crystal blue eyes from his contact picture staring back at me. I slide the green icon across the screen before I even register what I'm doing.

No words come. I want to apologize, but it seems to be stuck in my throat. The sorry I want to say begins to choke me until a single tear rolls down my cheek.

“McKenzie?” he asks hesitantly.

“Yeah?”

“Come outside.”

“What?” I sit up suddenly, immediately feeling lightheaded.

“Come outside.”

“Why?” I ask even though I'm already making my way down the hall. The silence that follows my question is long enough for me to reach the front door before he speaks again. I wait with my hand resting on the knob to hear what he would say next.

“McKenzie, just…please.” The soft tone does little to hide the pleading in his words.

He doesn't say he's here, but I can feel his presence. I know he is just a couple of feet away, the only thing separating us is an inch and a half of wood. I want to rip the door open and run to him. Yet, I remain in place. I glance at the large clock on the wall in the living room to my right. It's almost three in the morning.Why is he here so late? Is he finally mad at me?

I take a deep breath and finally open the door. Relief spreads across Beau’s face as soon as he sees me. I smile weakly at him. Unsure of what to say, I stand awkwardly by the door, my hand still glued to the doorknob. Beau drops his phone into his pocket as he takes a hesitant step towards me. His gaze is so intense that it holds my eyes on his even though I feel the need to look away. Standing before him now, I am suddenly so ashamed of how I have treated him lately.

Beau suddenly rushes forward and wraps me in his arms, melting away all my embarrassment and shame. My arms instinctively came around his neck. We pull each other closer in silence. No words are needed. His touch tells me everything I need to know. I feel the desire in his grip, the comfort in his touch as he strokes my hair, and the sadness in his uncertainty. He pulls back to look me in the eyes once more. His hands gently caress my cheeks.

“What are you doing here?” I whisper after several intense moments of longingly looking into his perfect blue eyes.

“You didn’t seriously think I was going to have this conversation with you over text did you?”

I can’t contain the smile that follows. I reach up to gently hold onto his wrist to reassure myself that I’m not dreaming.

“I…um, well I…” but I can’t think of anything else to say.

Beau laughs softly at me. He dips his head down and covers my lips with his in one swift motion. I return the kiss without hesitation. In that moment, it's abundantly clear how much I have missed this, how much I have missed him.