About a Girl

“So that’s fine, yeah, come by, we’ll take the afternoon off. We can kiss and undress, or if you want just talk. ‘Cause I’ve got nothing real, just empty space to fill. And you’re my girl, I like your style, just imagine all the time we can kill.” – Bright Eyes

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

She hugs me like she hasn’t seen me in years when I go with William pick her up from the airport.

“I missed you,” she says.

“It’s only been a few days,” I point out, smiling.

“Feels like longer,” she answers, shrugging and kissing me again.

I can already tell that there’s something different in her demeanor.

I don’t know what, exactly, but it’s not a bad sort of different, so I don’t question her about it.

We go out to lunch, where she talks animatedly about our upcoming tours and plans and I can only smile and nod because I just like hearing her talk.

After, William drops us off at the apartment before leaving us alone while he goes to his girlfriend’s.

“So…” she begins hesitantly.

I look at her, silently waiting.

We’re sitting on her bed.

She closes the book she’s been reading and scoots closer to me.

“Something wrong, Rae?” I say, as she’s gone quiet and started running her fingers over my hand.

“I met up with Luke while I was in L.A.,” she abruptly states, after another short silence.

In the few seconds that I’m processing what she’s said, a wave of angry confusion runs through my blood. She looks up to check my expression carefully, so I try not to show too much.

“Why?” I manage to ask, calmly.

“To tell him to leave me alone,” she replies simply. “He won’t bother us anymore. He’d been trying to call me since the release party. I didn’t tell you because I thought you’d be mad.” She chews on her bottom lip nervously. “You’re not mad, are you?”

I lean over to kiss her lightly in relief, lifting her chin with my fingers, feeling her smile into the kiss. Her smile stays on her face after I pull away, then she pulls me back for a longer one.

Before I realize it, her hands are shifting my shirt over my head, mine are sliding her jeans off her hips, and her smile in combination with the feel of her skin and smell of her hair is intoxicating my senses.

“I broke up with him because he couldn’t handle me in the band,” she says suddenly, and I pause to look at her. Her face is flushed, but she’s not as hesitant or unsure as she used to be. “He didn’t trust me.”

For whatever reason, it’s not weird or awkward for her to be bringing him up.

“I trust you,” I mumble, nuzzling my face in her throat. Her fingers work their way into my hair, gently tangling her hand while I kiss her neck.

“I know,” she sighs breathily.

We’re both down to the bare minimum of clothes by now, but we’re in no rush.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

When I wake up in the morning, she’s still deeply asleep, so I cover her with the blanket and take a shower.

William’s in the kitchen, on his laptop when I join him at the table.

“Everything’s fine with Rae, right?” I ask him, while I can get his opinion as Rae sleeps. “I mean, she hasn’t said anything’s wrong?” He chooses to take a leisurely sip of his tea before answering.

“No,” he says. “What do you mean?”

“She’s acting differently.” I don’t clarify that I mean “different” in the best sense of the word.

I guess I just want reassurance that everything’s good right now.

He tilts his head slightly, contemplating, then he smiles in amusement and shakes his head at me.

“She’s just happy.”