Play Me That Song

I heard a knocking at my door. I looked over at the clock on my nightstand to see it was nearly 3am; the knocking had woke me up. Tiredly, I rolled out of bed and made it to my feet. I walked down the stairs to my front door and didn’t bother to look through the peephole.

On the other side of the door was Katie. I rubbed my temple, trying to shake off my sleepiness. She on the other hand didn’t look tired at all: she looked more worried. As I scanned my eyes down her face I noticed she had a tear slowly rolling down it.

Not again...

“Come in.” I told her. As she walked inside of the house, I reached my arm around her shoulder and pulled her into me as she shook her boots off of her feet.

I led the girl into my living room where we both took a seat on the couch. Katie curled up beside me and put her head onto my chest.

“Tell me what happened,” I instructed her softly, closing my eyes, ready to hear her out. I felt her head shake on my chest. “Kaitlyn,” This time my voice was sterner, although I kept the even tone, “Tell me.”

“He cheated on me, Peter.” She paused and a heard a soft weeping. “He cheated on me again.” I opened my eyes and looked at the sad girl in my arms. It broke my heart to see her go through this much pain and to just be watching from the sidelines as he hurt her over and over again. I had no idea what made her do it, but she always went right on back to him. “How,” She whispered; her words now choked up and choppy, “Could he do it again?”

I shook my head, as I rubbed her shoulder. I knew she didn’t want me to actually answer her question; she never did.

We sat in a silence for some time. I don’t even know how long it was. I was fighting to stay awake in case she needed me, although I knew she was slowly drifting into a state of unconsciousness as well. Just as I felt content with her even breathing I decided I might as well get a few minutes of shuteye as well.

A tired voice stole me from this state, “Peter, she whispered. “Play me that song?”

I nodded as she relieved her weight from my body. I gave her a soft side hug and a kiss on the forehead before getting up and walking across the room. I grabbed my guitar from the corner of the room and went back to the couch. Katie was sitting with her legs crossed over each other, facing my previously place on the couch. I sat back down and started strumming on my guitar’s strings quietly.

This was a regular occurrence on her late night visits. She always wanted me to play the song I wrote about a girl who never knew about how much a boy was in love with her. When I finished, she’d always ask me to play it over again. This time, was different.

As I was getting ready to start the intro again, her voice cut through the heavy silence that had fallen. “Boy,” She spoke tenderly, meeting my eyes with her dark brown orbs, “I’d like to think that there’s somewhere there that would love me just like that.”

Once the silence had fallen again, she nodded and I took it as my clue to keep playing again.

I lost track of the number I had played that song, just like the many nights before. As I started up the song again, I looked out the window that I could see while I looked over her shoulder. The sun was coming up again.

The sunrise was usually the cue for her to leave. This time, she stayed put, even as she glanced back to see the sun slowly lighting up our surroundings.

She leaned her head back onto the couch and closed her eyes. “I wish he’d love me like that.” She whispered. “I wish someone would love me like that.”

I was in mid chorus when I heard these words and I quickly stopped my playing. “Darling, I’ve been hiding this for way too long.” My words cut her out of her state and she opened her eyes and sat up from the couch. “I can’t believe you never knew,” I whispered. My voice was uneven as I spoke. “That song,” I closed my eyes, trying to hold the emotion back I knew I was about to bring forth from myself, “That song’s about you.”