OverExposed: Making Me Love You

I sat in Adam’s dressing room absolutely freaking out. My stomach was twisting around in knots while my heart raced so fast I thought I was going to spontaneously combust. I passed a hand over my face in an attempt to calm myself down so that he wouldn’t walk into his dressing room to find a girl passed out on the floor. I paced his room impatiently wondering when he would be returning. I released a shaky breath knowing that Adam was a huge star so he was probably caught up doing autograph signings and taking pictures with fans. That was fine by me since I needed to use this time to calm my racing heart and cool myself down. I waved my hand in front of my face to blow a light breeze across my sweaty brow. Was it hot in here or was it just me?

My eyes landed on the couch that sat against the opposite wall from the large vanity where various make-ups and hair products were scattered about. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket to check the time. It was nearing 11:30. I sighed, sliding my phone back into the tight pocket of my skinny jeans, and plopped a seat on the couch becoming startled a bit when the seat sank under my weight. The cushion had been a lot softer than it first appeared. I glanced around the immaculately clean dressing room and wondered what Ashley and Kennedy were doing at the moment.

Ever since the concert had ended, we had had to go our separate ways. They had gone out through the main doors while I had been led backstage to Adam’s dressing room. Seeing as I was the only one back here did that mean I had been the only one to get a backstage pass? Or had there been others, but they were hanging out with the rest of the band? So many questions that needed to be answered when he returned. I jumped at the sudden tingling feeling that ran down my leg from the vibrations of my phone. I mumbled expletives under my breath as I grabbed out my phone once more.

“Hey, Ke—”

“OhmygodwetotallyjustgotourpicturetakenwithAdam.” Her words meshed together as they left her mouth at an alarming rate of speed.

“Kennedy, I need you to calm down and speak like a normal human being,” I advised chuckling softly.

“Hecameoutsideaftertheshowandhewastakingpictureswithsomeofhisfansandherecognizedusandhe—”

“What the babbling moron is trying to say is that Adam is on his way to you. Don’t fuck things up,” Ashley interjected before hanging up.

I stared down at my phone for a few seconds before that overwhelming tidal wave of panic washed over me again. I wrapped my arms around my stomach as it flooded with that feeling of butterfly wings beating ferociously in the pit of my stomach. I groaned.

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” I whispered to myself as I tried to keep myself calm. Then that knowing smile Adam had given me during the concert after I had sang with him flashed into my mind. That one image cleared my wandering mind, soothed my racing heart, and washed away all feelings of anxiety. That smile meant he had remembered who I was…right?

“I certainly hope so,” I softly chuckled to myself still awaiting his arrival with nervous anticipation.

“You certainly hope so what?” an amused male voice questioned from the doorway. My head snapped up to gaze upon the beauty that was Adam Levine. His shirt was dark with sweat as it clung to the lean contours of muscles along his torso. He slid the white towel from around his shoulders and wiped the sweat from his face and neck as he made his way over to the vanity sitting down.

I did my best to look at everything and anything but Adam as he stripped the shirt off his back and tossed it onto the vanity counter. From my peripheral vision I watched as he made his way over to the rack of clothing. The muscles on his back flexed underneath his tanned skin as he flipped through the various shirts on the hangers. He must have decided on one and thrown it on since in the next moment the couch sank beneath his weight as he sat to my right. Caught off guard I nearly stumbled into his lap; my cheeks were glowing a bright red with embarrassment.

“It’s okay,” Adam chuckled helping me right myself on the couch. “This couch is quite deceiving with its cushiony-ness.”

I quirked a dark brow at his goofy word. “I’m pretty sure that’s not a word,” I smiled immediately regretting the fan-girl giggle that left my mouth. And here I had promised myself I wouldn’t act this way in front of him. There goes that goal down the drain.

“Oh, I know,” he replied, those hazel green eyes piercing into mine. “I made it up.” Those bubblegum pink lips curled into a mischievous half grin that made my heart begin to melt. I quickly glanced away from that crooked smile and those seductive eyes so I could promptly remind myself of my boyfriend back home.

“Well, aren’t you cool,” I mumbled playing with the rim of my fedora trying to keep the smile off my face.

I glanced up and over at Adam in shock when I felt my fedora being whipped off my head probably making my hair stand on end from the static electricity. I fixed my hair and swept my bangs across my forehead; my lips turned down in a playful frown.

“That was the only thing keeping my hair looking nice,” I teased going to snatch it back from him. He just laughed and placed it on his head.

“Your hair looks fine. There is something I must tell you though,” he thoughtfully answered.

“Oh?” I asked feeling my heart once more pick up speed. Was he going to tell me how familiar I looked? That he remembered me?

“You have a gift for singing. How come you have never tried out for The Voice or The X Factor? I’m sure you could make it big. Especially if you auditioned for The Voice and chose my team,” he teased with a wink.

I felt my face flush with embarrassment while at the same time I tried to hide my disappointment.

“I guess I decided to choose the path with more realistic dreams,” I sighed thinking of how I was close to graduating from my pre-veterinary studies.

“Well…in all honesty, you shouldn’t even have to waste your time on auditioning for those shows. I’ve seen your talent straight up. So…you should join us on tour sometime,” he offered leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

I waved away his words feeling slightly flustered.

“I couldn’t do that, Adam,” I nervously chuckled. “I have too much here going for me. Plus, who’s to say that the fame will last, you know? I’d rather just live a normal life I guess. Without having to worry that someone might snap a picture of me with my brother and printing it on the front page of every magazine known to man that I was cheating on so-and-so with him,” I sighed thinking of all the ridiculous stories I have read in magazines. The paparazzi have nothing better to do in their lives except ruin the lives of others and twisting words around from an interview. It’s why I stayed away from all the gossip that was thrown around in magazines although Ashley liked to laugh at it.

“I understand what you’re saying completely. It’s hard being a celebrity, but—” he shrugged relaxing back against the couch—“you get used to it, I guess.”

I shrugged, my eyes scanning the room and landing on a very familiar object. One I hadn’t noticed before now and I wondered how I had missed it since it was leaning against the wall next to the clothing rack. I abruptly stood making Adam stare up at me in question. Without saying a word, I silently made my way over to the guitar and gently picked it up by its neck. I glided back over to Adam and placed it in his lap; our eyes clashed.

“You want me to play you a song?” he asked strumming his fingers softly over the strings.

“Please,” I quietly begged him sitting back down. Only this time I folded a leg beneath me as I sat down to face him. The heel of my shoe was digging into my thigh quite painfully. Before he could start playing something, I huffed in agitation and slipped the heels off my feet. The moment the cool air of the dressing room swept across my hot, aching feet I had to bite back the moan of pleasure that threatened to emit. Every time I wore high heels I told myself I’d never do it again because it caused my feet too much pain. You can see how well I listen to my self-conscious.

My heels dropped to the floor with a thud making Adam laugh at my expression of pure bliss as they slid off my feet.

“So, what would you like for me to play?” he asked fiddling with the strings and making sure the guitar was tuned correctly.

At his nonchalant question, an idea popped into my head. One that I hoped would work.

“Will you sing ‘Not Coming Home’?” I hesitantly asked him wondering if that might trigger anything. His brows bunched together as he gave me a strange look.

“Really? That’s an oldie.” His eyes widened when he heard the skepticism in his own voice. “Uh, not that it’s not still a good song. It’s just been a while since I sang that song for anyone. Girls typically ask me to sing them a love song made just for them,” he chuckled with a roll of his eyes.

“Well, I’m not most girls.”

His eyes met mine staring into them for quite some time before slowly nodding. “That’s very true,” he agreed. His eyes lowered to watch his fingers strum the guitar like he was remembering the chords to the song. He had barely begun to play the song when his hand came to a stop like he had gotten lost deep in thought. His brows bunched together as he rubbed a hand down his face; my fedora still resting on top of his head.

I was about to ask what he was thinking about when he just chuckled to himself and mumbled something as he shook his head. I arched a dark brow wondering what he had said to himself.

“Is everything okay?” I inquired lightly touching his arm.

“I was just thinking about the first time I played this song,” he answered never meeting my gaze. His mind had wandered somewhere far outside this room to another moment in time. I could tell by the way his fingertips aimlessly strummed down the strings every so often as he thought.

My heart came to a stop at those words. Is my plan working?

“Oh yeah?” I smiled. “What happened? Did girls swoon upon hearing the sound of your voice and drop to their knees begging for you to go out with them?” I laughed off the nervous feeling I was beginning to get. My palms had now become slick with a light layer of sweat as I waited patiently for his response. I inconspicuously wiped my palms on the thighs of my dark purple skinny jeans.

He smiled for a split second before it faded. He was definitely distracted by something. “Nah, it was nothing like that although I wish. No, I had been sitting on a bench that was on a forest trail playing this song since we had a gig coming up that weekend. Then there was this girl,” he chuckled rubbing the palm of his hand nervously across the back of his neck. My heart had restarted itself only to beat loud, hard thumps against my ribcage as he recalled the memory.

“She couldn’t have been more than, like, thirteen or so, but she was a cutie. Even with her hipster glasses. I offered to walk her home since I was heading back anyways, but she refused. Which I totally understood since I was probably this creepy looking dude to her that was playing his guitar all alone in the forest,” he laughed at himself shaking his head.

“Do you remember her name or anything?” I asked breathlessly. My lungs had begun to contract making it hard for me to breathe. He remembered me the way I was, but what made this whole memory important was if he remembered my name. If he didn’t remember me…what other ways could he get back in my life?

His brows bunched in the center as he thought long and hard over my question. After a while, he released a disappointed sigh as he removed my fedora from his head. He flipped it around in his hands before meeting my gaze.

“Sad to say I can’t. I can remember almost every detail about that day it seems, but her name…” he let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t think of it.”

I couldn’t help but feel my heart plummet to my feet at those words. How in the world could I get him to remember me now? He must have seen the look of disappointment on my face because he touched his fingers to my knee.

“Are you okay?” he smiled lifting his hand from my leg. The immediate loss of warmth brought a wave of cold air making me feel even more depressed.

“Um, yeah, I’m fine. It just sucks that you can remember everything, but the girl’s name you know? I totally feel for you,” I teased trying to laugh off my sadness.

“Well, anyways, sorry for getting caught up in the past. How about I play you that song now?” he offered positioning the guitar in his lap again.

Feeling like my heart had swelled and burst, I was no longer in the mood to sit here and pretend I was happy about being with Adam. Yes, it was every girl’s dream to be where I was at this exact moment, but those that might have sat where I was now…they didn’t have that exciting moment of wondering if Adam would remember them about 11 years later. I had dreamed of this moment ever since I had heard that song playing on the radio so long ago. For years I dreamed of when I might be able to meet him one on one like this. Of course, I didn’t exactly have high hopes that he would remember me, but just then…when he had begun to remember…my hopes had risen so high. Only to be pulverized to the floor.

“Um, no…that’s ok, Adam. My friends are probably waiting up for me and…I should probably go. I have work and…and…”

“It’s ok, Alyce. I understand. It’s late,” he smiled nodding his head in agreement. However, I could detect the note of sadness laced in his voice.

I slipped my feet back into my heels before standing up from the couch. Adam remained on the couch as I made my way to the door. I swung open the door, the creak of the hinges shattering the silence that had filled the dressing room. A security guard stood on the other side of the door. He glanced down at me when the door opened.

“You can take me back out now,” I smiled sadly up at him. He nodded in understanding as he mumbled something into his earpiece. He was probably calling for another guard to come hang around Adam’s dressing room. The tall, bodybuilder of a guard nodded at me when he was ready to lead me out.

I held up a finger ordering him to wait. I turned in the doorway to look back at Adam.

“Um, I know you probably hear this, like, all the time,” I breathlessly chuckled. He arched a brow urging me to continue.

“But, um, on the off chance we never cross paths and I never see your face again…you should know…you have an amazing voice,” I shyly admitted before turning and exiting the room. I softly clicked the door shut behind me and started walking down the hall with the security guard.

I had barely made it halfway down the hall when I heard a door bang open and Adam calling out my name. I whirled around to see Adam jogging towards me with my hat in his hand. I smiled kindly up at him as he approached me looking a bit frazzled.

“You almost forgot your hat,” he lamely said. I laughed shaking my head at his goofiness.

“It’s just a hat, Adam. It’s alright. It’s not that important,” I reassured him going to take it from his fingers. I tugged on the hat realizing that Adam was refusing to let go.

“There’s something else,” he told me. I arched a dark brow in question as I met those mesmerizing hazel green eyes that held a mischievous spark.

“She’s you,” he cryptically responded.

“Excuse me?”

“The girl. She was you. Eleven years ago. That…that was you,” he whispered, a large, goofy grin lighting up that handsome face.

My eyes widened at his words. The words I had been waiting to hear since coming to this concert. He finally remembered, but why now? What had made it all click into place?

I laughed as a blissful wave of relief washed over me. My heart no longer felt like it had broken into a million pieces. Now…I felt like I was floating on cloud nine. That euphoric feeling made my laughter increase as tears of joy streamed down my face. Adam wrapped me in his arms laughing along with me. He stepped back just enough so he could wipe away my tears a joy; our faces matched with a wide grin splitting our faces. His thumb softly caressed my cheek as he stood there staring down at me.

Once my laughter had died down enough to speak coherently, I opened my mouth to ask him what had made him remember.

His lips on mine brought any thoughts I had had to a complete halt.