I pulled the walkie-talkie from my messy closet, fumbling with the dials as I tried to figure out how to turn it off. But before I could, the sound of another voice came through. I recognized it as the DJ from a local radio station.
“We don’t get a lot of these requests,” he said, “But I’m always a sucker for romance. So, Layne if you’re out there listening, Wyatt wants to dedicate this next song to you. He says you’ll know what it means.”
The first chord of my song carried across the radio waves and my heart stopped. My whole body began to shake, and I let the walkie-talkie slip from my hand as the words—my words—flowed through me.
I was listening to my song!
On. The. Radio.
I couldn’t believe it! How had he done this? It was the most thoughtful, incredible, meaningful thing I could’ve ever imagined.
Wyatt had done this? For me?
As if pulled by a magnet, I walked over to my bedroom window and opened it. I was glad my bed was directly behind me because after what I saw, there was no way I could remain standing.
Wyatt stood in my yard, a massive boombox held above his head as he leaned against his car, playing my song for the whole world to hear.
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Wyatt
My arms began to ache, but I channeled my inner Lloyd Dobler and held strong, lifting the heavy boombox higher. I wasn’t leaving this yard until Layne came out here. Even if it was just to yell at me. She had to hear her song on the radio, and I had to see her face. I had to know I’d at least done something right in the midst of all this wrong.
I saw her curtains sway, and then the blinds flicked open. Layne’s silhouette filled her bedroom window giving me all the strength I’d ever need. I could hold this stupid boombox forever if I knew she was watching.
But just as quickly as she appeared, she disappeared, taking my strength with her.
For a moment, I let my heart hold out hope that maybe she’d left the window because she was rushing down the stairs and into my arms—like what should’ve happened in Say Anything. But just like the movie, I found myself standing out in the cold, alone.
I looked up at the boombox. The song would be over soon. Then what would I do? I hadn’t really thought past this moment. I’d been sure this would work. She was supposed to come outside.
How could she not? I was playing our song.
Well, technically it was her song, but as I listened to the words, I realized that I’d begun thinking of it as ours. The lyrics might as well have been telling our story. They were all about taking leaps of faith, falling in love, making it work against all odds, and not giving up, no matter what obstacles got in the way.
This had to work!
I turned up the volume and began to sing along with the chorus. “I am bent, bent, bent, not broken!”
I closed my eyes, praying for a miracle as I continued to belt out the song.
The sudden feeling of a hand on my chest startled my eyes open. I had to work hard to remember how to breathe because Layne was standing there, right in front of me, tears filling her beautiful brown eyes.
“Layne?” I whispered, afraid to believe my eyes.
I set the boombox down, quickly preparing to launch into my apology before I missed my chance. But I couldn’t seem to remember what I was going to say. My heart was beating so fast I couldn’t breathe, and I was certain my stomach would never untangle from the cyclone of knots it was twisting in.
“Wyatt . . .” Layne said, her voice full of trepidation.
Panic seized me. I couldn’t let her speak first. I couldn’t give her the chance to tell me it was over before I got to tell her how I really felt.
My fear finally dislodged my voice. I took Layne’s hands in mine, not even trying to stop my trembling. “Layne, I’m so sorry. I was wrong, about everything. You . . . you are everything, Layne. I need you in my life. I need you more than I’ve ever needed anyone or anything and that terrifies me.”
Her eyes softened, and I clung to that sliver of hope.
“You asked me once what my hopes and dreams were. And I didn’t have an answer for you.”