dripped with silky moss and ferns poked out their feathery fronds.
The moist scent of the glen’s lush vegetation filed the air. A cool mist floated around them. It was Libby’s magic place.
“This is amazing.” Awe colored his voice.
“Yeah, it is. I’m glad you like it.” She leaned back on her hands and inhaled a deep breath of nature’s gift. “So, when are you done? When do you go home?” She ran her hands over the cool, gritty rock, afraid to hear the truth.
He flipped his mop of hair out of his face. “We get a couple days to go home here and there, but we’re booked solid for the next ten weeks. Then if everything fals into place, we might be going to Europe for a couple months.”
This amazing guy lived his life bigger than her wildest dreams.
Maybe she could have thought about travel and making huge plans, but life had delivered a left hook and knocked her off her feet. Each time she tried to get up, another blow knocked her back down. So now she stopped trying to get back up. She was nothing, a nobody, a shel of her former self. She wrapped her arms around her knees and held tight.
“Now what’s that look for?” Confusion lit his eyes.
“Nothing. I just didn’t know you were such a big deal.” Her lips tightened into a thin line. “I must look awfuly boring to you.” She wouldn’t meet his eye. Why was he wasting his time with her?
“I didn’t tel you al that to brag, but I figure you should know we’re not just another folk group singing on Sundays. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just not what we do.” He leaned forward, caught her eye and refused to look away.
“And you’re not boring; totaly the opposite. It’s just that we’re always on the go, one rehearsal, taping or interview after another al day every day. We never stop. My dad and Garrett are always plotting and planning the next step of our career.” Peter roled a smal pebble between his thumb and forefinger mindlessly.
“Don’t you like it?” She searched his eyes.
“Yes, I love it! Are you kidding?” He tossed the pebble to the water below. “I’m living my greatest fantasy. Everyday I wake up amazed al this is happening. But it gets exhausting, and I crave time to be alone and have privacy.”
He gazed into her eyes. “But times like this, where I’m doing what I want, like sitting with you.” He bumped shoulders with her again. “They’re the best.”
Libby bumped him back. “See not every minute of your day is planned.” He took her hand and gave it a warm squeeze. She rewarded him with a shy smile. “So what’s your favorite part of the band?” She loved to hear him talk, and wanted to know more about his life before he disappeared again.
“The best part is performing. I could sing on stage al night.
There’s such a connection to the music and the audience. It’s total euphoria.”
They sat atop the giant rock engulfed in the misty cool beauty of the glen. Peter reached over and held her hand. They relaxed, content in each other’s company. Peter ran his thumb over her fingers. Suddenly he paused and turned her hand over.
“What’s this?” He asked, innocently enough.
“Nothing.” She snatched her hand away, embarrassed.
“No, give it back.” He reached out and puled her hand back into his two and examined the violent bumps. “What are al these marks?”
Her face heated at his question. “It’s nothing.” She tried to brush it off, but dread crept in.
“It’s not nothing, it looks like cuts.” He held tight to her hand as he examined it. “You’re not a cutter are you?” He looked her straight in the eye.
“No! Now let go.” She tried to pul her hand away, but he wouldn’t release her. Libby’s happiness spiraled down, the joy of the day gone. Too often the kids at school snickered ‘cutter’ to her back, just loud enough that she’d hear.
“Wel, what happened?”
She understood why he asked. She might ask the same thing.
Peter’s expression was honest concern, nothing more.
“They’re scars. From a car accident.” She bit her lip, not wanting to reveal another word.
“Oh God, that’s terrible.” He continued to study her permanently marred fingers and palm. “It must have been a realy bad accident.”
“Yeah, it was,” she whispered as the image of the crumpled car and glow of ambulance lights flashed in her mind.
He peeked up at her past the heavy