The Saddest Song - By Susie Kaye Lopez Page 0,67

sight of him. He looked adorable in a plaid shirt, his messy dark hair the same, his scruffy beard surprising me, but I loved it.

The first song ended and the applause was loud. A couple of guys standing by Colin turned to look at me and my eyes landed on a petite brunette standing next to them, wearing a tight blue dress and high heels. I didn’t need her to turn around to know who it was. She would always bring to mind a black cat and Kara’s warning. Max began his second song and she was forgotten as I watched him.

When he got to his final song he spoke. “Thank you all for letting me play for you tonight. I’m Max McKinley, and this one’s called, “The Saddest Song.”

His guitar started to play the haunting melody but my ears were listening carefully to the lyrics that had been added, each word burning its way into my heart.

Everything seems colder when you aren’t around

Hands in my pockets and eyes to the ground

I miss the days with the gaze that went right to my soul

Seems to me you’ll always be the one that makes me whole

The truth is that when I’m alone

I stare at your name in my phone

And no matter what I do

There’s no out of love with you

Maybe I could be right

Maybe I could be wrong

But Baby without your tune

I’m just the saddest song

Words you said to me float around in my head

Late at night I toss and turn thinking of you in bed

You let me into your world, made mine a lot less dark

Now I’m left in the deepest black, boy do I miss your spark

There’s something bout being alone

I’ve lost the one that I call home

Now I’m left in this lonely state

Baby I think that you’re my fate

Maybe I could be right

Maybe I could be wrong

But baby without your tune

I’m just the saddest song

I’ve lost my mind thinking what to do

Can’t you see what you put me through

I’m leaning on the edge

Let me fall into you

Maybe I could be right

Maybe I could be wrong

But Baby I need your tune

Won’t you fix this sad song

My heart soared with the realization that he still cared. My heart broke with what I had put him through. I stood back from the doorway, tucked in the shadows as I watched Max accept his applause. The audience wasn’t being polite, the song had touched them too. As he came off stage his face was lit with the smile I had missed and Colin grabbed him and hugged him before running onto the stage himself. Ethan and Rylee and Sophie each hugged him too and I was about to let him know I was there, tell him how proud of him I was, how much I loved his song. How very much I loved him. When I saw Lalie jump into his arms, laughing and going on about how wonderful he was. I saw him hug her back, laughing in his happiness, and I knew I was too late. No matter what the words had said in his song he had moved on.

I didn’t wait, I didn’t think. I turned and fled. I wanted to get as far from him as possible. I couldn’t bear to have him see me. See the two of them look at me with pity. I ran as fast I could down the dark sidewalk, dodging people and feeling tears fill my eyes. I needn’t have run, nobody followed. I made it to the car and locked myself inside. Lying my head down on the steering wheel, I sobbed.

Max

I was fine on stage. The first three songs went well and I was in the home stretch when I introduced my last song. As soon as I began to sing the first line I felt her. Felt her near me in a way I hadn’t felt her in so long. I sang for her. I sang as if she were standing in front of me, her alone. The audience disappeared as I poured my soul into those lyrics. Rainey was my tune, she was my heart, and without her I really was nothing more than a sad song. That’s how I felt, that’s what I sang. I needed her as badly as I needed my next breath.

The song ended, the applause was generous and I shook off the emotions the song had caused. This wasn’t the time, or the place. Colin embraced me as I came off stage, and