word here and there. She understood enough to know the song was about lying and trust. Basically, about her life.
Zeke inched uncomfortably close, trying to talk in her ear. Every now and then she’d smile and give a polite nod or shake of her head. After a couple of nodding “Mm-hmm’s” and a few head-shaking “Uh-uh’s,” she wondered if she’d unknowingly agreed to anything. She scooted closer to the edge of her seat, meaning to make it clear she didn’t want to talk. She wanted to listen to the music. And to watch Darius.
When the song ended, Grace had to restrain her inner fan-girl. It was tough staying in her seat when all she wanted to do was jump up and down and scream. Listening to Darius sing made her want to slide off the chair into a puddle of goo under the table. Emily deserved a pass, she realized, as Grace finally totally got it.
“This next one’s called ‘Killing Man’ by Jack Savoretti.” Darius put the mic back in its stand and the band began a slow, ominous rhythm that shushed the crowd. Darius’ eyes closed as he hung on to the mic like a lifeline.
Grace’s knees trembled. This guy was definitely a danger to the heart. Her mind shot off warning bells to leave. Now. She bit the inside of her cheek, ignoring it, and tightened her fingers around her knees. The melody swam over her, making her shiver. She took in a cursory breath, and struggled to take in another. She should get up now, walk away. But the first line chained her to her seat.
In the haunting timbre of his voice was an outpouring of emotion that completely captivated her heart. Everyone and everything fell away as she sat enslaved, caught up in every word he sang. The song was a crying out of his soul. She felt it as surely as she felt her own heartbeat.
Darius was gone to the melody. The sad curve of his lips left her picturing ways to make them happy, wanting to feel them softly turn upward against her own. Wonderful, she thought, now I’ll never be able to stay away from him. Zeke whispered again in her ear, but she couldn’t make it out. Didn’t care to, either.
Darius didn’t open his eyes until the song was over. When he finished, no one moved. At first, there was only silence, and an eerie expectation that hung in the air. Something magical had happened onstage, and the crowd felt it too. All of a sudden, the roar of applause and shrill whistles jerked Grace back to her senses. Darius waved to the audience to quiet them, picked up his guitar, and swayed slightly to and fro as he started plucking the strings. He had yet to make eye contact with her. Still mystified by the song, she wondered what it meant to him.
After a couple more riffs, Falling Down announced they were going to take a break and Distant Echo would be back on in ten minutes. Grace was finally able to suck in enough air to be considered breathing normally. If Darius came over and talked to her, she didn’t know what she’d say or do.
Before she could get too deep in her mental conversation with Darius, Grace was torn from her thoughts, sensing something unusual from somewhere behind her. A tingling current pulsed through her veins, lifting her from her seat. It was different from what she’d felt in the parking lot of her school; not like what she’d felt from Limye either. This was a pull.
She left their table and weaved through the crowded room of mostly seated bodies, stopping at the edge of the seating area to scan the other half of The Board Shop. The sensation wasn’t coming from the people playing games, or from the lone couple sitting at the coffee bar. After seeing nothing, she contemplated going back to her seat when a man, dark as the night sky, crossed her path and went behind the counter in front of the skateboard display. The pull was coming from him. Grace walked up to the counter, feeling no fear, but suddenly at a loss for words. What was she supposed to say, “What the heck are you?”
The dark man broke the ice first, smiling down at her. “There hasn’t been a female in here for a while.”
Grace glanced around the room. “Uh, that’s kind of a weird thing to say. There’s girls everywhere.” Confused, she