Page 25 of Sure, Pal

11

Evan

Afew weeks after coming back home, I was stressed out of my mind and needed a night out. I thought about calling Rob, but he was still acting weird around me since I told him about my dad. He didn’t crack jokes anymore and walked on eggshells. It was exhausting.

I’d go out and drink alone. I wasn’t sure exactly when I became the kind of guy that wanted to drink alone. I suspected it happened the second my sister called and said, “Dad has brain cancer.”

I walked into a little bar down the street from my new apartment. It wasn’t one of those loud, rowdy bars. It was kind-of quiet and low-key. I liked it. I sank onto a barstool and ordered a Guinness.

There were only a handful of patrons scattered throughout the bar. There was a cluster of pool tables to the left and a small stage to the right. A couple sat with their guitars on the stage lit with blue lights so I could only see their silhouettes. The guy started singing first. It was a vaguely familiar sappy love song. I turned back to my beer and took a sip, and then the girl began to sing.

My breath caught in my chest. Holy fuck. I would know that voice anywhere. It was Sienna. I hadn’t seen or spoken to her since I left for school, but our last conversation was still burned in my memory. Sienna. The girl I should have asked out when I was a stupid sixteen-year-old. The girl that was never far from my thoughts.

I stood and made my way over to the stage. Slowly the lights came up, and I saw her face. Fuck. She was even prettier than I remembered. Sienna’s eyes were on the guy while she sang. Then she closed them, and I knew the music was ripping through her. Sienna felt shit.

Suddenly her beautiful eyes popped open, and she saw me. Our eyes met, and I swear to god, lightning struck me. After that moment, she locked into me while she sang. It was like she was willing me to stay right where I was until she finished her set.

She didn’t even have to ask. There was no way in hell I was walking away from her. I didn’t even care if the guy she was singing with was her fucking husband.

Sienna and the guy finished their song, then she leaned over and whispered something in his ear. He nodded and started playing another song, but Sienna hopped down off the stage and threw her arms around my neck. “Shut up! Evan fucking Cox!” She was laughing and squeezing me so tight I could hardly breathe.

I didn’t even want to breathe. “Sienna fucking Black.” I laughed and wrapped my arms around her waist. She smelled like lilacs and summer. Damn, she felt good in my arms. All of my old familiar feelings came rushing back with a vengeance.

She pulled away and smiled at me. “How are you? It’s been ages!”

“Yeah.” I couldn’t stop smiling. It was the first time I’d really smiled in weeks. “I’m good.”

“Holy shit! I didn’t even know you were in town!” Sienna looped her arm through mine and led me to an empty table.

“You done singing with your boyfriend?” I pointed to the stage.

Sienna raised her eyebrows. “Hank? Gross. He’s like fifty. And yes, I’m done singing because we need to catch up, dude.”

I grinned at her. “Sure, pal. Let’s do it.”

Sienna sat across from me, smiling and shaking her head. “I can’t believe you’re here! What are you doing here? I thought you signed with Cali United!”

I raised both eyebrows and laughed. “How the hell would you know that, Sienna? Do you stalk me?”

“Ha!” Sienna laughed and said, “Maybe a little.” Then she cleared her throat and stared at her hands. “Ava stalks you a lot, though.” Sienna’s eyes flashed up to meet mine. “Does she know you’re here? Have you seen her yet?”

I shook my head. Damn. Ava still claimed me. Ava was still Sienna’s best friend. I felt the disappointment in my chest like a deflating balloon.

Sienna nodded, never breaking my gaze. What was she thinking? “So, you still haven’t told me why you’re here,” she said.

I’d only spoken the words aloud to a handful of people, and they always felt flat and foreign on my lips. I couldn’t bring myself to say them to Sienna. I liked the way she was looking at me now, eyes full of intrigue and excitement. I didn’t want those beautiful eyes to fill up with pity. I’d tell her about my dad another time.

“I’m just back to see family.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

Sienna’s face fell. “So you’re not going to be here for a long time? Just visiting?”

“I’ll probably be here for a couple of months.” Again, not a lie. My dad was going to be fine in a couple of months. He just needed more scans, and then the doctors would see that his brain tumor actually was removable.

A little bit of hope danced in her eyes. “Oh, so you’ll be here for the whole summer? Are you staying at your parents’ place?”

“No. There’s a lot of visiting aunts and uncles this summer. I got a little place down the street from here. But enough about me. You were singing up on a stage in front of people, Sienna.” I grinned at her and wanted to take her hand.

Sienna threw her head back and laughed. “I know, can you even believe it? I was horrified when you heard me play for the first time.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice like she was about to tell me a secret. “Now, I’ve let like fifty people hear me do covers. My music career is a slow build. I know you thought I’d be famous by now, so I’m sorry to disappoint you.” She shrugged and laughed.

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