Page 185 of Don't Leave Me

I took my phone out of my pocket and decided to warn Jack. I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about a surprise visit when I was supposed to tell him of my every move.

“We are heading to the studio to surprise you guys – Emily’s idea. On our way,” I texted him.

He responded not even a minute later. “Lovely. I will act surprised. xx”

I smiled as I put my phone back in my pocket and we hurriedly walked north.

“We’re surprising our boyfriends – I mean, my boyfriend, her husband – with food. Adam and Jack – they should be in that big studio you guys have,” Emily explained to the front desk receptionist, a tattooed hipster that seemed eager to help us.

She had clearly been here before. I wondered why Jack didn’t want me to come before – perhaps he still didn’t trust me then. Now he does, clearly.

“Yeah, they sure are. I can show you guys-” he started as he looked up from his computer.

“No, we can find it. Thanks!” Emily was already walking down the hall, taking my hand and tugging me along as I smiled apologetically at the poor, helpful receptionist.

The room was quiet from the outside but we knew all the rooms were practically soundproof. Emily casually opened the door and there was Adam and Jack, sitting at a huge console with a monitor and a bunch of buttons – the typical studio look. I was impressed by the room: there were a bunch of monitors, cabinets, consoles, gadgets all around in front of a window that led to another room: where the music was actually made. A bunch of guitars sat around next to a drum set, a piano, and more cabinets, with a few stand up microphones and other microphones hanging around the drums.

I took this all in before they even noticed us.

“Surprise – we brought donuts!” Emily exclaimed, and suddenly Adam and Jack looked back at us with wide smiles.

Jack got up and wrapped his arms around me tightly – possibly relieved that I had made it back to him at the end of the day. I had proven myself trustworthy once again.

“I’m so glad to see you,” he whispered into my ear before pressing his lips to my neck, then my lips.

I could hear Adam and Emily chatting animatedly while Jack and I were in our own little bubble.

“You guys are just in time. We were going to record the last song – you ladies can tell us if we suck or not,” Adam laughed.

“We’ve been rehearsing this one and another all day. A total of five songs to send to the new label,” Jack explained to me excitedly.

“You guys do not suck. If its anything like the song I heard before, you’re on the right track,” Emily responded.

“Well we’ve been recording live this whole time, which isn’t something we’ve done before,” Adam explained.

“Well come on, let’s hear it then,” Emily demanded, making herself comfortable on one of the chairs they were sitting on.

Adam and Jack looked at each other and shrugged.

“It’s Jack’s fault if it does suck. He’s written 4 of the 5,” Adam laughed, heading towards the door that led to the instruments.

Jack kissed me on my forehead and squeezed my hand gently.

“Get comfortable, sweetheart,” Jack said, then followed Adam.

I didn’t realize that Emily had been watching us. Was she making sure that I was telling the truth? I smiled and sat down next to her, the window to the boys wide and tall for us to be able to see – and hear – everything well.

The music started off with heavy distorted guitar – or I guess, with Adam’s bass with different pedals that made it sound like a guitar – and Jack hitting the drums quickly in sync with Adam. And then Jack started singing – his voice sounded completely like him butnotin a way, and his accent was very apparent in his singing. He had hit some falsetto notes and I was instantly impressed. I had no idea he could sing, and sing well. All while playing the drums too. And then I listened to the lyrics – they were about keeping an eye on someone, about a lion stalking its prey. Some things about heartache, about him being a monster, a hopeless beast. More things about the lion needing to be pleased, for the prey to come out of hiding, and succumbing to him. I couldn’t help but feel like this song was about me, about Jack, about us. The chorus began again, telling his prey to run before he caught it, to save itself. There was a guitar solo in there somewhere, a small drum solo, more of the chorus. My eyes were focused on Jack: his arms banging on the drums, the falsetto of his voice, the lyrics speaking to me, obviouslyaboutme. It was dark, but Jack knew what our roles were: he was the lion and I was his prey. Where all of their songs about me?

“Oh my GOD, that was awesome!” Emily exclaimed as she looked over at me.

I didn’t realize that my eyes were wide as I stared off through the window and at Jack, their song now finished, Jack smiling at Adam and then looking over at me. I couldn’t believe I was being such a typical groupie – seeing Jack play had put me into a frenzy, and I was certain that all of that energy, those lyrics, they were for me. This was all for me.

“So good,” I looked over at Emily, finally peeling my eyes off of Jack.

Emily started to giggle. “You look like you just saw the Beatles perform,” she teased me.

I laughed, still stunned. “It felt like I did.”

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