Page 84 of This Side of Beautiful

As I swung my legs over the side of the bed, I got a better look at the LEGO Millennium Falcon box. Several instruction booklets lay beside her, and unopened bags of bricks were scattered around her.

“That’s not just a project. That’s an undertaking.”

She shrugged. “I saw it while I was out and figured, why not? I used to do puzzles to clear my head, but this seemed more fun. I know you likeStar Wars, so I thought we could work on it together.”

I moved off the bed and onto the floor beside her, rubbing my face as I blinked away the last traces of sleep. “You realize this thing can take days to build?”

Janae grinned and ripped open the first bag. “Good thing we don’t have to rush.”

I picked up a few pieces, rolling them between my fingers. “You ever build one of these before?”

She shook her head. “Nope. But I figure it’s like anything else. One piece at a time.”

I nodded and grabbed an instruction booklet. “You want to start with the frame?”

She exhaled, rubbing her hands together. “Let’s do this.”

We sorted through the pieces, scanning for the ones we needed first. She reached for a gray one at the same time I did, our fingers brushing for a second before she let me take it.

“We decided on two versions of the cover. One with you, and one with the pic you took of me looking at myself in the mirror. I take pictures of myself all the time, but that one of me… it hit different. Something about the way you captured me… I don’t know why, but when I saw it, I didn’t want to look away.”

I clicked a piece onto the base of the Falcon and looked at her. “Maybe because, for once, you saw yourself the way I do.”

Janae met my gaze for a moment before nudging the instruction booklet toward me. “Think you can keep up, or is this too advanced for a musician?”

I chuckled, scanning the next step. “We’ll see.”

We worked in companionable silence, sorting pieces, clicking them into place, and occasionally double-checking the instructions. The room felt warm, the soft rustle of shifting bricks and the quiet sound of our movements filling the space.

Janae stretched her legs out and sighed. “I like this. It’s nice to build something that doesn’t fight back.”

I glanced at her, recognizing the weight behind her words. “Yeah. It is.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

janae

Feelingvictorious about the cover,I placed my headphones over my ears to listen to music, hoping to inspire myself enough to write. Del was in contact with a few different labels, trying to negotiate a new contract since “Fallen Star” had hit the airwaves. I wanted more decision-making ability on my next album than for my previous ones, and I had the power to do it this time. I’d been barely twenty-one when I signed my first deal. I’d learned about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the music business in the last seven years. I was determined to do better now that I knew better.

Landon’s phone lit up on the bed while I bopped my head to H.E.R. and toyed with lyrics for a new song. Curiosity got the best of me. “Mom” flashed across the screen. I pushed the headphones off my ears and picked up the phone.

“Landon’s phone. This is Janae Warner.” I smiled, hoping his mother wanted to meet the new woman in her son’s life. I pushed down any guilt about answering his phone without permission.

“Oh… oh, I see. Hello.” Her diction was clipped and rather formal. “Is my son home?”

“He’s in the shower… I mean, yes, he is.” I hit my forehead with my hand. No mother wanted to know what her son may or may not have been doing to warrant a shower when she knew he was with a woman.

“Since you’re answering his phone, I can only assume you are with him.”

“I am.” I prayed that Landon wouldn’t kill me for telling his mother something that he hadn’t yet told her.

“Then I would like to invite you both to dinner, or for dessert if your schedule permits, this evening to celebrate his new release.”

“It’sourrelease,” I corrected her proudly.

She paused. “What’s your name again?”

“Janae Warner.”

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