Page 42 of The Reaper
I walked in step with them both, heading towards the back stairs. It was crazy to think I could kill a man and not break into a sweat, not even give it a second thought. But the idea of seeing my little raven, sitting on a stage being vulnerable, that damn near terrified me. To think she was brave enough to go up and play in front of all those people told me all I needed to know about her. She could be fearless. She had guts. She was strong enough to deal with a man like me and my baggage. I felt ashamed that I’d ever doubted that, even for one second.
“Do you think I should call or text her? Give her a heads up that I’ll be there?” I asked as we made our way down the stairs.
“No. I think it’ll be a nice surprise for her to see you there. Anyway, she might get more nervous if you call. Let her do her thing and then go to her. You’ll forever be her hero for doing this off your own back. Trust me.”
I did trust Liv.
I also trusted my instincts that told me after tonight, my life would never be the same again.
* * *
Merivale town hall was one of those Greek style buildings, with white pillars and statues of guys no one had ever heard of placed at the entrance and scattered throughout the hallway. It was a far cry from the venues we’d usually go to on a Saturday night.
Adam had suggested we hold back and let the crowds go in first. I agreed. It was better to keep a lower profile when you weren’t on your own hunting ground, and we were a few miles away from Brinton Manor. But we had no beef with Merivale, so we weren’t overly concerned.
Once inside, we headed towards the main hall and found three seats towards the back. Liv sat in-between us, and I took the aisle seat, giving me a perfect view of the stage.
The place was fancy, albeit with a nineteen-eighties vibe. Plush red velvet was everywhere; on the seats, the stage curtains, even the walls had red panels painted sporadically around the hall to add to the effect. On the ornate ceiling there were chandeliers that’d seen better days, but they still managed to sparkle through the dust that’d settled over the years. And then, as I was trying to scope the crowd and see if I recognised any faces, the lights dimmed, and the compere welcomed everyone over the loudspeakers. When he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up for our first performer of the night. A uniquely talented star of the future, our very own, Miss Leah May Johnson,” a wave of nausea coursed through me.
This was it.
The curtains opened to reveal a single chair in the middle of the stage, a microphone placed in front of it, and the spotlight shining ready for her.
“Here we go,” Liv leaned over and whispered.
I couldn’t reply even if I wanted to. I had no words. No breath left in me. And then she appeared, drifting on from the side of the stage, holding her acoustic guitar and smiling timidly at the crowd.
Her hair hung in dark waves, and she wore a black dress that came to her knees––she looked fucking stunning. She smiled at someone in the front row, and when I strained to look and see who it was, I noticed her father sitting there next to her cousin, Jodie. Leah May sat down on the chair as the hall held their breath, and she placed the guitar strap over her head, settling the guitar on her lap. Then, she looked up one last time and her eyes met mine. Even from this distance, I could see her chest heave as she gave a surprised gasp, and her eyes widened. Then she smiled, closed her eyes and opened them again, looking right at me, like she’d expected me to be a dream not a reality, a mirage or a trick of her mind. I smiled back at her, to let her know I was here. I’d got her.
“See? Totally the right thing,” Liv whispered and patted my knee.
Leah started to strum the guitar, but she never took her eyes off me, and when she started to sing her version ofRadiohead’s ‘Creep’, her voice haunting, soul-stirring, I knew she was singing those words to me.
https://open.spotify.com/track/Creep/DanielaAndrade
The hall, the people, damn, the whole fucking world fell away as she sang each word. Fragments of my dark heart falling away and floating like that feather she sang about to attach itself to her soul.
This girl was mine.
She was meant for me.
I didn’t need to question whether this was right, because it felt right. It felt like nothing else mattered other than what she was saying to me through this song. She wanted me to notice her. Notice when she wasn’t around. All I did was notice her. It might’ve taken me longer than she hoped, but I did.
I sat mesmerised by her voice, her words, her music, and I never wanted it to end. But then, a guy around the same age as me walked onto the stage with an electric guitar, and as the second chorus hit, he started to play, turning her haunting melody into something more like the original version, and I didn’t like it. She didn’t need him to stand out or to make herself heard. She was good enough to carry this performance on her own. He sauntered forward with a cocky swagger as he played his loud-ass guitar riff over her delicate voice, then he looked at Leah May, and the fire he had in his eyes made me want to burn the fucking world down.
Liv must’ve felt me stiffen in the seat next to her because she leaned over and whispered, “Calm your demons. He’s a nobody. She hasn’t taken her eyes off you once.”
But my demons weren’t aimed at Leah May. I knew she was an angel, my little raven. But him? He needed to be put in his place.
With every strum of his pointless electric guitar, my anger ranked up a notch. With every heated glance he threw her way, my muscles tensed. My brain went into overdrive, imagining all the ways I could eliminate him from the face of the earth. His closeness made me clench my fists and grind my teeth. And in my mind, the same word repeated over and over again like a mantra.
Mine.
Mine.
Mine.
* * *
