Beautifully Destroyed (Beautifully Broken)

The melody starts to take shape, the sound swept up by the wind and carried out over the water.

‘You took a part of me that wasn’t meant for you.

You left me feeling black and blue.

Not from blows.

There are no scars to show you left me black and blue.’

I hum softly to the tune, the words not ready to leave my lips.

‘You stole what wasn’t yours.

Left me crawling on all fours.

You left me black and blue.’

“Hey,” Ethan suddenly says as he drops down onto his butt, next to me.

Startled, I jerk while gripping my guitar tightly. Taking a deep breath, I will my heart to not race off across the ocean. “Hey.”

“Nice day,” he murmurs, staring at the water.

“Yeah.”

Seagulls squawk, and a nearby buoy makes a clanking sound. It all seamlessly blends in with the gentle roar of the ocean.

Ethan gestures at the guitar. “I’m here for the free music. Don’t mind me.”

I’ve never had performance anxiety. Music feels as natural as breathing to me.

My fingertips strum over the strings. “Anything you want to hear?”

“Ohhh,” Ethan grins at me. “You’re taking requests?”

I shrug, a smile threatening to take control of my lips.

“Anything you feel like singing,” he says, turning his attention back to the horizon.

My fingers keep strumming until the intro to Violin by Amos Lee starts to drift into the air. At first, my voice is soft, the wind stealing the sound before it can travel far.

When I get to the chorus, my voice grows stronger, and it starts to feel like a prayer on my lips.

God, where have you been while I’ve been waiting for you to pull me through?

My eyes drift closed, and I lose myself in the song, singing with my soul and totally forgetting about Ethan sitting next to me.

ETHAN

I knew I was taking a chance when I came to sit next to Finlay, but luckily she didn’t make a run for her house.

Getting an up-close and personal performance, my mouth hangs open in wonder, and I’m unable to not stare at her.

Finlay eases into another song, her voice weaving a spell around me.

There’s so much emotion on her face, it feels like I’m finally getting to see behind the walls she keeps up around her.

The air’s filled with an intensity that makes my heart thunder in my chest. My body’s frozen, not wanting to distract her in any way.

I drink in the sight of her high cheekbones, her button nose, her perfect mouth. My gaze drifts lower to her neck, her shoulders, then her slender fingers where they’re strumming the guitar, producing a haunting tune.

Holy shit, I’m so fucked.

This girl’s reeling me in without even trying. It’s only a matter of time before she has me hooked.

It feels like there’s a physical punch to my heart. It’s intense and disarming, making the attraction I feel toward her morph into a full-blown crush.

My lips curve into a smile, and as happiness settles in my chest, I lift my gaze back to her face. With her eyes closed, Finlay’s breathtaking. She’s a work of art, demanding my admiration and awe.

When it starts to grow dark, I’m jolted out of the magical moment, only then realizing we’ve been sitting out on the pier for over two hours.

As if Finlay can feel the shift in the air, she opens her eyes, and blinking a couple of times, her voice fades and her fingers still.

She sucks in a deep breath then slowly turns her gaze to me.

“That was…” I shake my head, unable to find the right words, “magical.”

With a humble smile, she just shrugs.

“Thanks, Finlay.”

A shy expression makes her eyes look bigger, and my heart trips over a beat.

“Can I walk you home?” I ask as I climb to my feet.

“Ah… your house is right here. Besides, my dad’s on the porch, so I’ll be okay.”

“I’d like to walk you home,” I rephrase my words while offering my hand to her so I can help her up. Finlay shoves her guitar at me, and when I take it, she gets up before taking the instrument back.

When we walk back up the pier, I ask, “Where’s your pepper spray?”

Finlay gestures to the house.

“You should carry it on you at all times,” I remind her.

She nods. “Okay.”

“And the taser.”

“Uh-huh.” The sound is soft as she grips hold of the strap over her right shoulder before drawing her bottom lip between her teeth, making my heart trip over itself once again.

When we reach the stairs leading up to the Drakes’ porch, David shoots me a smile. “We’re grilling hot dogs. Want to stay for dinner?”

Unable to resist spending more time with Finlay, I nod. “Thanks.”

“Grab a beer from the fridge,” he says as we come up the stairs.

I smile at David and Josh, then ask, “Should I bring out a couple of beers for you two?”