Big Man Next Door

And fuck it, if my brother can't handle that, if he can't admit that we've done this all wrong, if he can't stand to see me happy, that's his problem. He can sit in turbulent limbo for rest of his life, but I won't stop from moving forward.

Heather's shown me that. To grow, you have to move forward. To get where you want to be, you have to take risks.

She was that risk for me, and this is my opportunity to show her.

Walking into the bar, it's packed from wall to wall with people. There's a band already on stage, and a small crowd is forming in front of them. The music is blasting. Heavy drums and an electric guitar over power the mass of voices.

Ordering a beer from the bar, I look out into the crowd, searching for her in the sea of people. From over my shoulder, I hear a voice I recognize.

Turning around, I see my brother ordering a drink. His eyes connect with mine, and he takes a step back.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

“I thought you wanted to meet me for a beer?”

“No, I didn't.”

“But I got a text from you, it's right here.” He opens his phone and shows me the message.

“Dude, I didn't send you that—”

The music fades, and the lights dim. And then I hear her voice, forcing everything else around me to go silent. Her voice cuts through the air like a songbird, beautiful and strong. The spotlight shines down on her, making her glow like an angel. Her new guitar is glittering under the light.

This feels different.

The room goes quiet, all eyes are on her. And they should be, she deserves to be the center of attention.

Her voice is sailing through the air as she closes her eyes and goes for it. She doesn't look timid; she doesn't look afraid or nervous. This is her moment.

Everyone is in awe, their jaws dropping as she strums her guitar and pushes out lyrics that hit me in the chest like a fucking freight train.

“And then the clouds open,

full and drenching as they rain down.

He's coming in from nowhere,

a tidal wave of change,

a rush of new, a breath of fresh air. . .”

She's talking about me.

I can feel it, I know it as the lyrics play out and it becomes more and more apparent that this isn't just a song. This is a song about her life changing. This is a song about how I was the reason for that change.

Her eyes move across the crowd, landing on mine. She's singing to me.

“You told me not to let the rain drown me,

you told me to walk with my head high.

You told me that life isn't set in stone,

and now I can see the light.”

Smiling, I catch a small smirk from her as her eyes close again and she lets loose on the rest of the song. From deep within her lungs the words fly out. Heather's hand is moving up and down over the strings. She's perfect.

And as her voice lowers to whispers, she lets her hand fall still. The room is quiet for a long second, and I watch her as her muscles stiffen with worry.

Suddenly, the room erupts with applause. The crowd is hooting and hollering, throwing their arms up for her.

Heather's smile beams as her cheeks blush and she bashfully covers her mouth. Taking a bow, she waves at the crowd with a glisten of a tear in her eyes. Climbing down off the stage, she disappears behind the stage.

“She's really good, Ian,” my brother says as he steps up beside me.

“She absolutely is.” Turning to face him, he gives me a smile.

Grey orders a couple beers and passes one to me. “I get it.”

“Get what?” I ask, taking a swig of the drink.

“What you see in a girl like her. She's special.”

“Is this an apology or something?”

“It's a truce.” Holding out his beer, I clank mine against his. “But next time you want to take on a job like the apartment, tell me. We both know I'm better at this stuff than you.” He gives me a teasing smile and laughs into his beer.

Elbowing him in the ribs, I shake my head. “If that was true, I wouldn't be the one doing all the work.”

We both bust out laughing, and he gives me a brotherly hug.

“Hey, it looks like you guys made up,” Heather says, coming up beside me unexpectedly.

“Yeah, it seems we had someone playing Dr. Phil.”

She tips her head back and laughs. “I couldn't stand to see you guys that way.”

“Yeah, about that,” Grey says, hanging his head ashamed. “I'm really sorry you had to see me like that. It was wrong, and not your fault at all.”

“Don't worry about it, it's fine.” Softly tapping his arm, she looks at me. “It's easy to tell how close you guys are. You shouldn't ever let anything come between that, whether it's a property or a girl.”