Those words echoed through his mind. It didn’t matter if he was awake or asleep. They were always there to haunt him. It was the biggest mistake of his life. He let her walk out that door, hurting and longing for the chance to love him. The shadows of the moonlight falling on her teary face as she drove away for the last time.
He heard the buzz of conversation from the front of the bus, but he just wasn’t up for it tonight. He wanted to wallow in his loneliness right now, and his friends would never allow him that. Seeing her again had brought back some painful memories. He had no idea that she would be there or he never would’ve gone, simply because he was afraid.
She had loved him in ways that nobody else could even begin to compare to. Yet he had let her slip away. He still remembered how his heart shattered the moment that door slammed behind her...the way he had cried until no more tears would form...the way he just stopped caring.
He was too late now. She had found someone else. Someone that would let her love him the way she needed to. Someone that wasn’t afraid of the feelings that she stirred up inside of him. The bright gleam of the diamond on her finger was no match for the smile on her face. She was happy...she was in love...she was his heart’s lost treasure.
He closed his eyes, fighting to hold back the threatening tears. His heartbreak was mind numbing. He laid there, his mind fighting for some sort of relief. He knew that he had to find a way to get over her, and now was as good of a time as any to start. Slowly he drifted off to sleep, leaving her behind...this time for good.
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It was late by the time they got home. Another tour had ended, and he wanted nothing more then to just sleep his problems away. Resting on the bus had helped, but now he just couldn’t make his eyes close. His heart was shattered...his pride trampled. He glanced around the dark room, his eyes focusing on the dim moonlight creeping in through the glass balcony doors. He slipped from beneath the sheets, the twinkling stars drawing his attention.
He quietly opened the doors, the night air gently ruffling his curly hair. His bare feet met the cool concrete as he looked out over the railing. His eyes danced across the skyline, scanning slowly across the quiet calm of the night. His eyes drifted to the house next door, a light still shining upstairs. He sat down in a nearby lounge chair, his vision never straying from the silhouette in the window...something about her was entrancing.
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"Oh man...HOME!!" He chuckled as he remembered his friend’s delighted face. Another tour was over. Months of nonstop work leading to at least a few days of relaxation. His only thoughts had been of her. That mysterious figure in the window. There was something about her. She captivated him, constantly invading his thoughts. She was mending his broken heart. Yet he had never seen her face, never touched her hair, never felt her name as it whispered across his lips. He impatiently waited for the darkness to fall, for he needed to see her again. Slowly the house dimmed, the sun shrinking away from sight. His balcony had become his favorite place. It was the only place he could see her...the only place he felt connected to her. He saw a light flip on downstairs. She was there. He sat in silence, waiting. There it was...the light. He inched forward in his chair...his heart starting to beat faster. Where was she...
His eyes blinked...and in that moment she appeared. He watched...his breath halting in his throat as she pulled the curtains away from the glass door. Did she know he was there? He sat back in the chair, her window still in full view from his position. Slowly she pushed the door open and stepped out.
She was beautiful. She was everything that he had dreamed of. He watched her, her eyes moving up towards him. He didn’t know what to do. Should he stay...should he slink back into his bedroom unseen? He watched her, her eyes never leaving his place as she rested against the railing. She propped her chin on the hand supported by her elbow, as if she too was waiting for something.
He slowly stood from the chair, watching as she stood quickly. She looked startled. Suddenly she disappeared...the door closing...the curtains falling in place...she was gone. He cursed loudly...he had upset her...he had frightened her. He stood there another moment, praying for her to return. Slowly he sank back into the chair. What had he done?
He heard a noise from inside, his eyes moving from the light in the window. Nobody else was home. Slowly he arose from the chair, cautiously moving back through the doorway. His eyes slowly focused in the dim light of the room, a soft light seeping in from his open bedroom door. He remembered closing it just before he went out onto the balcony. He stepped towards it...a nervous feeling hitting the pit of his stomach.
"Justin..." He jumped as the soft voice rang through his ears. "I was waiting for you to come home." He could see her standing in the shadows, her silhouette illuminated by the soft moonlight shining through the open doors. He took a step towards her, offering her his hand. She slowly reached out to place hers inside of his as he carefully brought her towards him. It was her.
"You’ve been watching me," the slight shock apparent in his voice, "but I..." He stopped as a smile slowly spread across her lips. "You’ve been watching me," she finished as his hands encircled hers. "You...entrance me," he whispered, his eyes scanning across the features of her face. His instincts told him to run, she would hurt him like all the others. Yet his feet didn’t move.
Her hands reached up, taking his face gently between them. "I need you," he whispered as her lips inched towards his. "And I need you," she whispered, finally meeting his lips. His fingers dove into her hair, holding her in a way that he hadn’t been able to hold any woman in so long. Slowly he pulled back, meeting her blue green eyes. "I don’t even know your name."
"Brynn," she whispered softly, sending her name floating through his ears. "Brynn," he repeated, as his fingers softly stroked her cheek. In every story he had ever heard as a child, evil lurked in the shadows. The still of darkness providing them with the perfect refuge. As he looked at her, a new story unfolded. Out of the darkness emerged a beauty like he had never known...a new love sparked in the shadows of the moonlight.
