It was just after four, and Labyrinth had been in the studio trying (though unsuccessfully) to lay down one track for over an hour.
“Take ten guys…Landon could you come up here, please?” Armand requested into the microphone, then asked the other men in the booth to excuse themselves when Landon came in.
“What’s going on?” the man questioned, arms folded over his broad chest once he and the young singer were alone.
“I’m really off today, Armand, I know, I’m sorry…” Landon started to explain.
“No, you aren’t off—you aren’t even here,” Armand interrupted. “Everyone in this band gives me one hundred and fifteen percent everyday. But not you. You give me two hundred and fifty percent everyday. And I’m concerned, because today, I’m not even seeing a fraction of that. This tells me that something is either wrong, or going on. You care about your music and your band mates more than anything else. This is your passion—I know it is, Landon…so what’s going on?”
“I had a rough night last night. And you’re right, I’m not here cause all I can think about is something else…I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, Landon. Just fix it, okay. I’m gonna let you guys go for the day. And I hate to sound like an insensitive prick, but when you walk in here tomorrow, I’ll be expecting three hundred and fifty percent from you, okay?”
Landon nodded solemnly then left the booth to find his friends waiting expectantly.
“We’re done for the day…” he explained hoarsely before pushing past them and leaving—escaping to the outside and his motorcycle.
He got on and took off—just driving and thinking. He didn’t make a conscious decision to end up where he did. It just happened.
Numbly, he went up the walkway and rang the bell.
She answered a moment later, looking just as lost as he felt.
“Come in,” Taylor invited quietly.
Silently he accepted and followed her into the living room.
“Landon, about that kiss…” she started.
“No,” he stopped her. “Let me go first,” he gently sat her on the couch, but remained standing himself. “It was a mistake, Taylor. It never should have happened, and I’m sorry that it did. But what we have right now is so special, even if it isn’t being together. We’re already more than friends, Tay—we’re soul mates. Most people don’t truly understand the term soul mate. They think it’s all about falling in love and getting married. But what a soul mate really is, is your other half, your better half. You complete, Taylor—you are the missing part of me. And I cannot bear the thought of spending my life without you in it. I’m happiest when we’re together, and when we’re apart, just knowing I’ll be able to see you later, makes me happy. I don’t want that kiss to come between us. I don’t want it to ruin or take away what I value more than anything I’ve ever had. I want you and I need you, but I cannot be with you and I cannot love you—not in the way that I think you want me to. And I hate having to tell you that, because I hate having to hurt you!”
“Landon, I’m sorry too…you’re right. It was a mistake. I never should have put you in this position. I was just, so emotional, I wasn’t in my right mind, and I’m closer to you than anyone else and I needed someone and you were there….God, Landon, I never meant for you to get this upset…” she stood up and hugged him tightly. “Nothing is gonna come between us…you aren’t going to lose me, ever…I swear it.”
Inside his heart was breaking, knowing that she felt more than she would ever be able to admit out loud, though her eyes told it all. Knowing he could never be what she wanted him to be.
“Don’t you have your own place?” Red teased as he, Damien and Will trooped into their home and saw Scarlett lying on the couch watching TV.
“I’d rather be here with you guys,” she grinned back.
“I missed you,” Will greeted as he laid beside his girlfriend and kissed her sweetly.
“I’m outta here…” Damien rolled his eyes and retreated to his room, Red right at his side.
“Why you back so soon?” Scarlett asked, running her fingers through Will’s shaggy blonde hair.
“Bad day at the studio…can I ask you something?”
“You sure can, my love.”
“What do you think of Landon and Taylor?”
“You know I’m crazy about Landon. He’s a great guy. And Taylor’s really sweet—we never really got a chance to talk until yesterday when she called and you guys weren’t here. We held a ten minute conversation…”
“No, I mean, what do you think of their relationship?”
“I think it’s awesome. I’ve never been able to have a close relationship with a guy without it turning into something more.”
“Why not?”
“It’s inevitable—you spend enough time with a person of the opposite sex, one or both of you is bound to be attracted or at least wonder what it’d be like to sleep with them. I guess the reason they work is cause Landon’s gay and she knows it…so why bother fantasizing over someone you can never have, even if it’s right in front of you.”
“He’s bisexual, not gay.”
“Same thing, isn’t it? I mean, when’s the last time he was attracted to a woman?”
“Years…at least I thought it had been years…”
“What are you saying?”
“I think there’s more going on between them than we know about…he hasn’t been himself lately and I know it’s because she’s affecting him in a way he wasn’t prepared for.”
“Why are you so worried, Will? So the kid’s met a nice girl…most people consider that to be a good thing…” Scarlett argued with a smile.
“Maybe you’re right…”
“I know I’m right. Now quit talking about Landon and pay attention to me.”
He laughed then shifted himself on top of her. “What kind of attention do you want?”
Scarlett put her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, kissing his lips.
“I’m thinking I better take you to my bedroom…”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Scarlett smiled with a raised eyebrow.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked gently, running his finger tips down her jaw line.
“Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
“You are so amazing…I could just lay here with you all day…”
“What happened to the bedroom?” she teased with a fake pout.
“To be honest, I’d rather just stay here and get lost in your eyes for a couple of hours before the show….are you coming tonight?”
“Course I am…unfortunately, I’m gonna have to take a rain check on the getting lost in each other….to be honest, I forgot you had a show tonight and I’ve got stuff I have to get done beforehand,” Scarlett gave her boyfriend a quick kiss.
“Me too…” he sighed. “We’ll finish this tonight?”
“Without a doubt.”
“Hayden guess what we’re doing tonight,” Brooklynn announced as she dropped on her stomach on his bed where her boyfriend was reading the newspaper.
“Ooo…do we have to wait until tonight?” he looked up with a devilish glint in his eyes.
“No, I meant before we do that,” she grinned.
“We are going to the Labyrinth show, which starts at seven, so we have to start getting ready. I need a shower…”
“Me too.”
“You wanna go first, or can you wait till I’m done?” she asked.
“Why does someone have to wait? We’ll take one together…” he leaned down and kissed her gently.
“I have a feeling we’re gonna be late for the show…” Brooklynn winked.
By six thirty, Landon and Will, along with Scarlett and Taylor (Scott wasn’t feeling well and offered to baby-sit Draco) were sitting backstage, while Red and Damien were out walking through the club, trying to pick up girls.
Taylor was sitting on the make up table, with her feet propped on the arms of the chair in which Landon sat. The two were talking and laughing as if the day before had never happened.
Across the room, snuggling on the couch, were Scarlett and Will.
“Why are you so smiley tonight?” Scarlett asked between kisses.
“I’m a man madly in love with a beautiful woman…why should I smile?” he replied.
“What has gotten into you? You’ve been so…romantic and lovey for the past week!”
His only response was to kiss her and smile sweetly.
“Gentlemen,” Red walked in. “We’re startin early, so let’s roll.”
Landon jumped up and grabbed his guitar, gave Taylor a quick kiss on the cheek, then left with Red.
Will reluctantly detangled himself from Scarlett and joined his bandmates.
“You guys are too cute,” Taylor smiled at the other girl once they were alone.
“Thank you…he’s my everything…” Scarlett blushed with a smile.
“He seems like a nice guy…I’m sorry, I just, love to see two people so devoted to each other and all mushy like that.”
Scarlett laughed. “Don’t apologize, I’m the same way. So how’ve you been?”
“Alright, I guess…had a rough day today, and last night sucked…”
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that…Landon told Will and Will told me…” Scarlett explained, noticing the surprised expression on Taylor’s face. “I hope you don’t mind…”
“No, not at all…it’s really not a big deal—just a screaming match. And not one of our better ones, mind you…Sam and I are can usually get really nasty and insulting if left to our own devices,” Taylor joked in response. “Landon dragged me inside and made me retract the claws before I was even really warmed up.”
“Probably better that way…to hear Brooklynn talk, I’d be afraid to go up against you, and I can hold my own.”
Taylor laughed easily. “No, Brook just doesn’t know how to fight—even when she and I just goof around and I give her some leeway she still loses.”
From out front, the volume of the crowd heightened and the sound of the boys instruments filled the venue.
“C’mon…we don’t wanna miss the show,” Scarlett grabbed Taylor’s hand and the two girls ran out of the dressing room to the back of the club where they hopped onto the bar top for a seat.
Mid way through the first song, Brooklynn and Hayden joined them.
“They sound awesome tonight!” Brook shouted to her girlfriends.
Scarlett and Taylor just nodded with smiles and continued to sing along.
Taylor scanned the crowd and saw Armand standing by the stage in faded blue jeans and a loose black tee shirt.
He happened to glance over and catch her eye. With a smile he waved Taylor over to him.
The blonde smiled back, then weaved her way through the crowd.
“Hi!” she greeted once at his side.
“I thought that was you earlier, but I wasn’t sure….Happy Belated Birthday!” he replied.
“Thank you!”
“Twenty years old—I remember those days…to be that young again!” he laughed.
“You’re still young…”
“Forty two isn’t anywhere near twenty,” he winked.
She only smiled in response.
They watched the rest of the show in silence.
The crowd thought they were finished and were hooting and cheering when Landon signaled for everyone to quiet down.
“Okay…we have one more song…my best mate Will is gonna take over the vocals for this one,” Landon explained, then moved out of the way so Will could take center stage.
“Okay, first off, I just want to say that this is a work in progress, but I wanted to do it tonight, complete or not…and with good reason. I wrote this song for the love of my life, my heart and soul. It’s called ‘Scarlett’.”
Scarlett felt face flush as everyone who knew who she was turned their heads to look at her.
She hopped off the bar and made her way to the foot of the stage.
Will held out his hand and pulled her up. Landon promptly produced a chair and sat her down.
The guitar chords started a slow melody, and Will gave her a soft smile, then removed the microphone from the stand and began to sing….
The feel of you fingers sends a thousand shivers down my spine,
Anything that you asked of me, I never could deny
And your lips, so soft, pressed gently against mine,
When I hold you in my arms, I feel so damn complete,
You make my heart skip a beat, whenever you walk past,
And a smile from you, that comes my way, its as if a spell was cast.
I want to give you all of me, through the good times and the bad,
And I swear to always make you laugh, when you’re feeling sad.
I know it’s you. You are The One, so what more can I say?
With You I want to spend forever—until my dying day
Cause now you’re like the air I breathe, I need you more than life.
Life before you don’t mean much, My life started when we met.
And I know deep down we’ve just begun, a love I’ll never forget.
You make my heart skip a beat, whenever you walk past,
And a smile from you, that comes my way, it’s as if a spell was cast.
I want to give you all of me, through the good times and the bad,
And I swear to always make you laugh, when you’re feeling sad.
I know it’s you. You are The One, so what more can I say?
With You I want to spend forever—until my dying day
As Will finished the last line and the music faded out, Scarlett had tears in her eyes and a broad smile on her face.
Will, still holding the microphone, turned and faced her.
“I love you, Scarlett…and you’re the only woman that I ever want to love,” he set the mic back onto the stand, reached into his pocket and dropped to one knee. “Scarlett Kathleen JoHanson…will you make me the happiest man on Earth…Will you marry me?”
Scarlett gasped as he produced a small, opened, black velvet box with a diamond engagement ring inside.
She tore her eyes from the ring and looked to her boyfriend.
“Yes, Yes, Yes!!” she screeched before throwing her arms around his neck.
The audience clapped and cheered as Will slipped the ring on her finger and kissed his new fiancée.