Chapter 72: Chapter 72

Chapter 72 Hes the kid with a story no one would believe

If I wasn't sick to my stomach before, I definitely was now.

My savior's eyes was looking right into my own. It was him. He had followed me to the new town. and now he was here. Colton.

A cold shudder crept up my spine. He looked...depressed, worn out, and careless. It's like he no longer cared that he felt that way, no longer cared for himself.

I quickly focus my attention back to the song I was to be singing. I put on a smile for the crowd, of course, and I introduce the song I would be singing.

"Hello, folks. It's been awhile since I've been up here on a stage, s-so bear with me as I find my voice a-again," I say, chuckling nervously, "Tonight, I will be singing a song that's dedicated to everyone who just wants to go home. To everyone who who wants to be valued. To everyone who just wants to be loved." I say, smiling shyly.

I clear my throat, and take a deep breath before singing the lyrics to the song I had no idea shadowed the life of the man with stone cold eyes.

He cries in the corner where nobody sees.

He's the kid with a story no one would believe.

He prays every night "Dear God won't you please, could you send someone here who will love me?"

Who will love me for me.

Not for what I have done or what I will become.

Who will love me for me.

'Cause nobody has shown me what love.

What love really means.

I glanced at Colton, who still leans against the wall. He blows a puff from his cigarette, looking at me with a cold look. His eyes are stricken with coldness and.....does he look sad? His expression was hard to read, and I am convinced he was trying to keep his emotions hidden.

I cut my gaze from his and continued the song. My voice wasn't perfect but it wasn't bad, either. I was content with the way it sounded and the audience was, too.

The song hit close to home for me, too. I had seen so much suffering for the passed few years. Love didn't exist in my darkest times, and every innocent being I came across just wanted a place to call home.

They just wanted love.

And I was no different from them.

I had uttered pleas to God, I had begged for love, begged to find a place to call home once again. My knees had hit the cold floorboards of the pimp house where I too many times cried for myself and others.

We all just wanted to be loved.

We all just wanted to be free.

As I sung, the more passionate and emotional I became. I almost lost it on the stage, I almost stopped and let myself cry.

But I refused.

I kept singing, and my eyes found Colton's once more.

He's waiting to die as he sits all alone.

He's a man in a cell who regrets what he's done.

He utters a cry from the depths of his soul, "Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home"

Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside.

And it said, "I know you've murdered and I know you've lied, I have watched you suffer all of your life, and now that you'll listen I'll, I'll tell you that I....

I will love you for you.

Not for what you have done or what you will become.

I will love you for you.

I will give you he love.

The love that you never knew.

The song ended. I took a deep breath, calming myself. I wiped the stray tears with the back of my hand and glanced up at the crowd. They were clapping and smiling at me, some looked sympathetic and touched, others looked happy.

I looked to where Colton was.

I watched as he threw his hood back over his head and turned his back on me and walked away. He disappeared into the night without a second glance.

I sighed and thanked the crowd before wandering backstage. Dagger was waiting, and squished me into a side hug. I flinched at his touch, but he didn't notice. "That was simply amazing, Lily. Are you okay?" He asks.

I nod. "Y-yeah, I'm good now."

He lets go of me and looks at me with suspicious eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course I am. I was just...nervous. It's been awhile since I've been up on a stage in front of people." I mutter.

He smiles once more. "Well, if you say so. But your performance was beautiful. You have a beautiful voice and something tells me that you'll fit in this place just fine. Would you like to practice guitar for next time?"

I nod. "If that's okay with you, I would love to get my hands on a guitar again."

He chuckles. "Electric or acoustic? I have both."

"Acoustic, please." I reply.

"I'm on it. Oh, and is it alright with you if you work five nights a week here at the same time every night? I've been needing another good singer for a long while, now, and the folks out there would sure appreciate it." Dagger says.

I nod. I need the money, and it's not like I have anything better to do currently. "Yes, that's perfectly alright with me, thank you."

"No, thank you. I appreciate that you're willing. Now, let me get you that guitar of yours."

I follow him into a small room that's dusty. Boxes of records are stacked atop each other and guitars hang on the walls. Some of the guitars are old, others are pretty new. Some are beautiful while others are looking beat up or broken.

But on the inside, they're all crafted for one purpose.

To make music.

Dagger chuckles. "I've been collecting guitars for quite some time, now. I take in old, used, and broken guitars and restore them. Instruments have always fascinated me and I have put time into each one of these guitars."

"Why are some still broken, then?" I ask.

"Not broken. Just damaged. You see, I can repair any guitar that is put into my hands. Every guitar - damaged or not, has potential. I just restore them back to their original purpose." He tells me. He talks with so much passion about his instruments, it makes me smile.

"That's....pretty neat." I reply.

Not broken. Just damaged. For some reason, those words spoke the loudest to me. Maybe I'm not broken. Maybe I'm not broken but damaged, in need of repair. There is hope.

"Here." He says, carefully lifting an old, hand carved guitar in my hands. It's absolutely beautiful, made of all natural wood. It's smooth and elegant looking, and I've never seen a guitar as beautiful as this one.

But I notice that this guitar has no strings, and when I turned it around to take a look at the back, there's an enormous hole. The wood around the hole is completely splintered, looking ruined and beyond repair.

"I want you to repair that guitar." He says.

My eyes widen. "What? I can't possibly do such a thing."

He smirks. "Yes you can. If I can do it, then so can you."

I raise an eyebrow and shake my head.

"Look, don't doubt that you can't do it. You can do it and you will," He says, turning to leave the room, "Oh, and you will learn an important message when you finally do repair that instrument in your hands."

And then he leaves me, all alone with the beautifully broken guitar.

I sigh and look down at the instrument in my hands. "Maybe you're not broken. Maybe you simply need someone to care enough for you and help restore you. " I say, smiling a small smile.

Perhaps this guitar and I have more in common than what I thought was possible.

* * *

Dagger told me to come back tomorrow to work on the guitar he had told me to repair. He said he would let me order anything for lunch on the house, so I wouldn't have to pay for anything.

It's strange.....Dagger apparently has quite a sum of money, yet he chooses to work in a small club in a small town. It makes me wonder what he does for a living, what kind of job he has if he has this much money.

I just hope it doesn't seem like I'm taking advantage of him, because I would never do such a thing.

When I had said my goodbyes, I left the club for the night and walked the empty streets alone. It wasn't completely dark like the last town I was in. This town was more sophisticated and safe. Little street lamps cast a halo of light and various trees decorated the road sides.

I breathed a breath of fresh air and hugged my arms to my body.

It was chilly out, and I still had nowhere to stay.

I sighed. Perhaps, I could sleep on a park bench. Parks were, at least for the most part, fenced and was normally more safe to sleep than on the streets where anything can happen.

That's what I'll do, then. I think to myself.

I started scuffling my way to the nearest park. In the distance, I could hear dogs barking. The smell of dinner permeates the air, no doubt coming from the nearby restaurants where the night owls are feasting.

I smiled softly, missing those late night dates I've had with my boyfriend years ago. I wonder if he's happily married now, with a girl better than I. I wonder if he had changed his mind to have children for her. He wouldn't change his mind for me about that topic.

Don't even think about him. Let it go, it's been years. I tell myself. I can't help but wonder, though, if I'll remain single for the rest of my life.

How can I ever let a man in, after what has been done to me? How can I ever trust one again? The idea of finding a nice guy to spend the rest of my life with does interest me, but is it reality?

I just don't know, and I don't know if I would want to take the risk.

I hug my arms tighter around my body and continued to walk. Since the sun had fallen from the sky, the stars hung bright above me. Shadows were cast all around me by various objects, which often gave me quite the scare.

Which shadows are just that - a shadow? And which ones are something more than just shadows?

I was suddenly grabbed and my back collided with a brick wall of a building. My screams came out muffled when a hand slapped itself over my mouth. "Give me your money." His voice was deep and rough. My eyes widened with fear when I looked up into the cold eyes of a man dressed in shadows.

My eyes searched his and his hood fell from his head. Light quickly took over the features that was once concealed by darkness, and at that same moment, he recognized me, too.

Realization flooded his eyes. "You." He muttered quietly as he released me. He looked disgusted with me, himself, or perhaps both. Why would he be disgusted with me? He's the one who was in the wrong.

His intentions was to steal.

He ran a hand down his face and turned his back to me. He smelled of smoke - cigarette smoke and he looked like a disheveled mess. He took a deep breath, and I watched as his shoulders moved up and down with each breath.

"Is this some kind of joke to you?" He asks, his voice low and irritated.

"What?"

He turns around sharply, his eyes searching mine and his fists clenched at his sides. "The song. Was that some kind of joke? You were fucking staring right at me." He growled, his expression looking livid and yet....hurt? My cheeks reddened. He had caught me staring at while I was singing.

"W-what do you mean? I-I don't understand-"

"You know what? Forget it. It doesn't matter." He says, ripping his hands away from his hair. He cast his gaze onto the ground as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket. "It just doesn't matter." He says, shrugging as he lights the cigarette.

"What d-doesn't matter?" I ask hesitantly.

He laughs darkly. "That's none of your fucking business, is it?"

I don't respond as I watch him take puffs of his cigarette. He looks down the barren streets, and I examine his profile. Beneath the layers of exhaustion, struggle, and pain he carries, he still has handsome features. A sharp jawline, nice eyes as well as nice lips.

He just looks.....damaged. In pain. His eyes are bloodshot and dilated. He's on drugs.

What lies underneath his dark smirk and cold personality? What hides behind his shrouded eyes, and what stories could they tell?

What would his past say about him?

Maybe, Colton and I aren't that different after all.

He shook his head and sighed in frustration as he turned his back on me and slowly started to walk away.

I don't know what came over me, and I don't know what I expected from him, but I went after him. My hand landed on his shoulder in an attempt to get his attention once more. "Colton-"

He recoiled away from my touch, and in an instant, he turned around and swatted my hand away. His hands planted themselves firmly on each of my arms and a gasp escaped my lips.

He was breathing loudly and his eyes found mine. They were cold, stoney, lost, hurt.

His words were just as cold as his eyes and his voice was low. "Don't you ever touch me!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know...." I reply quite pathetically.

He released me and walked away, and this time, I let him.

But as he walked away, he spoke once more. His words were so quiet I barely caught them.

"Nobody knows. Nobody knows."