Better Than Nothing: Part 3 of On the Edge Series

Chapter 24

Some moments feel like home. It doesn't matter where you are, but the company instantly fills you with a warmth that clings to the memory. It's the minor parts of the moment that make the recollection so vivid: Billy standing in his socks in front of his living room turntable murmuring to himself as the fireplace roared behind him, the feeling of the knit blanket against my cheek as I pulled it up high enough to hide my smile, the smell of oranges that always seemed to float through Billy's farmhouse.

"This isn't your song," I teased from beneath the blanket.

"It's not?" He cocked an eyebrow at me as his socked feet slipped across the hardwood floor.

"Last I checked, you weren't a member of Simple Minds."

"I'll make a call." His eyes gleamed at me as he held out a hand to me. "After all, I have the Scot complexion." As he spoke, the room swished past me as he pulled me to his side. "How long has it been since I told you how much I love you?"

"You love me?"

"Don't be mean," he teased as he twirled me to the music.

"My turn." I slipped away when the song wound down and plugged my phone into the dangling Aux cable. "I used to listen to this when I missed you."

"I'm intrigued." He moved close behind me and rested his head on my shoulder as I thumbed through songs.

"The Sonics, man, I haven't heard this song in forever."

"I love this song. I think this song made my daddy know he was in trouble." As I spoke, I spun in Billy's arms to face him.

"You trouble?" A boyish twitch of his lips pulled a giggle from my lips.

"Yeah, I think he was worried I'd run off with some musician I met in a dive club."

"Oh, if he only knew."

"I know. If you only knew." Billy twirled me again before picking me up. I wrapped my legs around him as he sang along to the music. "I'm covering this. Great song."

"Okay, now we focus."

"I'm focused." Billy let his gaze wash over me, sending a fiery surge through me that momentarily made me lose all sense.

"Not that kind of focus," I shot back as I slid his third solo album on the turntable and dropped the needle.

We fell to the couch and sat cross-legged, facing each other.

"I feel like I'm in Sixteen Candles, except we aren't on a table, and there's no cake." I smiled.

"So, how are we in Sixteen Candles?"

"I guess I just feel like I'm sixteen," I laughed.

"Why did you pick this one?" Billy's tone fell lower, accenting his serious curiosity.

"Because I didn't know you."

He let out a stifled laugh. "You knew me, Lil."

"It feels different, though. I don't feel like I know you in it."

"Mmhmm, the music came first. I just had these melodies. I honestly didn't know if I'd ever get lyrics down for any of it." He listened briefly before adding, "I think I may have been a bit confused when this all fell out."

"You think?"

"I honestly don't remember the songs in my head for this one. I booked the studio for five days and committed to producing something."

"You scheduled a studio having no songs?"

"I work best under pressure." He leaned his forehead against mine as though his process for creating incredible music was like writing a grocery list.