Happy Endings

04: beliefs

"I saw you when I knew I wanted nothing more and nothing different."

☼

Kellin Quinn believed he finally understood what love meant when he met Ellie Roswell.

When he heard her sing, more exactly.

They were still broke college students, juniors, living that confusing stage of superior education where they weren't either new at it or ready for whatever it was that waited for them after graduation. Ellie had always been that girl he often saw in some of his classes, but that he never paid much attention to in the beginning. He often wondered if anything would've been different if he'd noticed her earlier. If she'd noticed him too.

Up until that point, Kellin wasn't proud of some things he'd done before meeting the woman he thought would be by his side forever, and he'd already set his mind into believing he'd never find what people liked to call love because of those same things. He simply wasn't worthy of it and he didn't mind. And either way, he'd rather be alone than...

But then they spoke at some party.

He barely remembers the occasion, all he remembers is the way he felt when that blonde, edgy, could-be-a-rockstar girl sat beside him because she mistook where her group of friends was sitting: hopeful. A beautiful coincidence he'd always be grateful for. Ellie sat there by accident but chose to stay.

After they spent the rest of that night talking and drinking and playing stupid party games together, they practically never said goodbye again. Day after day they met up to grab something to eat before classes, texted or called anytime they could, hung out at the local bars, watched movies together.

He learned Ellie liked to sing and had a band that played in tiny clubs, he started going to all the shows, went over to the warehouse where the band practiced, and home-recorded their songs. Without actually realizing they'd started dating, and it wasn't too long before they finally made it official.

At times Kellin felt like he wouldn't be able to, but he fell in love with her the way you couldn't stop rain from falling. Inevitably. And the night that he started to truly believe in love she sang him a song in a room full of strangers.

The bar was packed with all sorts of people. The lights were warm and dim, the smell of cigarette smoke and beer filled the air. Ellie's band was playing on the small stage and was giving their all as they always did. The crowd was very into it and Kellin couldn't feel prouder. They were so talented. Ellie was such a natural up there and he couldn't help the smile plastered on his face the whole time he watched them perform.

She didn't know he was coming to the little impromptu gig they landed last minute, but he made it work. He wanted to surprise her. Funny how he was the one surprised in the end. He was standing near the bar stools, in a corner where the lights barely reached, sipping on a pint of beer and enjoying the scene. He couldn't help feeling so happy for them seeing the crowd enjoying the show so much. And when the fast-paced song ended, everyone cheered and Kellin whistled loudly.

"Thank you so much for being here with us," Ellie said into the mic. Her speaking voice was so quiet, Kellin always found it amusing how different it was from when she sang. She always blew the room away.

"Now this next song is a bit more personal," she laughed lightly and sat on a stool someone put up on the stage. One of her bandmates handed her the acoustic guitar. "Thank you. I hope you don't mind toning it down a bit."

The crowd cheered and clapped and she smiled gratefully at all of them.

"I wrote it about a certain someone, that hopefully is around here somewhere." She looked around the room and Kellin's heart warmed at the thought. Did she mean him? She strummed her guitar before continuing. She didn't see him. "If he is, I hope he doesn't listen to this secret."