Waves - Book #2 [completed]

30 ~ Petrichor

Petrichor
noun
The smell of rain on dry earth.

"Come on, Danny. Admit my shit has potential."

He huffs. "Yeah, okay-"

"Ha!"

"-your songs have potential."

"Double ha!" I grin at him so hard my jaw hurts.

I'm feeling good. Super good. Confident. Inspired. I'm fucking pumped.

Danny and I stayed longer in Gold Coast than expected. I pulled more all-nighters the last two weeks than my entire college career. My inspiration skyrocketed and I've found fucking great lyrics to the melodies I'd scribbled down before. We recorded samples that sound fantastic in an acoustic setting and more upbeat rock setting. Shit, they're so good, they'd even sound great pressed and dulled into a mainstream house beat. Curtis already agreed to record a few more samples when I send over the instrumental recordings we've made. His voice would be a good fit.

I can't wait to see what my manager says. Maybe I can keep myself afloat by writing songs for a while. Not that money is a problem. I haven't checked in a while, but the last time I did my income was still pretty stable. Plus, I have savings.

"You're too smug for your own good," Danny tells me, reaching for the radio to turn up the volume.

"Damn straight." My phone dings and I have to press my feet into the foot of the car to lift my hips and pull it out of my back pocket.

The other reason I'm so giddy is because I'm going to finally see Riley again. I... hm, I missed her. There it is. I frickin' missed her face. I missed her eyes that seem as deep as the ocean, her not so straight but perfectly sloping nose and those lips... fuck, those lips. I missed those the most and I can't wait to see what parts of me she's going to explore with them. I know what part I'd want her to explore.

But the message on my phone isn't from Riley. It's from Harry. I smile anyway because he's sending me confirmations for something I needed his help with. I type a quick reply before clicking my screen off.

Because it's raining and the streets are hazy, Danny has to slow down and the drive back to Connor Head seems to be twice as long as usual and I feel like an exasperated kid wanting to ask my parents how much longer the trip will last.

We finally make it to his house, much later than estimated, and I sprint inside even before he can turn off the engine. I yank all my dirty clothes out of my bag and shove them into the hamper before turning on my heel and hightailing out of my room. I find Danny in the kitchen and he shoots me a quizzical look when I snatch my car keys from the kitchen counter and make a beeline out of the house, hurrying to see Riley.

~~~

The constant rain has transformed the usually clear blue sky into a dark grey, menacing blanket that hangs over Connor Head. The dirt road leading to Riley's shack's into a slippery mud road, but I finally make it in one piece.