Shades of Redemption

25

Elijah and I arrived at the movie theater, and after a bit of debate, I ended up choosing a horror movie. I knew it probably wasn’t the best choice, considering I’d be scared out of my mind, but something about the adrenaline rush made it hard to resist. Elijah laughed when I picked Insidious.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” he teased.

“Of course,” I replied with false bravado, though I was already dreading the jump scares.

Elijah paid for the tickets and insisted on buying popcorn and cola for us. I appreciated how easygoing and considerate he was—always looking out for the little things.

As we entered the theater and found our seats, I could already feel the tension building in my chest.

From the very first scene, the movie had me jumping out of my skin. Every shadow, every eerie noise sent shivers down my spine. Meanwhile, Elijah seemed completely unfazed. He chuckled every time I gasped or hid my face behind my hands.

By the time the movie ended, I was practically trembling. Elijah couldn’t stop laughing.

“Why would you pick a horror movie if you’re going to get that scared?” he asked, teasing me as we exited the theater.

“I don’t know!” I exclaimed, half-laughing, half-annoyed. “I didn’t think it would be that scary.”

We continued talking about the movie, laughing together as we reenacted some of the more intense moments.

Elijah’s laughter was contagious, and soon I was giggling at how ridiculous my reactions had been. There was something about how comfortable I felt with him—like everything we did together was fun, no matter how simple.

As we walked back to his car, Elijah suddenly turned to me with a mischievous grin. “I have an idea. There’s somewhere I want to take you.”

Curious, I agreed, and we hopped into his car. I had no idea where he was planning to go, but I trusted him. The night felt full of possibilities.

After a short drive, we pulled up in front of a familiar building. My heart skipped a beat.

“Groove?” I said in surprise, my voice barely a whisper.

Elijah nodded. “Yeah. I figured you might want to come here."

I swallowed hard, memories flooding back. Emma and I had spent so many nights at Groove, laughing, drinking, and listening to live music.

It was also where Gavin and I had some of our best—and worst—moments. Just being here brought a whirlwind of emotions.

As we entered the bar, the familiar scent of beer and faint traces of perfume mixed with the hum of conversation.

Bruno, spotted me almost immediately and called out, “Sophie! Long time no see!”

I smiled and waved back. “Hey, Bruno. It’s been a while.”

Elijah glanced at me with curiosity. “So, you’re pretty well-known here?”

I chuckled. “Yeah, Emma and I used to come here all the time when we were in college. We got to know most of the staff pretty well.”

Bruno approached us with a grin, looking between me and Elijah. “You’re with good company tonight, Sophie.”

He handed us two tequila shots, winking. “On the house.”

Elijah laughed and raised his shot glass. “Cheers to that.”

We clinked our glasses together and downed the tequila, the familiar burn sliding down my throat.

Bruno leaned over the bar and added, “There’s an open mic tonight. You should give it a shot.”

Elijah’s face lit up at the mention of it, while I felt a knot form in my stomach. I hadn’t sung in public in a long time, and the idea of doing it now made me feel vulnerable. But before I could protest, Elijah ordered a glass of vodka for himself, a second for me, and some chips to snack on.

We found a table near the stage, and I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. My heart was pounding, not just from the thought of singing, but because of the memories this place held. What if Gavin showed up? I knew this was his favorite bar too. I’d seen him here countless times before, performing with his band or just hanging out with friends.

As if reading my mind, Elijah suddenly stood up and made his way over to the hostess, whispering something to her.

She nodded, and a few moments later, she grabbed the microphone and announced, “Alright, folks, we’ve got a special treat for you tonight. Our first performers are Sophie and Elijah.”

I froze. “Wait, what?” I looked up at Elijah, who had a mischievous grin on his face.

“Elijah!” I protested, but there was no getting out of it now. The crowd was already clapping, and I could see the excitement in Elijah’s eyes.

He took a guitar from the side of the stage and set up two chairs for us to sit on. I adjusted the microphone, my hands shaking slightly from nerves.

Elijah leaned over and asked, “What song do you want to sing?”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. “Sway by Bic Runga,” I whispered.

It was one of my favorite songs, but I hadn’t sung it in years.

Elijah smiled and nodded, strumming the first chords of the song on his guitar. As the familiar melody filled the room, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting the music carry me.

When I began singing, my voice started off shaky, but as I continued, the rhythm of the song washed over me. I lost myself in the music, forgetting about the crowd, about Groove, about everything—until I opened my eyes during the chorus and saw him.

Gavin was standing near the stage, watching me.

My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, I faltered. His expression was unreadable—sadness mixed with pride—but seeing him there sent a wave of emotions crashing over me. I wanted to cry, but I couldn’t.

I had to keep singing. My mind was torn, and all I could do was focus on the song, hitting the high notes as best as I could, even though my heart felt like it was being pulled in two different directions.

When the song finally ended, the crowd erupted into applause. I could barely register it, my mind still reeling from seeing Gavin. Even Elijah clapped along, smiling at me as if I had just performed a miracle.

We stepped off the stage, and I felt dazed. Elijah handed me my phone, and the hostess praised us for the performance.

I smiled weakly, trying to act like everything was fine, but inside, I was a mess. Gavin was still standing near the stage, watching me. I avoided his gaze as Elijah led me back to our table.

The rest of the night blurred together in a haze of drinks and laughter. Elijah and I got drunk, and for a little while, I managed to forget about Gavin. But the weight of his presence still lingered, haunting me like a ghost I couldn’t escape.

No matter how hard I tried to move forward, the past kept pulling me back.