Looking Beyond

Chapter 3: Music Soothes the Soul

     Deeply involved in her writing, Brea was broken out of her trance by the sounds of drunken laughter and stair climbing. 'Great. The dynamic duo's back.' She opened her bedroom door, ready to tell the two to quiet down this late at night, but what she found instead broke the deepest part of her heart: Trevor had a small brunette pressed up against the door to his and Erik's room, and was practically devouring her face as he struggled to get the door open. 'Happy twenty-fourth birthday to me.' She mused bitterly as she closed her door.

     She closed her journal and shoved it between her mattress and box spring. Crawling on top of her bed, she curled herself up into a ball and clenched a pillow in a vain attempt to keep herself from crying. The tears fell quickly and were followed by the sounds of Trevor 'entertaining' his guest and the subsequent growl from Dan, who was most likely searching for his noise-canceling headphones. Brea put her shoes on and grabbed her jacket. She couldn't stay. She started to scribble a note to Savannah when she stopped – distracted by the music flowing down the stairs and out of the open door of Jacob's room. It sounded sad, heartfelt, and was simply beautiful. She tread lightly up the stairs that lead to Jacob's bedroom. She stopped on the stairs when her eyes were level with the floor. She could see Jacob sitting on a beat up, old couch, with his keyboard in front of him. Brea watched how Jacob kept his eyes closed as he sang and played. The added passion made her appreciate the song more. She closed her own eyes and leaned against the stairwell wall. Her head swayed along to the song. She had gotten her whole being wrapped up in the music and lyrics that she failed to notice that the song had ended.

     "What are you doing up here? I thought you had a hot date with Trevor tonight to celebrate your birthday." Jacob questioned.

     Brea rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Trevor had a hot date tonight, but it wasn't with me."

     "He stood you up?" Brea nodded. "On your birthday?" Brea again nodded. He shook his head in disgust.

     "That's actually why I'm up here. I was getting ready to leave, because I really didn't want to hear...um..."

     "I know, Trevor's loud when he brings dates home. It's why I started playing. I can hear him up here sometimes."

     "Your song is beautiful. It's why I stayed. I had to listen to all of it." She watched the blush creep up Jacob's neck. "What's it called?"

     "It's called 'Erase.'" He glanced his eyes away from Brea. "You're the first person to hear it. I don't usually play it."

     "You wrote it after your divorce, didn't you?" It was Jacob's turn to nod his reply. "I wont pry for details or anything. It's just one small fact I know about you."

     "You'd think after living in the same house for almost a year, we'd know each other better. I mean, the only things I know about you are that you work with Dan out of the house, and that you've been trying to ask Trevor on a date for a while."

     "That worked out great for me, didn't it?" Brea snapped back. "I'm sorry. I've got a lot on my mind. That song spoke to me."

     It was Jacob's turn to get snippy. "It's about the betrayal of deeply rooted love. How the hell could it mean that much to you? All you had was a crush on Trevor."

     Brea stared Jacob down. "I didn't mean that it made me think about Trevor." She crossed her arms defensively. "Asking Trevor on a date was a huge deal for me. I haven't been on a real date in five years - since I was nineteen. That would be when my high school sweetheart completely destroyed me emotionally. So when I said that the song touched me, I meant it."

     Jacob stared back, dumbfounded by her revelation. "I didn't..."

     "It's like you and your divorce. It's not something I readily offer up and talk about."

     Jacob looked down, embarrassed at his outburst. "Would you like to come up and have a beer?" A loud moan shook it's way through the rafters of the house. "Beer, and listen to some music? Loudly?" He gave a slight smile.

     "That sounds great." Brea climbed the remaining steps.

     "Go ahead and sit on the couch." He reached inside of his mini fridge and pulled out two bottles of IPA. He popped the cap off the top of one and handed it to Brea. "What kind of music do you want to listen to?" He asked, while opening his own bottle.

     "Anything that can drown out that..." She cringed as yet another cry of passion shook the house.

     "Rock it is." Jacob opened his laptop and brought up a playlist.