My fingers flex, and I turn to the other outlet I’ve made for myself, changing my clothes and grabbing my keys. I head downstairs and jog over to the apartment fitness center. The place is deserted this time of night, just how I like it.
I run through my routine, using the machines, free weights, my own body, until sweat is pouring off me, stinging my eyes, my head blessedly clear of anything but the burn of my muscles. The upside to all this is I’m in the best shape of my life, but I know that nagging sensation in the back of my mind will pick up again tomorrow. The one that itches to write, to make music. I just... can’t right now.
I trudge back upstairs, hoping like hell Sam’s already asleep. Of all the things she could have been playing, why’d it have to be that? I open the front door quietly, the apartment dark and silent. Thank God. I can delay that conversation till tomorrow.
I go into the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth, but stop short at the post-it note on the mirror.
Thanks for the laundry help :)
Oh, shit. She must have left that before I yelled at her. Now I feel even worse.
When I head back into my room, I lie in bed staring at the ceiling. This used to be my best time to think about things, bits of melody floating around in my mind, guitar chords matching up with words until I had the bridge or refrain. Now, it’s all a blank, the void making me dread falling asleep every night.
I’m too exhausted to worry about it tonight, though, my body still fatigued enough to allow me to enter a dreamless sleep.
5
Samantha
AS MUCH AS I WANT TO sleep in longer on my day off, I need to wake earlier to get used to the schedule I’ll have starting tomorrow. I have the opening shift, which means I have to be there at six a.m. to prep.
Still, I stay in bed till I hear the front door shut. Levi’s off to serve coffee to the masses before they head to work.
I’m glad I didn’t have to be up first thing with him. Not that I planned on avoiding him, but I don’t have a strong desire to be yelled at again. It was obvious he was angry about something else and I was the unintended target, but he needs to learn to control it better.
I won’t work myself up over it, though. And I definitely won’t let it keep me from using my fair share of the place. I’m paying a third of the rent, and I’ll damn sure get my money’s worth. He can act like an asshole all he wants, but it won’t stop me from enjoying my first apartment.
When I go into the bathroom, my note is still up on the mirror. Did he even see it? I crumple it up and toss it in the trash. So much for thinking we could be friends.
My main goal today is to finish cleaning up the mess that this Chris guy left behind. Dirt and dust everywhere, smudged fingerprints on the walls, grime on the window, and a few unidentifiable spots on the carpet. Nothing that some elbow grease can’t fix, though.
This doesn’t even break my top ten of crappy places I’ve lived over the years. Besides, the rest of the apartment is top-notch. I do the best I can on the scuffed wooden dresser and nightstand, but don’t care enough to sand and repaint it all. I’ll live with it as is.
When I hear movement in the apartment later, I peek my head out, catching Audrey in the kitchen staring intently at the toaster.
“Does it cook faster that way?”
She grins, turning to me. “In my experience, I find it does.” Two waffles pop out and she waves her arms theatrically. “See?”
I laugh and she walks over to the breakfast bar with her plate and mug of coffee. “I made plenty if you want a cup,” she motions to the ridiculously fancy coffee machine.
I shake my head, grabbing a banana to tide me over for a while. “I never got a taste for it. Besides, that thing looks like it could double as a rocket ship.”
“Yeah, it’s kind of wild,” she admits, taking a swig. “Levi saved up a while for it. He won’t use anything less after getting used to the premium stuff from his work.”
“Did he, um, tell you about last night?”
“No, what happened?” she asks, concern creasing her brow at my tone.
I tell her about his outburst, hoping to gain some insight.
She lowers her fork slowly, food abandoned, and gives me a solemn look. “I’m so sorry, Sam. I should have warned you.”
“That he’s an asshole?”
She smirks at that and taps the side of her plate, the sound loud in the silence of the apartment. “He’s really not. No, about Velvet Swan.” She tilts her head, eyeing me. “Lately, seeing his brother puts him in a terrible mood too. Put the two together and you have the perfect storm.”
“I don’t understand.”
She shifts in her seat, her bright purple nails tapping away at the plate again. “It’s not my story to tell,” she hedges. “But you’re going to be living here...” She bites her thumb, deliberating something internally.
I stay silent, waiting for her to come to a decision. A part of me wants to say forget about it. It’s obviously personal. Something between family. God knows I’ve got my own share of stuff I’m not ready to divulge.
But the bigger part of me is too curious. What does my favorite band and his brother have to do with each other? Or, for that matter, what does Velvet Swan have to do with Levi?
“Let’s just say his brother, Aaron, did something awful and now Levi feels betrayed by it. And it involves Velvet Swan.”
“He can’t separate the two?”
“No, it’s all connected.”
“Does...” My brain clicks and my hands smack on the counter in my excitement. “Does he know the band?”
“Aaron used to be part of it.”
“What?” I know they’re local to this area, but this is too much. Maybe Levi could get me an introduction.
“Whoa, whoa,” she holds her hands up. “Before you get too excited, Aaron is not on speaking terms with Marisol. The bitch double crossed him.”
I lean back, deflated. “I’m so confused.”
“Yeah, sorry. It doesn’t really make sense without telling you everything, but I promised Levi I’d keep it a secret. Just know that he hates Velvet Swan for a very good reason. He’s not just being dramatic.”
“They’re my favorite band. That’s not fair that I can’t listen to them just because he doesn’t like the lead singer.”
She lets out a sigh. “You’re right. But it’s more than that, trust me. How about we have a pow-wow when Levi gets home?”
Her phone chimes and she glances over at it next to her on the counter. “Speaking of...” She reads whatever’s on the screen and scoffs. “Typical Levi,” she mutters, smiling to herself. “Sam, what’s your number?”
I recite the ten digits and she taps away on her phone, her thumbs flying over the screen. A half minute later, my own phone vibrates in my pocket.
Unknown: Sorry about yelling last night. How about I make dinner tonight?
Between his text and Audrey’s words, my anger from earlier dissipates. Wow, am I that much of a softie?
Me: Dinner sounds good.
I hate holding grudges. Unless someone truly deserves it, I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life. It’s true I hold one against my mom, but in light of recent events, I feel it’s more than justified. She’s never expressed any kind of remorse for anything, just came up with excuses or dismissed me. But with Levi, he was man enough to apologize. I have to give him points for that.