The Untitled Job

-32- Grace

From where I'm standing at the bar I have a full view of Daniel on the stage. The music starts to play. Just as he's about to sing he locks his eyes on mine. I try to tear my gaze away but I can't. I put my name down on the list straight after Daniel, knowing what song to sing.

"I want to be king in your story. I want to know who you are. I want your heart to be for me. Oh I – want you to sing to me softly 'cause then I'm outrunning the dark. That's all that love ever taught me. Oh I. Call and I'll rush out. All out of breath now."

"You've got that power over me, my my. Everything I hold dear resides in those eyes. You've got that power over me, my my. The only one I know, the only one on my mind. You've got that power over me, got that power over me, you've got that power over me."

"Remember the lake in the moonlight? Remember you shivered and shone? I'll never forget what you looked like on that night. But I know that time's going to take me, I know that day's going to come. I just want the Devil to hate me. Oh I. Call and I'll rush out. All out of breath now."

"You've got that power over me, my my. Everything I hold dear resides in those eyes. You've got that power over me, my my. The only one I know, the only one on my mind. You've got that power over me, got that power over me, you've got that power over me."

"It was all in doubt, they were all around. So we'll hide away and never tell. You decide if darkness knows you well. That lesson of love, all that it was, I need you to see."

"You've got that power over me, my my. Everything I hold dear resides in those eyes. You've got that power over me, my my. The only one I know, the only one on my mind. You've got that power over me."

"I know that I let her down, no. Let her down, no."

"You've got that power over me, my my. Everything I hold dear resides in those eyes. Got that power over me, my my. The only one I know, the only one on my mind. You've got that power over me."

As soon as the song finishes he makes his way towards me from the stage.

"Lexi, wait." He notices me about to walk away.

"Give me a couple of minutes. We can chat after ok? I think my feelings will be clear." I walk away from Daniel and towards the stage. I look over to Lyla and she gives me a thumbs up to say I'll be ok.

"I'm not ready to be just another of your mistakes."

"I can't seem to drown you out long enough. I fell victim to the sound of your love. You're like a song that I ain't ready to stop. I got nothing but you on my mind."

"I'm not ready to be just another of your mistakes. Don't want to let the pieces fall out of place. I was only just a breath removed from going to waste. 'Till I found salvation in the form of your...Your grace. Your grace. Your grace. Don't take it away."

"On the verge of almost bleeding you out. Are we too wounded now to ever come down? Oh, how I long for us to find common ground. I got nothing but you on my mind."

"I'm not ready to be just another of your mistakes. Don't want to let the pieces fall out of place. I was only just a breath removed from going to waste. 'Till I found salvation in the form of your...Your grace. Your grace. Your grace. Don't take it, take it. Way too close to colour your comfort. All dressed up but kept undercover. Way too close to colour your comfort. All dressed up but kept undercover."

"Your grace. Your grace. Your grace. Don't take it away. I'm not ready to be just another of your mistakes. Don't want to let the pieces fall out of place. I was only just a breath removed from going to waste. 'Till I found salvation in the form of your...Your grace. Your grace. Your grace. Don't take it away."

I make my way off stage and towards Daniel. I grab his arm and lead him out of the bar and into the lounge area next door.

"Hey..."

"Lexi, is that how you feel? You think you might be a mistake?"

"I'm worried in case I will be, yeah."

"Why would you think that?" I pull my phone out of my bag and unlock it. I turn it to face him. His eyes widen. "What the fuck? Look, I can see what you thought that was but please trust me, it's not what it looks like."

"What was it?"

"Skylar came up to me, tried it on with me, again. I had reached my limit of shit with her and Kyle that I snapped. That picture is of me trying not to make a scene so I leant in close to her so I could refrain from shouting at her to tell her to leave me, and you, alone. That's why my face is so close to hers. Do you really think I would do that to you?"

"No...that's why I'm here. If I thought you would do that, I wouldn't be speaking to you right now. I wanted you to explain it and that's fine, I understand now."

"You scare me, Lexi, you know that right? You scare the shit out of me sometimes. I don't want to feel how I felt when I went home today to find you had gone. When my mum said she spoke to you my mind was racing with anything she could've told you. Lex, I was so worried."

"She did say something. Why haven't you been going to training?"

"That's what she spoke to you about?"

"Yes. But answer me honestly, did you not go so that you could see me?"

"That obvious huh? Yes. I didn't go to a few sessions because I knew where I wanted to be. With you, Aidan and Taylor. I would've picked you guys over rugby and running any day of the week."

"But Daniel, I don't want to get in the way of your hobbies/future/fun. Whatever reason you go to training for, I don't want to get in the way anymore. It's not fair you to."

"Did you ever think that maybe my priorities changed? I wanted to spend time with you, Lexi. Since you've been in my life more I have never been more happy, worried and more happy to be worried."

"What do you mean?"

"Lexi, I........" His voice is drowned out by the all-too-familiar laughter of the last person I want to see right now.