He was Singing our Song

Chapter 3: Not a Dream

The band played their hearts out and Tyler sung with all his might keeping the crowd on their feet dancing and clapping. Even I caught myself singing my heart out to a few of the songs, for once I forgot where I was, or what I was doing, and I let myself enjoy it. After about ten songs they stopped singing and starting rearranging the stage. I quietly observed what they were doing, they added another mic and Tyler moved his a little more to the side away from the center before he did a sound check on both.

"How is everyone this evening?" Tyler's southern draw blared through the mic. The crowd went wild, and he smiled out into them. "Well, I have a treat for you guys this evening." The crowd silenced and I felt a hand on my shoulder only to turn around and see my mom smiling at me. I smiled back at her and scooted over so she could take a seat next to us. I turned my head back to the stage trying to figure out what was going on. "We have a guest singer, well I don't think she knows she is a guest, so maybe I should have said surprise singer." Everyone erupted into laughter. "I am looking for the town's very own hidden sweetheart Lizzy Anderson." The crowd silenced and I think I swallowed my tongue in that moment.

I could feel my blood drain from my face and slowly leave my body as my heart slowed down and I was pretty sure I wasn't breathing. Everything started spinning and I think I was experiencing an outer body thing. "Lizzy, go." My mom whispered.

"No," I managed to breath out as I tried to slide off the wall, behind that statue, it was looking like a pretty good place to hide.

"Yes, Lizzy go. You have been singing for years, go let them all hear you." Mom tried to reassure me, and I just glared at her.

"Yea in the shower and barn mom, I am pretty sure that doesn't make it good enough to sing in front of the whole town."

"Lizzy, sweetheart, come on up." My heart started to beat again of its own accord to the sound of his voice through that speaker system. I stayed rooted to my seat sinking as low as I could, while the crowd turned their heads as if they were looking for me. I was praying to the heavens above that the earth would open up and swallow me, leaving nothing but my hat behind so they would always wonder what happened to me. "Alright ready or not," that was all he said as he disappeared from the stage into the crowd. This town was small, a few thousand people or so, but right then, it felt like there were twenty-thousand eyes looking around, looking for me.

Mom and Lola seemed distracted by something, so I took the chance to bolt, I don't even know how I jumped off the wall without breaking my ankle. I took a deep breath and stepped around the corner of the wall with nothing but the blackened sidewalks ahead me to run to when I felt a warm hand gently grab mine and pull me into a wall, no not a wall, a chest, a warm chest. I closed my eyes as I felt one hand wrap around my waist and the other moved to my chin, while using their finger to slowly raise my face. I could feel his breath tickle my face, as the cool mint entered my nose.

"There you are beautiful," he purred, and I couldn't help it, I was fighting with my body, but it wasn't listening, at this point it had a mind of its own as my eyes fluttered open only to see those cherry red lips, perfect teeth, the cute little dimples, and then there they were, those sea green eyes. "Darling I enjoy the chase, you should never run from me."

"Um, yea, well, um," I stuttered and felt my face turn crimson red, all that blood I thought had leaked out earlier, well it made its grand appearance in my face, proving it was still there. And that heart I thought I took back, yea, well, it was beating to the tune of his, as if they were one. Traitor was all I could think.

He chuckled and it was the most beautiful thing my ears had ever heard, "Well at least I know you can talk. So how about it? Come sing with me."

I tried to step back a little, I couldn't think straight, I was in the arms of none other than my only love Tyler Macon. I finally shook the spell I felt like he was casting over me and cleared my throat, "I don't sing Tyler."

"Oh, but see I happen to know you do, and I don't take no for an answer, come on." I tried to struggle and he tilted one side of his lips up in a smirk making him even sexier. "Alright Darling, we will do it my way." The next thing I knew I was tossed across his shoulder like a tater sack, while he took confident strides through the crowd with a kicking screaming girl over his shoulder. The crowd snickered and some whistled, and I couldn't even comprehend the whispers.

He stepped in front of the mic with my butt on display to the crowd and I thought I might die right there, "Tyler please put me down." I whisper yelled with all the sincerity I could portray through my voice.

He covered the mic so only I could hear him, "You going to run," I shook my head no, "You gong to sing with me?"

I huffed, I really didn't have a choice I guess, but maybe I would wake up tomorrow and this was all a bad dream, yes that's it, it's all a dream. "Fine, but when I suck it's all your fault and you better own up to it in front of everyone."

He gently put me down and placed an arm around my waist pulling me close, yet again, I was frozen, not quite sure what to do, he pulled me closer and bent down to my ear, "Sweetheart you are going to do great, and don't take your eyes off me, okay?" He stepped away and reached over to hand me the other mic that they had set up earlier. "Do you know Johnny and June?"

"By Heidi Newfield?" He nodded his head, "Yea, one of my favorites."

"Mine too." He winked before he turned to the crowd. "Sorry about the delay folks, seems I had to chase her down." The crowd laughed and I felt my face turn red, again. I didn't want to look at them, but I didn't want to stare at him either, so I looked everywhere, but him and the crowd. "Now let's give it up for her, make her feel welcome." The crowd chanted my name, and I would be lying if I didn't say there was something thrilling about it. "Alright darling, you lead I will follow." He stepped to the side taking my hand making me look at him as he smiled. "You got this." Then he nodded for the band to start.

I closed my eyes as the music began, I was at home, in bed fast asleep and this was only a dream, or maybe I fell in the shower and hit my head hard, I can do this. I took a deep breath and then I let the words of the song float from my lips through that mic as he followed my lead, and we took a song done by an awesome artist and made it a duet.

I admit when the song finished and the crowd roared, I felt like I was on cloud nine, never in my life did I ever think I would experience anything like that. I was all smiles and still thinking there was a slight possibility this was all a dream, that was until I spotted Raina and her minions standing at the edge of the stage. Their arms crossed and tossing daggers at me through their eyes, I swallowed the lump in my throat and ripped my eyes away from them. I stepped forward placing the mic on the stand and stepped back.

"Let's hear it one more time for Lizzy folks." Tyler boomed. He gently dropped my hand and I felt like my world crumbled. I was on stage with Tyler Macon, I sung a song in front of the town, oh no.

I eased toward the back of the stage while Tyler was busy saying something to the crowd, my mind was buzzing with all my thoughts, I couldn't even hear what he was saying. I looked to the drummer, and he nodded for me to step forward and I only shook my head, taking a deep breath and turning my back to it all. I didn't waste another minute, I let my legs move at a pace I didn't even know I could go. The night air cut into my eyes as I felt the tears well up, until I crashed into the side of my truck and slid down the side, cradling my head in my hands. I don't know how long I sat there letting the whole thing play out in my head repeatedly, until I finally mustered up enough energy to drive myself home.