There isn't a song by Christina Perri in this one (next two chapters, yes). The song in this chapter is an original song by Hunter (that I wrote).
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Night four.
Love has the tendency to do crazy things to people. Estella claimed that being in love brought out my carefree fun side. She said I was less bitter about the world and was a lot more relaxed. I felt more relaxed. A part of me was terrified of being this emotionally vulnerable because, let’s be honest, being emotionally vulnerable hasn’t always worked out for me in the past. There is just something about Hunter though. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but there is something about him that makes me feel at ease.
A couple of weeks after I told him I love him I took another emotional risk. In general, I’m not a super trusting person. Enough people in my life have told me to trust them and then gone around and screwed me over to make me think twice about spilling my secrets to the world. I trust Estella with everything and up until now she’s been the only person I can say that about. Now things have changed.
For me, saying “I trust you” is an even bigger step than saying “I love you”. I can love someone without trusting them completely. You have to really earn my trust and I don’t typically give out second chances.
Hunter understood all of this, so you can imagine his surprise and sheer joy when I said the four magic words, “Hunter, I trust you.” He’s going to play another original song for me tonight at open mic night. I’m not going to lie, I’m excited.
When we hung out together during the week we would often play music for each other, sometimes things we had written and sometimes covers of other artists. I thought it was fun to play songs for each other that had meaning to us and I thought it was sweet to hear his feelings for me in song form. It’s one thing when you hear that in the isolation of your house but it’s a whole other thing when you can proclaim it to everyone around you. It takes guts to perform in front of people and it takes a lot of guts to play a personal song for someone in front of a lot of people. I was used to Hunter playing songs for me but this would be a new original song and he would be debuting it in front of a houseful of people. Talk about nerve-wrackingly sweet.
Hunter was playing towards the end of tonight’s line-up. The waiting was torture. I tried to sit peacefully in my seat, sip my coffee, make small talk with Hunter and Estella, and pretend everything was grand, when inside I was freaking out with anticipation.
The show tonight was actually pretty good. There was a lot of talent. A couple other groups sang love songs; one band sang a song for some girl in the audience. It was nice, but I was looking forward to my song. What is he going to say?
When Hunter left to go warm up I let out a deep breath.
“What’s your deal, Jennalee you’ve been antsy all night,” Estella was perceptive.
“Just excited.”
“For?”
“Hunter’s song.”
“Is it for you?”
“Yeah. He wrote it and I haven’t heard it yet.”
Estella grinned, “Well I think I have some tissues in my purse if you need them.”
I hit her on the arm.
“Next up is Hunter Read, give it up!” Lewis announced. I cheered as he came onstage and set up next to a keyboard.
“Hey guys, this is a song I wrote for a really awesome girl. She’s been trying to get me to play it for her all week but I thought it would make a good surprise so this one’s for you sweetie,” he smiled at me. My stomach constricted and my mouth formed an involuntary grin.
“This is a beautiful love story,
Featuring a guy that feels so lucky,
To have a girl that’s as amazing as you are.
Both have been around the bend,
Starting out, they were hardly friends,
But that didn’t stop the love for each other.
So, this is how it goes,
The best love story ever told.
I hope we can grow old together.
I’ve, never met anyone,
That’s as beautiful and fun as you are.
I know we’ll go far.
Last month, she said “I love you”
You’re in my heart, I know that it’s true.
Screw the broken hearts before now.
They don’t matter anyhow.
They won’t know the love that we share.
It’s their loss, for you I’ll always care.
So, this is how it goes,
The best love story ever told.
I hope we can grow old together.
I’ve, never met anyone,
That’s as beautiful and fun as you are.
I know we’ll go far.
And I’ve, never felt this way before.
It’s better than all the stories I’ve ever heard.
I feel as if my heart could simply burst,
Because of how happy I am tonight.
It’s better than any dream.
I love you Jennalee.”
By the end of the song I had tears in my eyes. Never, in my entire life, has anyone written anything so sweet for me. Without thinking, I stood, walked up to the stage, and kissed Hunter fat on the lips for the room to see. “I love you,” I whispered in his ear.
“I love you too,” he whispered back.
The room cheered.
I never wanted this night to end.
