Page 29 of Close Your Eyes

As soon as I get home, I rush to my room, looking for the perfect piece of my soul to share with Ledger.

Chapter 11

Ledger

It’s been over an hour since I told Posey it was her turn to share. It’s not about wanting to see her tattoos, because I’m guessing she doesn’t have any, but more about seeing her. The real her.

The one that nobody else sees.

Although if a picture of her soft skin with a tattoo covering it shows up on my phone, I won’t be disappointed.

Not at all.

I make my way home after a long night at the club, leaving the closing responsibilities to Adele. As soon as I enter my condo, I slide my clothes off and put on a pair of gray sweatpants. I lounge on the couch, staring at my phone, wondering about Posey.

As I’m looking, a text comes through.

In the quiet of the night, I roam alone,

Echoes of emptiness, my only tone.

No hand to hold, no voice to hear,

Loneliness, my constant, silent seer.

Amidst the crowd, a solitary soul,

Longing for connection to make me whole.

But in this vast expanse of solitude’s reign,

I find solace in the echoes of my pain.

I read the message over and over, my heart swelling. The need to hold her closer overpowering me.

Did you write that?

Yes. Please don’t tell me it’s awful, even if you think it is.

It’s beautiful. It really is.

I can’t believe she’d think I’d say anything awful about her poem.

Well, now you know something nobody else does. I’ve never shared my poetry with anybody.

I’m honored.

I need to hear her voice. Need to connect with her more than I already am.

Can you talk?

I don’t know. This is so wrong. What if somebody overhears me?

I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. Forget I asked.

Before I can think further about it, my phone lights up with an incoming call.

It’s her.