Page 110 of The Girl with No Name
Startled, I turn around. “Hey,” I say. “Need a beer or something?”
“Nah, I was actually looking for you.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Yeah. Great set tonight, especially for your first ever. Well, second if you count Kentucky.”
“Thanks.”
“I have a question for you, though.”
“Okay.”
“And I will take a drink actually. Changed my mind. What do we have?”
“Pineapple High Noon okay?” I say, scooping a cold one out of the cooler. She nods and takes it. “So what’s up?”
“I have to ask you something. Tell me the honest truth. Why do you love that girl whose name you don’t even know?”
I ponder for a moment. “I’ve thought a lot about this.”
“Oh, you have?”
“Yeah.”
I pause for a moment and examine Violet. She’s a special soul, and the world knows her story at this point. Which is what makes me feel at ease to share with her from the bottom of my heart.
“I think if you love someone, you see their hidden soul. You get a glimpse of the light they could offer the world if they revealed it. It was like she kept trying to keep her light tamped down. Like she didn’t want to be seen. But I still saw it. I saw her light. Am I talking crazy or does that make sense?”
“Makes perfect sense. Maybe she doesn’t want to be fully ‘seen?’” Violet offers. “Having gone from total obscurity to having fans, I can relate. It’s a little scary. Everything about you—it’s just out there. To me, it’s worth the sacrifice being famous—so I can make music. It’s the life I choose, but it’s not for everyone. Anyway, back to you. So, you love her because you think you see something in her?”
“Vi, I saw something so special in her.” I feel my heart welling up, expanding. “But I could tell she saw something special in me, too. She drew out some part of my soul that I hadn’t hadaccess to before I met her. I wouldn’t have—I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for her. But honestly that’s not the whole reason. Feels like I’m spilling my guts to you.”
“I’m genuinely curious.”
I look Vi in the eye as I sip my beer. “I just love spending time with her. I love being around her. It’s that simple.”
I blow out a loud breath.
“Damn.” Vi sips her drink and turns to the door. “What do you think about that answer, girl?”
I follow Vi’s line of sight just inside the sliding door, and I see her.
It’s the girl with no name.
She’s bathed in the dim light, a wistful smile playing on her lips. Her eyes hold a mix of emotions—surprise, curiosity, and a hint of longing. She’s wearing denim cutoff shorts and a tank top that looks like the one she was wearing the night we met.
Instantly, I feel a rush flood through me. A whirlwind of memories and unanswered questions swirling in my mind.
“She wanted me to ask you that,” Vi explains. “I’ll leave you two alone now.”
“Hey, you,” Luna says, stepping toward me, her voice carrying a note of uncertainty. “I’ve been looking for you.”
My heart skips a beat as I take in the way her eyes sparkle and her hair falls loosely around her face. In that moment, it’s just the two of us, attached by a shared history and unspoken connection.
I take her hand, my voice barely above a whisper. “You have?”
“Someone tagged me in Violet’s post, and she messaged me to convince me to come. Missed the show. But I made it here.”