"Thank you." She smiled as she began to play again. She played a few more songs before she got to one that was clearly about me, it had to be. "This next song is about someone who you were once with and it's been hard to let them go, even though you know it was the right decision, it still hurts and at some point, you realize that if it all aligned again, that perhaps the two of you could try again. This is 'If By Chance'." The strings began to play and mingle with the piano and her voice.
I can't believe it's been all these years
I can't believe I've cried all these tears
My friends tell me I should've moved on
A long, long time ago
But what do they know?
What do they know?
And I don't mean to be selfish
But my heart breaks every time
That I see you smile
'Cause I know that it's not me
Who brings it out of you anymore
You found somebody new
You put me in the past
I don't know if our memories will last
But if by chance it doesn't work out with her
You'll always have a chance with me in my world
I wonder what happens when you hear our song
Do you brush it away or do you sing along?
Do you talk about the future the way we did?
Is there room for me in it?
Is there room for me in it?
And I don't mean to be selfish
But my heart breaks every time
That I see you smile
'Cause I know that it's not me
Who brings it out of you anymore
You found somebody new
You put me in the past
I don't know if our memories will last
But if by chance it doesn't work out with her
You'll always have a chance with me in my world
Is it so wrong of me to hope she breaks your heart?
Is it so wrong of me to pray she tears you apart?
And I know in the darkest part of you
You pray and hope and wish for it too
Cause you don't mean to be selfish
But your heart breaks every time
That you see me smile
Cause you know it's not you
Who brings it out of me anymore
You found somebody new
You put me in the past
I don't know if our memories will last
But if by chance it doesn't work out with her
You'll always have a chance with me in my world
'Well, fuck,' I thought. Mostly for David. For me, I knew, despite the difference in perspective, that song was about us, me and her. It gave me hope while also feeling bad for the guy next to me, who was now looking at me expectantly. I gulped, again.
"Well?" He asked.
"They're songs, David. It's hard to tell if it's from experience or some invention in her head."
He nodded, although I don't think he fully believed me. "Do you think I should talk to her still?"
"Maybe. Let's see how the rest of the night goes," I said, as she came back out front. Before she could see me, I told David I'd go grab us all a drink.
As I watched them from the bar, nothing seemed out of the ordinary for them. She stood between his legs, her back to him, while he had his arms wrapped around her waist. She was talking to someone, but seemed okay, to me.
But, she also didn't know I was there. I got our drinks and made my way back. When she saw me, she stopped mid-sentence before continuing her conversation. I place our drinks on the table. David looked at me and mouthed, "She's in a really good mood."
I nodded at him.
When she was done, she turned to me, "Niall, hey."
"Hey, Siobhan. Great set. Proud of ya." I smiled at her. No matter what, that was the truth.
"Thanks, Niall. You are semi responsible for this."
"Yeah, David was telling me." I said, attempting to bring him into the conversation in order to get a better idea of my own instincts more than his. She turned to face him and gave him a smile.
She got called by the manager of the place to get out another box of her EP. While she did that and talked with new fans, David and I sat there, watching her, both of us looking for the same thing; a hint that something was different.
At the end of night, he invited me back to their place. "Your place?" I asked.
"Yeah, David moved in a month ago," Siobhan said.
"Oh, wow. Big step." I said, kind of shocked.
"Yeah, well, a good one," she said, but not really smiling. She looked nervous.
When we got back to "their" place, she ran into the bedroom to change while we talked in the kitchen. "You didn't say you had moved in." I whispered. "That doesn't sound like a girl who's over you."
"Yeah, except she did it after we had a fight," he responded.
"Fight? About what?"
"About what's going on. I think she did it to appease me. To prove to me nothing was going on."
"But that clearly hasn't worked?"
"I'm still gone a lot, and so is she. We've spent maybe four nights together since I "moved" in," he air quoted. "And, none of that intimately, as I said earlier. Shit, half of my stuff is still at my old place."
We heard the bedroom door open and the scratch of the needle on her record player. She then walked in, wearing an oversized t-shirt and I assume shorts underneath. She gave David a peck on the cheek before saying, "Anybody want any tea?"
"I'm good, babe, thanks."
"Niall?"
"Umm, I think I'm good, too."
She just shrugged at us both. She heated up the water and the three of us stood there, in the kitchen, on three different sides of it, looking at each other. This wasn't awkward at all.
"I think I'm gonna get going."
"You sure?" Siobhan asked.
"Yeah, I think so. I'll give ya a call tomorrow. Been a while since we've hung out."
She just nodded. David saw me out. "Should I say something?"
"Not yet, let me talk to her tomorrow," I whispered back.
YOU ARE READING
This Town
Fanfiction"I want to dance with you in the middle of this street." She laughed at me, "Why on earth would you do that?" "Because I said I would." I twirled her around and pulled her back to me as I began to sing softly into her ear, "If the whole world was w...
