A Flawed Heart Read Online Free Page B

in the bar stops playing, and out walks Jason. It’s only been
minutes since he left my sight, and I feel an odd sense of relief upon his return.
He has the brightest, most charming smile on his face as he waves to the crowd
and laughs to himself at the onslaught of attention. He slings his guitar
behind him like Johnny Cash, and everyone breaks into a mix of applause and
shouting. I feel the tingling, mischievous anticipation that forms when a young
crowd is submerged in darkness. I clench my beer bottle and sit up straight on
the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to hear Jason’s delicious voice again.
    He sits on the stool, balances his guitar on his knee and
adjusts the strap. He grips the mike and greets the crowd. “It’s good to be
here with you.”
    Shouts and whistles erupt from the audience. Jason strums
his guitar and begins to sing…
    His eyes are closed, and his throaty voice sounds sweet and passionate.
His guitar playing is flawless. As he plays, the tendons in his tattooed
forearms flex and release. I notice all of this in seconds. My eyes are hungry
to drink in the details of this moment. As he approaches the chorus, the entire
bar sings along and a huge grin spreads across my face. I join them. Lydia
sings and pumps her fist in the air. Ben holds Alana’s hand and leans back in
his chair, bobbing his head.
    Jason has the entire place in the palm of his hand. I can’t
take my eyes off of him. He’s confident, maybe a little bit cocky, but for some
reason it’s endearing to me and not obnoxious. As he continues to play, he
looks out into the audience, and his gaze locks with mine. My ears get hot. I
blush, smile, and look down at my drink. I take another swig of my beer and I see
Skye and her crew winding their way up to the front.
    She and her gaggle of girlfriends move right in front of the
stage, obscuring my view of Jason. They start dancing with each other and I
cringe at their attempt to look sexy. I finish my current beer and start
another one. No one else seems to be as annoyed with Skye’s presence as I am. I
stand and prepare to walk over to the bar.
    “Refills.” I mouth at Lydia and she
nods.
    I watch the next few songs from the bar while I wait for
Alexa to refill our bucket. Some of the songs I know and some I don’t, but they’re
all beautiful in Jason’s voice. I begin to sweat a little. It’s warm in the
bar, but I think my heat has more to do with the captivating guitar player
ruling the stage right now.
    Skye continues to dance, and her friends keep passing her
shots. She looks sloppier by the minute. As Jason finishes the song, she and
her friends make their way to the bathroom. Once she’s out of sight, I head
back to the table with the bucket of beer and sit down. Three of the beers are
instantly removed by Ben, Alana and Lydia.
    “Hey, are you having fun? Isn’t this place great?” Lydia
asks.
    “Yeah. I’m having a great time.
Your brother is really good.”
    Jason readjusts his sitting position and runs his fingers
through his hair. “This one is for someone very special.”
    I look at Lydia and her smile fades a bit. Jason’s voice
gets soft and he plays gently…
    The words are beautiful, and I recognize the song, but
something is off. Instead of confident, Jason looks bereaved—tortured. Some
deep wound in his heart is revealed as he sings. The agony in his voice
penetrates the whole room. Lydia’s eyes are tearing. She has a soft look on her
face. I feel a twinge in my heart as I listen. The grief pouring out of him
reminds me of the pain I felt when my dad died. The song ends, and there is
hesitant applause from the crowd. Jason stands and leaves the stage.
    Lydia slides a finger under her eye to remove any mascara
that may have smudged. She sighs. “Ah, my poor, sweet
brother. I’m going out for some air. Anyone want to come?”
    “I’ll go,” Ben says.
    Alana stands to join them. Just then, one of Skye’s friends
rushes up to us and speaks to Alana.