Page 63 of All the Discord

His mouth practically disappeared with how hard he was pressing his lips together. His jaw flexed, looking like hard marble as irritation flashed through his eyes. He climbed to his feet and walked to the front with a stiff posture. As he got settled into a chair, holding the same guitar I had used, I wondered what kind of song he had in store for us.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Somewhere between the walk from his seat to settling down to perform, Toby transformed. His presence became overwhelming, his expression sober. Just by looking at him, you knew he wasn’t going to sing about something light and simple, like his goldfish. No, he was going to do what Mrs. Odera demanded of us: bare our hearts for everyone to see.

Toby never took his eyes off of me as he got settled. He strummed a few notes, getting comfortable. His light brown hair was still spiked up, the blond streaks reflecting the light. His hazel eyes were dimmer than usual, seriousness emanating from him. He was a different kind of Toby than I was used to seeing. I shifted in my seat, my spine tingling, but not because the pain was about to flare up. I felt aware of Toby in a different way.

He was always joking and playful. But this man before me was different, more mature. I didn’t want to look away, needing to see the kind of man he was when he wasn’t hiding behind smiles and laughter. I was beginning to think that was what he did. Hide. And he did it a lot better than I did.

Toby cleared his throat, still staring at me. “This song is about my relationship with my aunt. Not my mom, or dad, or brother, but my aunt. She saved me when no one else could.”

He cleared his throat again and strummed the first few cords.

Then he performed and I saw Toby Braden in a whole new light. If I were the type, I would have said I fell in love with him at that moment.

His words had a nice twang to it, and I closed my eyes as I fell into his song and got lost in the music and lyrics.

“Guardian angel

No one close enough to hold

Left in the dark, in the cold

Thought that I was all alone

But you reached out when I’d fallen

Now you’re the one that I seek out

To lift me up when I am down

Reminding me love’s still around

When I felt forgotten

Like a guardian angel

I’m under your wing

When the ground’s unstable

You guide me through everything

Patient, kind, and strong

This is where I belong

Guardian angel

Guardian angel

Felt abandoned, till you came

Felt unwanted, now it’s changed

I was lost in empty space

Then you filled it with your embrace