Page 33 of Searching for Sadie (Mystic Falls #5)

LUCAS

L ater that afternoon, Lucas was finishing up.

The sounds of Liam and Sadie making music had started to fill the air a while ago.

Sometime in the afternoon they had decided to move their jam session on the back patio and Lucas worked to the sounds of an intimate concert most people would have paid hundreds of dollars for.

When he finished taking the last of his tools to his truck he stopped in the back where Lexi and Liam are playing guitars.

"Hey," he said as he rounded the corner. "How are things going with you two?"

"Amazing! I'm getting all kinds of inspiration for my next album," said Liam as he continued to strum his guitar.

He glanced over at Sadie who seemed to be biting back a smile.

"Well, I'm done for the day. I can just hang out in the truck until you guys finish up."

"We're just messing around," said Liam. "Grab a seat" His head motioned to one of the chairs surrounding the back patio.

"Are you sure?" he said, making sure to catch Sadie's gaze. He didn't want to intrude on anything.

"Yeah, we were just finishing up," she said. The look on her face made him feel like she was holding back. He couldn't wait to get her alone and find out exactly how the day went.

He sat as they played and sang some new melodies and some familiar ones.

"If you could have written any song in the world, what would it be?" he asked Sadie.

"That's a good question," Liam said, his eyebrows raised expectantly.

"That's an easy question," Sadie said with surprising finality.

"Oh yeah, what song?"

"I Will Always Love You," she said like it should have been obvious.

"Fucking amazing," Liam seemed to agree with a nod.

"The Whitney Huston song?" he asked.

Sadie gave him a look that told him he was utterly wrong.

"No. Well, yes, but it's a Dolly song."

"Is it really? How did I not know that?"

"That's why it's such a great song. It’s a bittersweet heartfelt love song when Dolly sings it and an amazing power ballad when Whitney does it."

Liam nodded. "That's what a good song can do. An artist can add their own flair and make it their own. Both versions are iconic."

He looked at Sadie who once again seemed to be holding back a huge smile. He was loving this for her.

"Do you want to hear the song we recorded today?" Liam asked.

"Of course," Lucas said.

Liam laid his guitar across the porch swing and nodded over to the large glass door that led into his studio. "That's okay, right?" he asked Sadie.

"Yeah, of course."

They all headed into the studio and Lucas took it in.

When he'd been putting the wiring in for the mix table, the walls had been bare and there was minimal furniture not arranged.

Since then, the walls had been covered, one with instruments, one with a large tapestry and the other seemed to be a wall full of letters and pictures from Liam's fans.

Usually, Lucas didn't get to see the final product of his jobs.

Let alone a famous rock star's personal studio.

"Have a seat," Liam said as he headed over to the board.

Sadie sat down on the couch next to him. He put his hand out and was pleased when she laced her fingers with him.

A song came over the speakers. It wasn't one he recognized.

The first verse and refrain was Liam on an acoustic singing by himself.

Then another guitar came in and some backup vocals he recognized.

His head snapped to Sadie who was still biting back a smile.

He wished she'd just let it light up her face. He knew she was dying to do so.

"Did you mix that?"

Her eyes lit up and she nodded. "Yes! It was amazing. That is by far the best sound board I've ever worked on."

"You'll have to come back and help with the next album. I'm still figuring it all out, but I'm building my own creative team this time around and I'd love to work with you. I'm really feeling the folksy vibes."

"Oh, yeah, that would be amazing."

The door at the top of the stairs opened as Lexi made her way down the stairs. "Hi, how are you guys doing?"

Lexi looked different. He'd grown up in town with the Turner's. Josh was always in the center of everything, but Lexi tended to hold back a little. She had really come to life during her time with Liam.

"Good," Lucas said.

"I just wanted to let you know I'm headed to Josh's for dinner."

"Oh, well we're finishing up. I'll go with you."

And with that they all said their goodbyes and Lucas carried Sadie's guitar to his truck.

"I'm bringing the banjo next time," Sadie said to Liam.

"You better!"

Next thing he knew he was driving down Liam's driveway with Sadie beside him. She'd yet to say anything, but she was near vibrating with excitement.

As he turned onto the road he turned to Sadie, "So how was it?"

"Oh my god!" she squealed. Then her mouth started moving a mile a minute talking about all the amazing things that had happened that day, from recording with Liam to playing some of her songs for him.

Some of it was a bit too technical for him to understand, but all he knew was he'd never seen Sadie this happy, and it made him equally as happy.

That thought made him stop. She continues gushing about her amazing day, and he was lost in thought. He'd never experienced someone's joy as his own before. He was developing some deep feelings for Sadie. But he would keep that to himself, he didn't think she was quite ready to hear that yet.

As they pulled into his driveway she was still talking, and he loved to hear it.

"Do you want to come over and get some dinner?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm just going to go put this inside and feed George. Then we can head over to your house."

As he followed her into her house it struck him that this place was still Ms. Maple's house. There was not one single part of Sadie here except in the still packed boxes that sat in the front room. A meow sounded from the top of the stairs as George came down and wound between his legs.

"Do you have any plans for remodeling? I can help if you want," he said as he bent down to give George a scratch behind the ears.

Sadie stopped and took a look around; her bubbly energy seemed to disappear with each step into the house. He was kicking himself for even bringing it up.

"I mean, I have, but it just doesn't feel right... I mean these things are hers. What am I supposed to do with them?"

"I think she would have wanted you to make this place our own."

Sadie sighed with her hands. "I know, I just can't seem to do it."

Lucas's brow furrowed. He wasn't sure he liked that. So much of Sadie's life was in upheaval so he hadn't asked her many questions about her future. But he was pretty sure he was starting to fall in love with her and already making all kinds of future plans in his head, but maybe she wasn't there.

"Well, do you want to head over to your place for dinner?"

"Lead the way," he said as he followed her to her screen door.

"Did you like my song?"

He cocked his head to the side.

"The song Liam played for you. I wrote that. Well, I wrote and produced, I guess."

"You wrote that?"

"Don't sound so surprised. You know I write music."

"I do, and I was sure you were amazing, but now I know it for a fact."

"You really liked it?"

"Yes," he said in simple honesty. "You've got talent, Songbird," he said as they made their way into his house.

They settled in for the night and he found himself a mix of emotions.

Part of him was ready to fall head over heels but there was a part of him that wanted to give her time.

Buit the more time they spent together the quieter that voice became.

Sadie was something special and he wasn't going to waste his shot.