Every Song He Stole Was Mine novel · Chapter 11 of 24

Chapter 11: R.E.

Jude walked me to the dressing room door and stopped there.

"I'll be right outside," he said. "If you say my name, I'm in."

"She won't hurt me."

"She already has."

I knocked.

"It's open," Kiera called.

The room was small and bright, with a mirror ringed in bulbs and a rack of sequined costumes along one wall.

Kiera sat in a chair with her shoes off and her feet tucked under her.

The black sweater she wore was soft and too big, and her hair was pulled into a knot.

She looked twenty years old.

"Thank you for coming," she said.

"Where did you learn that tune?"

"Sit down first."

"No."

She sighed and smiled.

"You're so much like him," she said. "He never sat down when he was angry either."

My skin went cold.

"Who?"

She did not answer.

She reached into the pocket of the sweater and held something out on her palm.

It was a guitar pick, thick and worn, with a chip in one corner.

Two letters were scratched into it with a pin.

R.E.

My father's initials.

"I'll tell you everything," Kiera said. "But not today. Today I wanted you to have this."

"Where did you get it?"

"Take it."

I took it.

It was warm from her hand.

My father had lost his favorite pick the summer I turned eight, and he had never stopped looking for it.

"You talked to my mother," I said. "She told you."

"Your mother's never said a word to me in her life."

"Then how..."

"Jo." Kiera tilted her head. "In two weeks you're going to sing at the old hall across the street. I'd like to be there. And I'd like you to let me sing the bridge with you."

I laughed in her face.

"You stood in court and swore I hurt you."

"Yes."

"You put a felony charge on me."

"I did," she said. "And you're going to say yes anyway, because I'm the only person who knows what he whistled."

I walked out and closed the door behind me hard enough to rattle the costumes.

Jude was leaning on the wall with his arms folded.

He pushed himself upright when he saw my face.

"What did she do?"

I opened my hand and showed him the pick.

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