EXCERPT FROM "Cinnamon Eyes:"

When the song ended, I opened my eyes and clapped with the others. He didn't look up or say anything, just started strumming another slow song on the strings. Judging by the cheers from the room, it was a popular one.

And then he lifted his head, opened his eyes, and started singing.

I gasped.

It was him. Asher.

Both my hands flew to my face and covered my mouth.

Sixteen years later and I still would have recognized him anywhere. The hair was as unruly as ever, and just as rock 'n' roll as his voice. The jawline so sharp he could probably cut glass with it. And the nose was still a little too big for his face.

I couldn't see his green eyes from here, but I remembered them vividly. The pale color of a leaf newly broken out of its bud in spring, was such a stark contrast to his black eyelashes and olive complexion and had always hypnotized me with their beauty.

When he started singing, his voice pulled me out of my initial shock.

Two best friends
Like no one had ever seen before
Always together
happy and troublesome and wild
Sharing scraped knees
and high flying dreams
Carefree as the clouds in the sky
The boy with laughing cinnamon eyes
And I

The words struck a chord inside me. They reminded me of our friendship, all the way down to the scraped knees. Had he written this song? Had our friendship inspired him?

Then one day
he shimmered with a different light
Just one look at him
made my heart ache, stutter and want
I felt the same
pouring from his soul
A longing for more between us
The boy with loving cinnamon eyes
And I

He sang with such emotion, and the pronouns he used didn't escape me. Asher was singing to a man, and my stomach made a hopeful jump.

Our story
didn't have a fairytale ending
He had to leave me
and all I could do was to cry
But with no choice
I had to let go
We hugged and were saying goodbye
The boy with grieving cinnamon eyes
And I

I swallowed. I didn't understand. That sounded just like ... I shut down that thought immediately. It couldn't be.

It's been years
and my life has never been the same
I'm often wond'ring
what could have been if he'd stayed
Maybe one day
I'll see him again
In dreams we were never apart
My boy with the sweet cinnamon eyes
And I
My boy with loving cinnamon eyes
And I

After the last chord rang out, the bar was deadly silent for a heartbeat, and then everyone started cheering and clapping and whistling.

Everyone except me.

I folded my arms on the table in front of me and collapsed with my forehead on top of them and my face hidden in the dark space between.

Had I heard what I thought I'd just heard?

Was that song ... about us?

Had he had feelings for me too, back then?

The thought made me shake, and I grabbed my elbows and squeezed to keep myself from flying apart. I took a deep breath and didn't let it out until my lungs screamed and burned in protest. I repeated the process several times until my teeth had stopped chattering and my heart had slowed its furious pace.

I was still hiding when someone cleared their throat in my vicinity.

"Excuse me? Benji said you wanted to talk to me? Are, uh, are you all right?"

His voice was as deep when he spoke as when he sang, and it sent a shiver down my spine, completely different from the previous desperate shaking. I took a deep breath and raised my head. Forcing myself to face him.

At first, he didn't seem to recognize me. He searched my face for clues, but it only took a few moments for the spark of realization to light up his eyes.

"Cory?" His voice was gravellier than ever. "Cory, is that you?"