{Mid-November}

Joey's POV

       The band is heading up to Pennsylvania for a couple days concert at a church up there. I wish Susanna could come with us, but she has to stay here and work the studio at her apartment building. She seems happy with this new job, and she doesn't have to do much just keep everything in working order. So we still get time together. For music purposes, I mean.

       The guys and me are working on a little surprise for Susanna. Probably after next year starts we are going to go touring together. At least that's what I'm are hoping for. It would be good publicity for her too. Plus, we are working on getting Jamie Grace, one of her favorite singers to go on tour with us. The idea is me and the guys on our bus, with Jamie, Susanna, and Kelsey on hers. We thought it would be really good for Caleb+Kelsey to tour as well.

Susanna's POV

      The band has just left, probably not over twenty minutes ago. I miss them already. Seriously I'm a mess. Things have felt different between me and Joey lately. I think I may actually be crushing on him. Oh this can't be good.

        I go upstairs and start cleaning up the studio. I started dancing around and singing, and pretty soon I started feeling better. The studio was actually pretty spacious and roomy. The equipment was high tech and top of the line, as well. After I cleaned everything up I tried a recording, and it actually sounded pretty good. I reached for my phone to text a sample of it to Joey, and then moved my hand away. I needed to leave him alone right now, since they were on the road.

        Finally when there was nothing left to do I went back down stairs and decided to clean up down there. I pulled up YouTube and selected a random play list I had made a while back of videos I had yet to watch. Song after song came on and I liked pretty much all of them. The next song that played started with a female singer whose voice I didn't recognize so I kept on cleaning out the dishwasher. The chorus came on and a male voice joined in back in the background vocals. When the second verse came on, I stopped what I was doing and rushed over to the computer. That had to be Joey's voice. Sure enough it was the one and only Joseph Stamper. As I watched the video, the plate I still had in my hands fell to the floor and shattered. And my heart pretty much went with it.

        He was singing with Rachel Potter on a song called Boomerang. They sure were close together. Part of me wanted to say they were just acting, but another part was prone to doubt. Why was my face wet? Stupid video. I slam the laptop lid shut and tossed it in my room onto my bed. I have to get out of this apartment, pronto!

        I practically stomped down to the diner. I stopped myself before going inside. I couldn't let Madison see me like this right now. And I didn't really feel like explaining everything either, for that matter. I went passed the diner into the bookstore next door. Next to music, books were my favorite escape. And right now, music was not something I felt like doing. I went back to the back of the store and started browsing trying to get myself to calm down.

        This store had lots of good Christian books to choose from so I grabbed several and retreated to a nearby table to browse through them. Before I knew it an hour had passed and I had read half of one of the books I'd picked up off of the shelf. I put it in a buy pile, and continued to look at the others.

        A male voice came from behind me. "Can I help you find anything, miss?"

        Without turning around, I nodded, "Yeah I was wondering if y'all had the newest Max Lucado book. I think it's called, 'Before Amen.'"

        "Yes, we do." I turned right around into a very tall, very blonde man. I read his name tag and a small laugh came out of me.

        "I asked Max for a Max book." I gabbered. Boy, my sense of humor was wacky when I was this crazy emotional. Or maybe just plain crazy.

        "Hey there. I'm the owner of Second Chance Bookstore. Well and the Notes and Gravy Boats Diner next door." He introduced with a pearly white smile.

        "Nice to meet you. I thought you were an old man though." Okay, seriously I have NO filter at times like this. "I'm sorry that was extremely rude of me. I'm Susanna. Madison, who works at your diner next door, she's my roommate."

        "Oh, so your Susanna. You played my guitar and you're becoming quite the crowd favorite over there." Max said, with another movie star smile. We talked as he checked out my books. "Susanna. I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

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Author's Note: Super sorry for the cliffhanger you guys. This chapter has been so emotional for me to write. :( My heart broke right along side of Susanna's.