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Hidden in Plain Sight

Chapter 12

*Jaime's POV*

I'm in a frenzy as I leap out of bed. I throw on yesterday's clothes and grab my keys. Wait, hair. I run to the nearest mirror and it doesn't look so bad but I run my straightener through it anyway. I look at the time and I'm only... 15 FUCKING MINUTES LATE!

I burst through the door, tripping on a pair of shoes and slide across my front yard. Just from landing on my front yard I can tell this day will be shitty. I get into my car and drive out onto the streets. Judging by the time, I may have hit the morning rush hour. And I was right. The traffic was heavy and to make my morning worse, I had to take the longer route to work because of a car accident. Just great.

Arriving to work half an hour late, I park my car horribly and rush inside, almost leaving guitar behind. I glide through the red velvet halls to our studio and I almost break down the door I charged through it so hard. Everyone seemed to be startled by my sudden entrance. Carly had jumped and hit the top of her knee against a keyboard. The rest of the guys they just jumped slightly.

"Jaime, what the hell" Vic comments.

"I'm sorry, I woke up late after a shit night and I had to take the long route and traffic was horrible and ugh," I pause to breathe, "I'm sorry".

"You can say sorry to my knee" Carly laughs from her place behind a keyboard. "Nah I'm just kidding, but are you alright Jaime, you seem somewhat unsettled"

"Yeah... Yeah I'm fine. Just a rough night" I half lie.

"Well... Alright then. If you want to, you can watch me play with my new toys!" Carly cheers.

I look at her questioningly but she turns around. I go to ask Tony who stood beside me what she meant by playing with her new toys, because I was so out of it today, I didn't understand. Tony pointed out that Carly had bought some new equipment to help with our recording. That raised my hopes a little. Come to think of it, I remember Carly mentioning it now.

Carly has taken her place back at the keyboard. A black laptop sits on the desk beside her and it is hooked up to some weird contraption that I assume records music. Carly looks up to me where I stand and puts her hand out. Being as slow as I am today, it took me a split second longer to realise she is telling me to take a seat.

"Are you sure you're okay Jaime. You look a little lost and you're a bit slow today" Carly asks again, her graceful voice soothing to my ears. I just nod slightly.

"As I have explained to these humans here, I have bought a new laptop and I have a new doohickey sitting here. I can't be bothered to remember the name, but it is supposed to record stuff better. There is a program on my computer it tracks to and with my laptop, I am able to play with sounds and stuff and yeah, it is quite cool"

Mike chimes up from in front of me "oh oh! Carly, play that song you were playing before. Show Jaime what you mean".

"Sure thing mon-cap-i-tan" Carly says in a strange voice. She does seem to be in a strange happy mood today.

She places her hands on her keyboard. "Vic you're singing for me" she mumbles toward Vic. He rolls his eyes, but sings anyway.
"It's not quite a mystery.
I'm the one who's insecure,
you're the one that makes believe,
that we're all okay, we're doing fine,
when we're both fighting just to stay,
to stay alive,
a fragile state of mind,
that I can't quite survive."

The lyrics are so beautiful. As I was half lost in the music,The song changed and Carly plays a lot louder and stronger. I swear to god she could break the keyboard, but it's a sturdy one. It won't break. Vic also begins to sing a bit louder too along with the sweet melody that was playing.

"The only way out of here is the way I've avoided for all my life.
There's so many things I wanna say,
but there's too many things still in the way.
I'm lost, please help me find my place.
You're the only one, please lead me out of the dark.
Please lead me out of the dark.
Please lead me out of the dark."

Carly stops playing and Vic stops singing. Tony and Mike clap them, as do I. The song wasn't finished, I knew that much, but what I didn't know was the name of the song. Because right now, I kind of feel like the lyrics refer to me at the moment.

"That was so cool, what was that song?" I ask to pretty much anyone.

"Lead me out of the dark by Crown the Empire. It's a good song" Tony explains before Carly yells.

"And shit, I forgot to record it. Oh look here's one I prepared earlier" Carly throws her arms around gesturing for us to watch her around the computer. "Okay, so here is where I have recorded, and here you can see I'm playing louder" she says pointing to the screen. "If you can't tell that I have no idea how you have come this far, right. So now let's play with some stuff. If we click here, we can adjust the 'opacity' per say, so like the volume of this particular instrument over or under others" and Carly continued on.

---

It was actually really cool. All of Carly's new stuff, which she ended up telling us that it isn't really hers personally, but for the studio itself. Sure she bought it for us but she's just being kind. We ended up using it for Mike today just to test and that took up most of our time, so right now, I am standing in the doorway of the label, watching Mike Tony and Vic leave. I don't know why I haven't left.

Carly soon walks out and runs straight into my back. She asked why I hadn't left yet and I just said I didn't know.

"Jaime, you've been acting strange all day what's bothering you?" Carly's soothing voice once again graces my ears.

"I...I...I don't know" I say in a soft tone. She lays a hand on my shoulder. "I really don't want to complain or anything, I'll just leave." Her hand stays on my shoulder. She turns me to face her.

"Jaime..."

"Okay, fine. You know the other night how we were together and blah blah blah, well after you left we all had a bit more to drink and I started to become quite drunk right, and so we got a lift home with a taxi and being the idiot I was, I told Jess about how I kissed you to get a man off you and I don't think she was happy because all day yesterday we spent arguing and she did raise some good points but then again I still stand by what I did and reasons and it's just so complicated right now"

Carly is quiet. I feel so bad for dumping my problems on her but I just need some help.

"Do you want to tell me what she said?"

"She said that I really didn't have to go to that length to get the man away and that I could have done other things and yeah she's right when she says that but then I said I was just being a friend and making sure my boss was safe and it's all... ugh!"

"Oh, now I understand. I see where she is coming from. In a way, she is right I will say that. But I guess, you can be right too. Oh Jaime, I'm sorry I caused this"

"No no, you didn't cause it. I just shouldn't have told her"

"I'm glad you did, because you shouldn't keep that from someone, especially the one you love. Jaime, please let me talk to Jess and see if I can make things better. I've done this to you before, and I just want to fix it" Carly pleads.

I look to her as if to say no, but a part of me actually wants her to. It may calm Jess down and settle her little theory that I am in love with my boss and all that crap. I don't want Carly to get involved and I surely don't want them not getting along, because that would be the worst. I guess I should give it a shot.