Love & Hate

They were playing one of Jay’s old songs when he realized Silvia was singing the background vocals. He looked up at her and raised one eyebrow, both mocking and questioning. She raised both—what?—and nodded for him to keep playing. He did.

“Well, what about those BG vocals?” he said when the song was over.

“Oh, I love their arrangements. If you can take it, I’d rather go for that.”

“Be my guest.”

But he still couldn’t bring his inner bastard to behave, so he picked Save Your Soul. And she sang the higher voice along with a contagious spark of joy in her eyes. Jay leaned a little forward to sing:

But who are we supposed to be?

She smiled in the following pause and leaned a little forward too, chuckling when he sang, like asking her:

And who am I supposed to be today?

Her lips pursed in an ironic smile as he charged on with the chorus, nodding for her to join him.

I give back all that’s been given

I take back all that’s been taken

I could never go on this way again…

She hit all the rig