His brows bunch at the change in subject, but he shakes his head.
“When I was dating Stephen.”
Eric’s eyes widen, pupils flaring like a deer caught in the damn headlights before he shakes it off. “Yeah, well, you needed a wake up call. Stephen was a tool.”
“Yeah, he was,” I concede.
He also wasn’tEric.
I take a step closer and reach for his arm, my fingers circling his wrist. “You can’t shut me out like this. Do you really think I’d just let you walk away?”
He stares at my hold on him before he deflates, and the rest of the fight drains out of him. “I don’t know how to explain it. I just… needed a minute. That’s all.”
“Away from me?” He gives a one-shouldered shrug as I tug on his wrist. “That was more than a minute. That was all night. You’ve never done that to me before.”
He swallows, the column of his throat dipping with the action. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. My head was just…loud, and I couldn’t deal with it last night.”
“Deal with what?”
“Any of it,” he says. The hallway falls silent except for the faint hum of the HVAC as I wait for more. Ineedit, and am damn near close to begging for an explanation, but he doesn’t elaborate.
“I ended things with Jaden last night,” I say without preamble, then release a rueful laugh. “Well, technically he ended things with me.”
Eric’s expression flickers into surprise, then shifts into something guarded. “Why?”
“I don’t know how to explain it,” I respond, mirroring his response from just moments ago. He huffs a laugh as he rolls his eyes, and my shoulders loosen by a notch. “Are we okay?”
He hesitates, but when he lifts his face back to mine, there’s an apology in his eyes. “We’re always okay. I’m sorry I overreacted.”
“S’okay,” I whisper as I tug him closer, and he resists for a split second before he wraps me in a hug. “I’m sorry I ever made you feel like you weren’t important.”
“I didn’t mean that,” he murmurs into my shoulder.
It’s dangerous to feel his arms around me, and to surround myself with the rainwater scent of his shampoo, but I hold on anyway. “No, you meant it, and that’s valid. I’ll do better at showing you how important you are to me, okay?”
He nods, and for a moment we stay just like that. When he pulls away, I fight not to drag him back into my arms.
“I really do need to cram for this exam,” he says, cautious like he’s dipping his toes in to test the water. “Last night wasn’t the most productive.”
“Okay. You go study, and text me later… when you feel like it. Are we, uh, good for coffee tomorrow?” I ask, and I hold my breath until he nods.
“What else would I do with a Thursday afternoon?” he asks, flashing me another careful smile before squeezing my arm and heading toward the door.
Chapter 4
Thepracticeroominthe music building smells like old carpet and drum polish. It’s the kind of scent that clings to everything after years of sessions. Afternoon light slants through the narrowwindow high on the wall, catching dust motes that drift like tiny planets around the room.
Dmitri is already there, standing beside his kit. He lazily twirls drumsticks between his fingers like he’s been waiting to show off. My eyes drop to where his sleeves are pushed up, locking on the flex of his forearms for a beat.
Things are largely back to normal after our fight last week, though both of us have been tense. Today feels like a trial, and I worry that it might be another awkward attempt at finding our footing. But as soon as he glances up, my concerns disappear.
The broad smile he flashes me is familiar. It’s identical to the one he greeted me with the night we met, and my chest aches at the memory. It’s wide, relaxed, and a touch amused, like the world just told him a private joke, and he’s choosing to let me in on it.
“Took you long enough,” he says, tapping the hi-hat once for emphasis. “Thought maybe you’d chickened out after I sent that video.”
“Chickened out?” I demand with a laugh, and the last of my worries drain away.
Dmitri nods, then air drums fast enough that the sticks turn into little blurs. “Yep. You saw me up there like some almighty drum wizard and decided you were too scared to play with the big dogs.”
