“Ezra…”
“I know, I know,” he said, waving his hands. “You haven’t decided, and I’m not trying to bully you, despite all evidence to the contrary.Just think of it as insurance. Keeping your options open, though it’s not every day those important people are willing to travel on the word of a miscreant like me. But honestly, Orion, your Étude is perfect, and the spring concert is one week too late for their schedule. Now is your opportunity, and you must seize it. Harness that incredible talent of yours and show it to them.”
“Ezra, even if I agreed with yourquestionable tactics, the Head of the Bay Regatta is on Friday. I have to row.”
He stared at me for a moment, then ran his hands over his face. “Oh, bloody hell, I forgot.”
“Youforgot? The entire school’s been talking about nothing else for weeks. I’ve mentioned it at least a hundred times.”
“Well, perhaps it slipped my mind because sitting in a thin little boat, pushing a paddle back and forth is nowhere near as important as Juilliard.”
“Or perhaps it slipped your mind because you’re drunk all the damn time.”
His eye’s widened, his tone stiff. “Cheeky, aren’t we?”
“I’m sorry,” I said, waving my hands. “That was uncalled for.”
“To put it mildly.”
“But you can’t just make these kinds of decisions for me.”
“Well, someone bloody has to!” he shouted. “Are you telling me you’re going to walk away from your craft? From that life?”
“What life?” I shouted back. “Lifeis not going toaccommodateme just because I can play. I don’t speak the language of music. I can’t write. I’m going to embarrass myself.”
“Who told you that?” Ezra said incredulously. “Who…what lies are you listening to? Because it’s bollocks.” He leveled a finger at me. “You were abandoned for ten years, and you’re still abandoned. Even now. And so you’re scared. I get it, Orion. But—”
“I’m notabandoned,” I retorted with a snort. “I’m notscared.”
Terrified, maybe…
“No? How about this,” Ezra said. “Are you going to walk awayfrom Harper?”
I stared, fumbling for something to say.
“You don’t get it, do you?” he continued. “Do you know why your Étude is brilliant? Because of her. Because oflove. She has cracked open your heart, and you’re going to walk away?”
“I…haven’t decided yet.”
“Yes, yes, yes, you haven’t decided yet.” He flapped his hands, storming for the door. “When is yet? When is later? When is soon? Because there will come a time, Orion, whenyetandlaterandsoonbecometoo late.”
***
I went to crew practice down by the docks under a gray sky and cold air, my mood just as gray and stormy, muttering and cursing under my breath, telling myself that Ezra Wolfe had no right to talk to me like that. He was a piano teacher, not a therapist. He didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about.
Because it’s just so simple to upheave your entire life. To leave your family’s empire and everything they had planned for you to play little songs for a living.
But the thoughts rang hollow. Empty. Which only infuriated me more.
Rhett sneered. “Who pissed in your Cheerios, Mercer?”
“You can fuck all the way off, Calloway.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Tucker stepped between us, while Xander and Dean watched, ready to intervene. “Now, guys, let’s be cool. We got the Head of the Bay in five short days, and we’re going to kill it. Once we do that, we only have one regatta left and the season is ours.”
Rhett shrugged narrow shoulders. “Sure, sure,” he said with a snide smile. “Just make sure Mercer has someone help him read the road signs. Wouldn’t want him getting lost on the way to the docks.”
Instantly, a red haze fell over my vision and I lunged at him, but Tucker held me back and then gave Rhett a not-too-gentle shove. Hetook me by the shoulders. “You okay, man? Don’t listen to Calloway. He’s just blowing off steam.”
