Page 64 of Naz & Roz

She smiled.

Another rule broken for today.

It was supposed to be just theaudition day, not her birthday. They were supposed to celebrate all that tomorrow. Turning eighteen, and all the rest. Kyle’s demands to keep Roz on point, and in total focus for this audition.

Naz was damned determined to break all of those rules.

Roz didn’t even mind.

“You better get the hell out of here before Kyle comes and finds you,” she mumbled against the bed. “He’ll be in a fit, and then I’ll have to listen to him the whole way to the audition.”

Because yep, Naz wasn’t even allowed to drive Roz anywhere. She had to focus on the day, and the audition, and nothing else. Kyle’s demands, despite how loudly and often she had protested about it.

Naz made a noise that sounded a lot like annoyance. “Yeah, I kind of hate that guy.”

Roz laughed. “Me, too.”

But what could she do?

Nail the audition, she supposed.

She did exactly that, too.

Nailed the audition.

But even after the last note echoed from the piano, and her fingers lifted from the keys, Roz stared at the instrument in front of her like it was the first time she had ever seen it before in her life. She felt the bright lights above the stage bearing down on her, and the way her dress tightened around her body with every quick breath she took. She heard the sounds of feet shuffling and rushing to stand in the crowd as people stood, and then the noise of their applause when they began clapping.

Yet, all she saw was the shiny top of a Baby Grand and the ivory keys barely kissing her fingertips.

Because she did it.

Her fingers trembled, but she didn’t know why. Her mind shouted for her to stand, and face the crowd as was customary. To bow, and smile gracefully like she had been taught her whole life.

And still, she stared at the piano.

Still, she felt those notes echoing in her mind. A reverberation of the song she had created that slowed from her mind to her fingers and through the piano like an extension of her very person.

Maybe …

Maybe a part of her still thought she wouldn’t be able to do it. That she’d freeze, or miss a key. That she would screw up that last stanza when the notes reached an impossibly high, fast rhythm that she had only been able to complete once before.

With Naz.

Stand, stand, stand, her mind shouted.

Roz did just that, although how gracefully, she wasn’t sure. Sweeping her hand along her skirt to move it off the bench, she did a quick bow. She couldn’t really see the people in the crowd or the ones who were meant to score and judge her performance because of the lights. But she was grateful for that, too.

Somehow, she remembered to smile.

Somehow, she remembered to breathe.

Above her head, Roz saw a red light flick on and off three times. A signal for the performer on stage to move along for the next person. The lights were still too bright. The crowd was still impossibly loud.

She gave a little wave as she headed for the exit on the right side of the stage.

There he was.

Already waiting.

Roz’s steps turned into a run because Naz was really the only person she wanted in that moment. Oh, sure, she wanted her parents. She wanted to hear her mentor tell her what she already knew—this fucking audition was all hers.

But right then, she just wanted him.

Naz caught Roz in his embrace when she launched herself at him. Those strong arms of his wrapped around her like a cage that was never going to let her go. God, she didn’t want him to.

She hadn’t realized it until one of his hands wiped at her cheek, but tears had make tracks down her face. But they were good tears; happy tears.

Roz didn’t know what she expected Naz to say in those seconds. Congratulations, maybe. Or even a confirmation of how amazing he kept telling her she was.

He surprised her.

He was always doing that.

With his lips pressed against hers, he murmured, “I can’t believe you’re mine, Rosalynn Puzza.”