AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Like when we met for the first time.
If I shut my eyes, I can see it. A shy girl oiling tiphe wood and a handsome, strutting musician stumbling over his own words as their fingers touch for the first time and linger.
No one has any right to play a poor instrument this well. It almost makes me angry how effortlessly good he is at this. I don’t think there’s an instrument in my entire shop he can’t play. Not just play. Create magic.
I understand why his sister is so protective over him, and why Ghildumal would pay a small fortune for instruments just to keep him happy.
“So.” He sets the rohm down abruptly and hops to his feet. “I’ll be taking five of those and five of the other.”
“Seriously?” I should be glad of the large order—ten rohms is not cheap—but I’m exasperated. “Are you buying enough for the entire theatre?”
“Oh, I’m sure Ghildumal will be purchasing more on top of that. But I need some for home, some for work, and some strictly for performances.” He grins at me shamelessly. “You know, since my wood-handling assistant—”
“Shutup!”
“I’m told they’ll be reduced to splinters,” he continues. “So I really ought to stock up, don’t you think?”
“Or you could learn to care for them properly.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
I never thought being with him again would be like this. I’d imagined scenes like earlier, when he demanded answers and stared at me like I was a stranger. I never dreamed we could joke around together like this.
Guilt makes my laughter falter. Guilt that I left without an explanation, and guilt that I’m enjoying his company so much. I’ve no right to any of this, but I can’t stop myself.
“If you can’t promise to take care of them I won’t sell them to you.”
“Is that how you treat a paying customer?” He laughs. “Actually, having met your boss, that I believe. Did you—”
The door slams open, bells jangling, and my heart leaps to my throat.
“Mama!”
Fuck.
How long have we been together like this? I could swear it’s only been minutes, but it must have been hours.
Ris looks around, confused, as if looking for the child’s mother. But then Ezra toddles right over to me, a huge grin on his pale face. He hugs my leg tightly, and I helplessly tangle my fingers in his hair.
Annalise strolls in holding Hazel’s hand. Hazel is pouting.
“We can’t stay long, we—” Annalise stops talking abruptly, eyes wide. She couldn’t look more suspicious if she tried.
And this is why we don’t joke around and hang out with the guy who got us pregnant, Sienna. This is why you ran away!
My self-lecture is brutal, but so is the dawning realization on Ris’ face.
Can I lie my way out of this somehow?
Do I want to?
How could I ever thought we could still be friends when there are so many secrets keeping us apart?
18
RIS
“Mama!”
