Page 113 of Bluebird

I groaned inwardly. “I’m not throwing anything away. I’m just doing things differently.”

Stefan contemplated me for a moment. “You know, I would have assumed a guy like that would want a ton of kids. I mean, what else is there to do in a town like that?”

I raised my eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“I watched your interview, Nat,” he said, and leant in closer to whisper. “I know you may struggle in that department.”

My mouth dropped open in shock. “You don’t know anything about it.”

“You know, it would okay with me…” he said, running his hand down my arm. “Not having kids…”

I pulled my arm away in disgust. “Oh my god, please stop talking.” I took a step back.

“Come on, Nat, we make the prefect team. We always have.”

Stefan’s girlfriend returned holding two martinis, whilst his desperate eyes stared into mine.

Her gaze darted between ours, and her innocent smile faded. She wore the same wide-eyed expression that I had in my first years in Nashville, and my heart ached for her. She was both a happy and sad reminder of how I got to where I was today.

I smiled warmly at her and turned back to Stefan for the last time. “Before I leave, I just want to say thank you. For everything. I wouldn’t have come this far without you in my life and truly appreciate everything you have ever done for me.”

He nodded his head, and lowered his eyes.

“But most of all, Stefan, I want to thank you for letting me go.”

I kissed him on the cheek, grabbed my purse and quietly left the party.

* * *

Little Bird Records consumed the rest of my time away. We finalised our business arrangement with the aid of our lawyers, and were finally ready for action. The team brought me up to speed with each artist in their portfolio, and I requested to meet them in person to discuss their ambitions. But it was only the beginning.

Due to the buzz our ‘In Time’ duet generated from the music awards, The LB team were keen to get me in the studio to record whilst the hype was there. I told them I wouldn’t do it without Luke, and would ask him when I returned home for my brother’s wedding.

Stefan’s inconsiderate words plagued my thoughts since I left Nashville. He brought up fears that had been weighing me down since my operation. I pushed them away in the hope they would fade, but the more I thought about a future with Luke, the more my fears resurfaced. I knew Luke wanted a family of his own, I could tell by the way he was with Amelie. If I couldn’t give him that…then he needed to know.

Desperately wanting to hear his voice, I called the pub.

“Easton’s Tavern, you’re speaking to Dan!” he shouted into the phone.

I sighed, miserably. The noisy crowd in the background instantly deflated me and I wondered if I should just hang up the phone.

“Dan, you’re back! It’s Natalie. How’s Amelie?”

“Hey Natalie! Oh yeah, she’s great. That flu knocked her around for a few days, but she’s been great since! I’ll grab Luke for you, he’s out the back.”

A few days? Luke never mentioned Amelie getting better, and I assumed he had been working the extra hours to cover Dan’s shifts.

I heard a rustle and some muffled voices.

“Blue, are you there?” Luke’s clearer voice instantly brightened my day. He must have pulled the old phone into his office.

I winced. “Sorry, you sound busy.”

“Forget it, how’s Nashville treating you?”

“Oh, I actually just got back to Melbourne. Sorry, it’s been crazy. I’ll be here for another week.”

“Blue, are you telling me you’re only a three-hour drive away?”