Page 350 of Ruthless Desires: Vol. Two

“I love you.” She rises up on her tiptoes and kisses my forehead.

She smells like flowers and honey, sweet and calming. I hold her to me for a second longer than needed and brush my lips against hers.

Reluctantly, Wren pulls away. “You’re going to be amazing.”

Silently, I nod. I’ve never made it this close to performing before. I’d end up having such horrible panic attacks that my mom would have to cancel for me. By the time I graduated, I’d given up on the idea of ever doing this, no matter how badly I wanted to.

“We’ll see you after.” Rhett gives me a slow, meaningful kiss. When he pulls away, his eyes are dark and his voice low. “And then you’re mine, you hear me?”

“Yours,” I whisper, my heart skipping a beat.

He nods, and I lean against the counter with my stuff on it and watch them leave. When Rhett shuts the door behind him, I half expect myself to dissolve into a mess. But I don’t.

Tears fill my eyes—not of pain or anxiety but of happiness. Being here, finally getting to play piano in front of an audience like this, is a dream come true. I never thought I’d get to this point.

Turning, I face the mirror lined with lights. My eyeliner is perfect, and so are my suit and tie. Everything is in place, and I feel good.Reallygood.

There’s a knock on the door, and then a deep voice. “Oliver? It’s time to head backstage. You ready?”

I smile at my reflection, blinking back my tears. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

. . .

I peek around the curtain, taking in everything. Candles—fake ones, of course—are everywhere. They line the stage, the sides of the auditorium, and even some of the aisles. It’s beautiful, and seeing it all only gets me more excited.

But that’s not what I’m really looking for. Rhett told me they’re in box seats, and after a moment of scanning the walls, I find them off to my left. My heart sinks when I realize Elliot still hasn’t shown up.

“First time?” one of the violinists asks, giving me a knowing look.

“That obvious?”

“The newbies are always the most enthusiastic.” She winks at me. “Not that the excitement ever truly fades. I’ll always love performing.” She squeezes my arm. “You’ll do great, don’t worry. You’ve blown everyone away so far. Never met a pianist with such deep passion.”

My heart clenches. “It means a lot to me. Music got me through some hard times.”

She nods, her expression turning sympathetic. “I’m glad you had it, then.”

With a smile, I turn back to the crowd. Mom, Maria, and the boys are in the front row, and I wave when I spot them. We offered to have everyone in the box together, but Mom said she wanted to be as close as possible, even though it means she won’t have the best view of where I’ll be near the back of the stage.

“Hey, you’re supposed to stay behind the curtain,” a guy in a black T-shirt says. I’ve seen him working around backstage all evening.

“Right, sorry.” Bracing myself for disappointment, I glance up at the box one last time. My stomach flips when I find Elliot slipping into his seat and staring right at me. His lips turn up in a relieved smile, and my heart soars.

He’s here.

“Sir, please step back.”

“Sorry,” I say again, this time actually moving away from the curtain.

A smile lights up my face as I take my spot at the piano. He made it—just in time, too. God, I can’t wait to hear what he has to say about tonight. They’ve all heard me practice these songs a million times, but they haven’t heard the entire ensemble together as one.

As the music starts, my entire body floods with joy. My fingers move across the keys in perfect synchronization with everyone else, and as the curtain rises, it finally hits me just howrealthis is. That, after so many failed attempts, I’m finally here.

As I play, I feel like I’m flying—like I’m on top of the world. I half expect to downspiral right here on the stage, but instead, a new thrill rushes through me.

My hands aren’t shaking.

My chest isn’t tightening up.