Page 122 of Strings

“Where did he go?” I ask in a panic.

Amy searches over heads with me. She speaks into her walkie. “I need eyes on Strings. Where is he?”

A few seconds later, a voice responds. “By the stage. He’s talking with his father. Holy smokes. That’s Vladimir Corronov.”

I rush through the crowd to get to him. I have to explain what I was thinking when I wrote that note. I never meant for him to think I was leaving him.

I hear Vladimir as I get closer.

“You will do no such thing!”

“Maybe you misunderstood me, Father. I’m not asking for your permission. I’m telling you.”

“I forbid it. You cannot leave the orchestra. No! You will renew your contract or I will disown you. Do you hear me? All of it—gone. Poof!” He motions with his hands.

“Do you think I care about the money? Take it. I never wanted it to begin with. All I ever wanted was for you to say you were proud of me—just one time. Was that too much to ask? No matter what I did, it was never enough. I’m tired of living for you. It’s time I do what makes me happy.”

Sebastian notices me standing nearby and I feel bad for listening. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Sebastian smiles and holds out his hand to me. Maybe he’s not mad at me after all. I am a mess. How can I be so wrong about so many things? I guess love mixes you up inside until everything is backwards and twisted.

“You! This is all your doing!”

Sebastian lifts his finger up to his father’s face. “Don’t you speak to her—at all. Ever again. We’re done here.”

“No, we are not. Do you know what’s he’s doing?” Vladimir seems to be speaking to me even after Sebastian told him not to. Am I supposed to respond?

“He’s quitting. He’s leaving everything behind all for some cheap pussy and worthless kids.”

Sebastian forces his eyelids shut and I can tell he wants to hit him, but he’s holding back. I reach out to him and grab his arm. “Let’s go. Please. Will you take me home?”

“That’s right. Go slum it. You’ll be crawling back to me in no time.”

Sebastian grits his teeth and his posture goes rigid. “I don’t know why I ever wanted to protect you from the truth. You deserve everything she did. Even more.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sebastian pushes his tongue against the inside of his cheek and turns to walk away, thinks better of it, and faces his father once more. “Maybe if you’d married a woman like Talia, then your wife wouldn’t have cheated on you with your supposed best friend. Chew on that for a while, Pops.”

Vladimir stumbles back and places his hand on his chest. He quickly turns, and Sebastian and I watch as he stomps off to Constance and pulls her away from her wealthy friends, much to her surprise.

“I don’t care about this. Let’s go home. Maybe now Mercer will finally get what’s coming to him.”

“You didn’t hear? Bella made him resign. She overheard us and found out he’d forced a crap ton of other girls to have sex with him. Bella actually apologized to me.”

“You’re kidding. Really?”

I nod excitedly.

“So I tell off my father, quit my job, put the bad guy away,andget the girl all in one night?”

“Well, I don’t know about the other stuff, but you definitely got the girl.” I place my hand on his chest and he lifts it to his mouth, gently kissing my palm. He eyes my scar and I sigh.

“Cooking?” he asks.

I shake my head. “Not even close. I want you to know everything and this time I’ll answer every question you have with complete honesty. I promise.”

“Let’s get out of here. Your place or mine?” he asks.