Page 189 of The Havenport Collection

Wyatt

I t had been six days since I’d seen Sylvie.

We had texted a bit, but she was distant and kept saying she was really busy packing.

She was pulling away. I knew it and I hated it.

But I wasn’t going to force her into something she didn’t want.

I told her I loved her, and she ran away from me.

It hurt. But I respected that she had to do what was right for her.

Didn’t make me feel any less terrible though.

We said we were just going to enjoy our few weeks together. I knew I wouldn’t be able to let her go, and I desperately hoped she wanted something more. We could do long distance. I would do anything to be with her.

“Dude, you are killing me with that face,” Liam said, clapping me on the back. “We have a busy night tonight.”

“Leave him alone,” Trent said, stocking the bar behind him. “He’s nursing a broken heart.”

“Did you fuck up?” Liam asked. “I did that. And I had to really grovel.”

“He did,” Trent seconded. “It was terrible. But Cece forgave him, thank God, and then he was smart enough to marry her.”

“I did,” Liam proudly showed off his wedding band. “Best thing I’ve ever done.”

“No one fucked up,” I explained. “She’s leaving. We hung out for a few weeks and it was amazing. But it’s clear she doesn’t share my feelings.”

“And what are your feelings?” Trent asked with a big grin on his face.

I shrugged. “I’m in love with her. She is amazing, and I knew the moment I saw her that she was the one.”

“Damn, dude,” Liam said. “You are pretty evolved.”

“I know what I know. And I know I love her.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“She’s leaving tomorrow. And I don’t even know if I’ll be able to say goodbye.”

A look passed between Trent and Liam that I didn’t understand. They had been friends since childhood and were the masters of unspoken communication. I had given up trying to figure out what they were saying half the time.

“I’ll go empty the dishwasher,” I said, heading back toward the kitchen.

“Good call,” Liam said. “It’s going to be really busy in here tonight.”

They smirked at each other again, and I headed back.

I walked by Liam’s office and checked the calendar on the door. It was Saturday night so of course there would be music. The thought of someone playing here made me think of Sylvie. How haunting and beautiful her voice was. How I fell in love with her when I heard her sing.

I ran my finger over the calendar. The Door Matts.

Okay, I could deal with that. They were a cool group of three guys named Matt who played mainly indie rock covers.

They were popular and usually drew a crowd of screaming women, despite the fact that they were all in their forties and happily married.

At the very least, their sound was totally different than Sylvie.

I could get through this shift; I could get through this night.

I knew I could. But after? When the bar was cleaned up and closed?

It would take every ounce of willpower I had not to drive to her house and beg her to give us a chance.

I finally headed back to the taproom as it was starting to fill up, pasted a fake smile on my face, and got mentally prepared to pour some beer.

“Hey, Wyatt,” Trent called across the bar. “Liam says he needs you in the keg room.”

I shrugged. The bar was busy, but it was still on the early side.

I found Liam inside. “Wyatt. Thanks. I have to run out for a bit, but the keg room is a mess. We need new kegs and some of the lines replaced.”

“Dude, it’s a busy Saturday night.”

“I know the timing’s bad. But it will only take you twenty minutes or so. Just get it done.”

He left, closing the door behind him, and I started to unhook the empty kegs. Why the fuck didn’t the day crew do this? We should never be starting a Saturday night with kicked kegs.

I worked quickly, frustrated and annoyed, but grateful for the quiet. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with people. I just wanted to feel bad for myself and pine over Sylvie.

I finally emerged, thirty minutes later, when everything was in order. The next time I saw Nate I was going to give him an earful about slacking on the job. But for now, I had to get back behind the bar.

I walked back to the taproom to the sound of someone tuning a guitar. I rounded the corner and stopped dead in my tracks.

Slowly, I looked up at the stage, and standing there, wearing a slinky green dress with a flower in her hair, was Sylvie.

She smiled at me and began to strum her guitar.

I turned and looked at Trent who was behind the bar smiling. He gave me a thumbs-up and raised his eyebrows. Did he have something to do with this? Sylvie wasn’t scheduled to play tonight. She was supposed to be leaving for Connecticut tomorrow.

I stood and stared as she began to sing. Her voice soared as her hands strummed her guitar, and I was captivated. This wasn’t a cover. It was one of the songs she had played for me. She was playing one of her songs. In public.

She caught my eye and winked at me. The resulting smile almost cracked my face. What was going on?

I wanted to grab her and hug her. Tell her she was so brave and talented and amazing.

But instead I stood and watched. Watched as she played song after song, poured her heart and soul out on the small stage. Watched as the crowd responded to her.

I stood there for every note. Liam and Trent were tending the bar as I listened to the songs, each one more soulful and moving than the last.

“I want to dedicate the final song tonight to Wyatt. Thank you for inspiring me and believing in me.”

She sat down at the keyboard and began to play. I recognized the tune immediately. It was the song we had written together that magical night. She must have finished it without me.

I let the melody wash over me, savoring each word. It was melancholy and beautiful, but…hopeful as well. My heart clenched as she sang the last verse. What did this mean? Was she talking about us? Being together?

The room fell silent. She stood on the stage looking at me, and it felt for a brief moment as if we were the only people in the world.

“I want to stay,” she whispered into the microphone. “With you.”

Before I knew it she had hopped off the stage and was walking toward me, looking like a beautiful goddess.

She stopped with our bodies inches apart. I could see her chest heaving.

“Wyatt,” she said, looking up at me with those big brown eyes. “I want to stay, and I want to be with you. I’m sorry. I had to figure it out. But I love you, and I love writing music, and I love this town. I’m not lying to myself anymore.”

Before she could say anything else, I swept her up into my arms and spun her around.

“I love you too, Sylvie. And I’ll do anything and go anywhere to be with you.”

She looked at me shyly. “I played my songs.”

“I’m so proud of you.”

“You helped me find my courage. And now that I’ve found it, I don’t want to let it go.”

I couldn’t wait one more second to kiss her. The minute my lips met hers I felt like I was home.

The crowd erupted into cheers. I put her down and looked around. The entire town was here. I saw Jackie and Joe from the diner, Sylvie’s friends, the entire brewery staff, and so many of the other folks I had met here. Did they know she’d be singing tonight?

“I called Trent and told him I needed to play tonight,” she said. “And Gina and Eliza told the entire town I’d be playing my originals. Apparently people were pretty excited about that.”

I kissed her again. “Of course they were. You are incredible.”

“I’m staying. Not for you. But for me. I love Havenport. I love my students and I love you. I let other people’s expectations cloud my judgment. But you showed me what it means to be brave and chase my dreams. I want to make music and wake up next to you every single day.”

She threw her arms around me, and this kiss turned passionate very quickly.

It had been almost a week since I had seen her, so I wasn’t exactly in a position to rein it in, nor did I want to.

Nothing felt better than having Sylvie in my arms. We continued to kiss, deeply and passionately, until I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Liam.

“Take the rest of the night off,” he said, beaming at us. “Go have fun. You can come back for your equipment tomorrow, Sylvie. It’s safe here.”

She shrugged and winked at me. “Jolene is outside. Do you need a ride?”

“I’ll go anywhere with you, Sylvie.”