Page 55 of Dr. Baby Daddy

If I have to throw myself to the ground and beg for her forgiveness and another chance, then that’s what I’m going to do.

CHAPTER 26

IZZY

Ipeek around the curtain, checking the size of the crowd at Brazen Lounge. It’s nearly twice the size of The Gilded Raven, and all the tables are packed.

As I let the curtain fall back into place, I take a deep breath. I shake out my hands and smile at the rest of the band.

Between packing and getting ready for the show, I haven’t had much time to breathe this week. Tomorrow, the movers come and pack up the last of my things, taking them to the other side of the city.

Tonight, I’m a performer. I’m going to get on that stage and pretend that the stress of my daily life isn’t eating away at me. I’m going to play until my fingers and mind are numb.

I put my hand on my stomach, a silent hello to the baby there. It’s going to be the first performance I’ve played since finding out I was pregnant.

There’s something special about thinking that my baby is going to be on stage with me.

The curtain lifts, and my hand drops from my stomach. I smile and wave to the crowd as I walk across the stage and take my place behind the piano. The first chords of the song are plucked by the man with the double bass guitar.

My hands hover above the keys, waiting for my cue. The saxophone joins the song, it’s melody long and low. I join in, and the melancholy tune fills the club.

After the first song, we play another one with more energy. Some people move onto the dance floor that’s in front of the stage. They swing dance to the beat, laughing and spinning around in quick circles.

I play faster, laughing as the saxophone player slides to his knees and keeps playing. The crowd goes wild, with more people coming to dance.

Opening night is going better than I thought it would. I stop between songs to take a sip of water and stretch my fingers before the next song starts.

By the time we’re halfway through the setlist, my heart is soaring. This is the best that I’ve felt in weeks. As I sit beneath the warm lights, I know that this is where I’m meant to be.

As we’re about to start the chorus of the next song, the bass player changes the beat. The drums pick up the new tempo quickly and the rest of the instruments join in, leaving me wondering what’s going on. I work to keep up with what the rest of the band is doing.

Is this the cost of playing with a new band?

The melody changes again, shifting into one of my favorite songs.

A bright spotlight hits the middle of the stage, blinding me. When the lights lower a little bit, the air is stolen from my lungs.

Oliver stands in the middle of the stage, beneath the spotlight, playing with the rest of the band. He smiles as he strums along with them, keeping pace easily. He plays one song after another while tears stream down my face.

I thought he couldn’t get on stage and perform. Is he doing this for me?

Oliver turns to me and keeps playing, his eyes never leaving mine. My hands shake as he switches to one of the songs I wrote. The band keeps up with him, not missing a note.

When the song comes to an end, he sets the guitar to the side and rounds the piano to stand beside me. He crouches down, cupping my cheek. I can barely see him through the tears that blur my vision.

“Iz, I’m an idiot.”

I laugh and wipe at my tears. “Yeah. You have that right.”

“I want to address things properly with you like I should have from the beginning. After that, you can tell me to get lost if you want to. I’ll stay here until you’ve finished playing for the night.”

I only have time to nod quickly at him before the band starts the next song. Thankfully, there are just a few songs left in the set.

After we finish the last song of the night, the crowd stands up and claps for us. I’m elated, and the band members are all smiling too. At the same time, I’m nervous. Is Oliver really going to be able to tell me how he feels? Or is he going to chicken out and run away again?

As I’m sitting on the piano bench packing my music into my portfolio case, Oliver appears by my side.

“Want to get out of here and talk?” The corner of his mouth twitches as he holds out a hand.

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