Page 34 of Broken Hearts

“I feel it here when I play,” he says, resting his hand on his chest.

My heart squeezes in my chest at the memory of the moment when I, too, knew violin was my destiny. It’s bittersweet to see the birth of the passion, but it’s also healing in a strange way.

I look up to see his older brother standing in front of the door. “Oh, here we go,” I say with a sheepish smile, helping him put everything away.

“I’m sorry for keeping him,” I tell his brother, extending Wayne’s violin case to him. “He really has a gift.”

He looks down at Wayne, who’s beaming at us, and rolls his eyes. “Oh yeah, he can’t stop talking about you at home. Trying to impress the teacher, aren’t you?”

I can’t help but chuckle at Wayne’s look of betrayal as his cheeks turn pink.

“Someone has a crush on his teacher…” he continues, teasing.

“You’re so mean, Jason!” Wayne barks, stomping on his older brother’s foot. “I’m telling Mom!” he adds, storming out of the room.

“That will teach you not to touch my PlayStation!” Jason calls behind him before turning toward me and giving me a sheepish grin.

Shaking my head, I chuckle. “That’s not kind,” I remark lightheartedly.

He shrugs. “But it’s true.”

I’m about to tell him that Wayne could use more lessons and that I’m willing to give them for free when the front desk secretary comes down the corridor.

“Eva, sorry to interrupt, but your boyfriend is here.”

“My what?” I ask, certain I’ve misheard her.

“Boyfriend.” She points behind her. “He’s waiting in the main hall.”

I purse my lips while putting the bag on my shoulder. “Thank you, I’ll be right there.”

Walking down the corridor, the sight of Cole standing there in his varsity jacket, blue jeans, and combat boots is no surprise, his presence commanding the space.

He sees me and starts walking toward me with a grin but his gaze hardens when he sees Jason next to me, his jaw tightening just enough for me to notice. The subtle clench of his fists, a telltale sign of his simmering jealousy, reminds me of the many times he saw threats where there were none.

“Sweetheart.” He extends his hand toward me, and I don’t want to cause any drama, not in this center when most children here already have drama in their lives. They come here to get peace, so against my better judgment, I reach for his hand and let him pull me beside him. He kisses my forehead before turning toward Jason.

“And who do we have here?”

I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes at the primitive tone in his voice. Asshole.

“This is Jason, the brother of my student Wayne.” I hate how he is running his thumb across my knuckles. I hate that I enjoy it, and I need to force myself to remember the cruelty he is capable of.

“Oh, that’s nice… And where is Wayne?”

“Probably in the car with our mom. I’ll see you later, Eva.”

The tightening of Cole’s hand around mine is the only sign the comment bothers him.

“I’ll see you later, Paula,” I say to the receptionist, who is eyeing us with barely veiled interest.

Even in the height of our secret, when we went on dates in other towns, we always got that look. The “Why is he with her?” look, the one that should have been enough to warn me of how doomed we were.

My attempt to free my hand from his grip is met with increased resistance as he starts pulling us toward his car.

I pull again. “Let me go.”

“We need to talk, Angel. Let’s go for lunch.”

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