Page 123 of That Reunited Feeling

“Sure. Yes. Sure,” he says like he’s afraid I might put him in detention. As he heads back into his office, he casts a sideways look at Tom. “Let me know if you’d like to be involved inWest Co?—”

“I wouldn’t,” Tom snaps.

Axel’s office door clicks closed behind him.

“Thank fuck for that,” Tom mutters and pushes back his hair in that way that always makes my knees wobble. And given they’re already a bit shaky, I’m on dangerous ground.

I plant my trembling hands on my hips and draw in a jittery breath. “Why are you here, Tom?”

“You don’t reallywantto work for that wanker, do you?”

“It’s none of your business who I work for. And this job is absolutely fine to get me started. The last thing I need is you storming in here and causing trouble that gets me fired. So. Like I asked. Why are you here?”

His eyes meet mine, and my legs become so unstable I have to sit back down.

He breathes out a long, low sigh. “To tell you I’m an idiot.” His voice is softer, calmer. He takes a slow stride toward my desk, eyes never leaving mine. “An idiot who’s in love with you. And wants to be with you.”

The inside of my head rattles like a spoon in a blender.

“What?” At least that’s what I intended to say, but it might have come out as more of a gasping breath than an actual word.

Is this for real? He loves me? He wants me? How is that possible? How would that work? How could we be together?

I do my best to draw air into my tight chest as I gaze back into those big brown eyes. The look behind them says he believes it’s possible.

Does that mean it could be?

Even if it is, risking my first job—a job I’m lucky to have despite my asshole of a boss—isn’t the way to go about it.

“You can’t just show up in my office and tell me you love me.”

He emits a surprised laugh. “Why?”

“Because I need this job.”

“But this isn’t who you are, Hannah. You deserve to be who you are. You owe it to yourself. God, if nothing else comes of me being here today, please at least don’t settle forthat.” He jabs his finger toward the office door Axel disappeared through.

“I need a stable income for Dylan and me.”

“But you don’t have to throw away all your talents, skills, and personality to get it.”

He says it like it’s so easy. Like he became a success by just clicking his fingers, not through years of hard work and failures and scraping by. Has he forgotten all that? “So what do you suggest I do?”

“Look, if you don’t want me because you want to do everything alone, fine. If you don’t want me because you think I’ll disappear back to London again like the idiot kid I was seventeen years ago, fine. It’s not true, but if that’s what youbelieve and I can’t convince you otherwise, fine. But at least let me help you out with this crap.”

He gestures to the office. “This is not you. This is not who you are. This is not who you can be. You know that. You do know that, don’t you?”

Of course this isn’t me. But it will totally do. “Who the hell gets to live their dreams, Tom? Almost no one, that’s who. People do what they need to do to get by. And this is fine. It’s not like I’m down a coal mine or something. It’s totally fine. I’m figuring it out. This is just the first step. I won’t be here with”—I nod toward the closed office door rather than say Axel’s name—“too long.”

“I know a bunch of music producers here. They’re always looking for backing singers.”

I open my mouth to reply, but he reads my mind and holds up both palms. “Forstudiosessions, not for tours. You wouldn’t have to go away. You could stay here with Dylan and have singing as your day job.”

That sounds impossible. “I am not going to be dependent on you. Or anyone. But specifically, not you. I need to look after Dylan and me myself.”

“It would be nothing to do with me. I wouldn’t be involved. I’d just introduce you, then back off. You’d get it or not get it on your own. And they’d keep booking you, because of you. Not because of me. They’d book you because you’re an amazing singer, you’re professional and show up on time and know your part.” He looks down. “And because you’re great to have around.”

Christ, that does sound tempting. And an introduction wouldn’t do any harm, right? If I could get a meeting with a couple producers, I could just go for a chat with them and see. Nothing to lose, right?

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