Page 112 of A Wish for Us

I looked down at the Jack Daniels in my hand. “Will you be okay? Tomorrow?” I’d asked a favor of Lewis, for the sake of the piece. He’d accepted straightaway, without thought.

Lewis looked up at the empty stage, which this time tomorrow would be full of musicians like us. “I’ll be up there beside you, Cromwell.” He gave me a tentative smile. “I imagine I’ll be the most okay I’ve ever been in my life.”

With that he walked out of the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.I sat there for another hour, playing the piece in my head, replaying how it looked in rehearsals. Just as I was about to leave, I took out my phone and texted Bonnie.

I hope you come tomorrow, baby. It’s all for you. I love you.

I pocketed my mobile and walked back to the hotel. And with every breath, I thought of Bonnie’s face, her brown eyes sparkling from my music. And I prayed to God that she’d be there.

Hopefully, with a smile once again on her lips.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Bonnie

The line was huge as we pulled up to the venue. I stared out of the window and swallowed my nerves. Cromwell was playing in here tonight. I missed him. I missed him more than I ever thought possible. Every day when he wasn’t beside me, I felt it more and more. I missed his deep, sea-colored eyes. Missed the way he would push my hair back from my face, and I missed the rare smiles I’d sometimes be blessed with.

I missed his hand holding mine.

I missed his kisses.

I missed his music.

But most of all, I simply missed him.

I hadn’t realized until he came to Charleston just how much I needed him in my life. He was the air I breathed, the moon at my night.

Cromwell Dean was my sun.

“You ready, Bonnie?”

I nodded at my mama. She helped me from the back seat and into my chair. I’d started walking more and more now. My physical therapy was going well. In a few more weeks I hoped to be walking all the time.

Easton’s heart was meshing well with me. But then, I’d known all along that would be the case. My brother would never have seen me wrong.

Mama led us toward the doors. But we headed to a different one from everyone else. I realized it was the VIP entrance. I smiled at the man who took our tickets, and then my heart started beating loudly in my chest when we were personally led to our seats.

The theater was full to the brim, not a spare seat to be found. I wasbreathless as I looked at the stage, hearing the telltale sounds of the orchestra warming up behind the heavy red curtain. A certain electricity buzzed in the air, making goose bumps rise on my skin.

When we arrived at our seats, I looked around at everyone dressed in their best. Men wore tuxes, and women wore glamorous dresses. A sense of pride filled my heart. They were all here for Cromwell. Every person was here to hear my Cromwell Dean.

Mama leaned over and took my hand. Her eyes were wide. “This is…” She shook her head, struggling for words.

I held her hand tighter. I couldn’t find the words either. The house lights flashed, signaling that the show was about to start. I stared up at the curtain as if I could see through it. I wondered where Cromwell was now. Was he in the wings waiting to be announced? Was he okay? I wanted to run backstage and take his hand.

He hadn’t performed in three years.

He must have been so nervous.

I shared that nervousness as the room quieted and the lights dimmed. My breath became trapped in my throat as the curtain lifted and the orchestra was revealed. Applause rang out for the musicians, then died down as we waited…waited for the boy I loved with both my old and new hearts more than anything in this world.

I heard my heart beat in my ears, only for it to skip when Cromwell stepped out onto the stage. My hand squeezed my mama’s as I drank him in. He was dressed in a perfectly tailored tux. His large frame and tall height made him look like a model as he walked to the podium. The audience’s applause ricocheted off the walls as Cromwell stopped center stage. I stopped breathing, seeing his neck tattoos creeping from the collar of his shirt. His piercings glimmered in the light. His black hair was as messy as it always was. And flutters broke out in my chest when I saw his handsome face.

He was nervous. No one else would see it. But I did. I could see him rolling his tongue and rubbing his lips together. I saw his eyes adjust to the light then rove the seats.

I froze as his deep blue eyes fell on me. And then warmth burst insideme as his shoulders relaxed and I saw him exhale. His eyes closed for a moment, and when they reopened, he smiled. A true smile. A wide smile.

A smile of love.

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