Page 43 of A Wish for Us

Bryce pushed through the door of the men’s room, and she glanced at me from the side of her eye. “Please leave, Cromwell.” She clutched her cup. “I want to enjoy tonight.”

She turned her back to me, breathing labored. I stared at her, chest aching from what she’d said.

Bryce sat back down. His eyes narrowed as he looked at us. “Everything okay, Bonnie?”

“Yeah.” I heard the fake smile in her voice. “Cromwell was just leaving.”

Anger built inside me in an instant. I watched her with Bryce and let the fire consume me. I’d been a walking inferno for three years, and seeing her with him right now, Bonnie choosing Bryce over me, sparked the flame so hot I had no way to stop it. “Nah, don’t think I’ll leave,” I said and settled back in my seat. Bonnie looked at me, confusion engulfing her face.

Sam came and refilled my coffee. Bryce and Bonnie started talking again in low tones. Reaching over to their table, I swiped the sugar bowl. My action cut off their conversation. Bonnie was beyond pissed off; I could see that much. “Need sugar,” I said.

Bryce folded his arms across the table. I leaned closer and listened in. My hand absently played with the handle of the cup. “It’s based on the journey of an immigrant to America from Ireland,” Bryce was saying. “We start with an Irish violin solo, then move in a flute, then more strings.” I huffed a laugh. Bet it sounded great.

Bryce shot me a glare. Then he covered her hand with his, and he turned his attention back to her. Bonnie tried to move her hand away, but Bryce threaded his fingers through hers and kept hold of the touch. Bonnie stared at the entwined fingers and frowned.

The wanker didn’t see it. Two conflicting things happened within me. I felt a stupid amount of relief that she clearly didn’t like him that way. But my blood turned to lava at the fact that he was touching her.

I downed my coffee, hoping the spike of caffeine and sugar would help. I winced. I bloody hated sugar in my coffee. When I put the empty cup back on the table, nothing had changed.

“You’ll be happy you’re working on your own now, yeah?” Bryce asked.

He had no idea what the hell he was doing. I knew that much. Because if he knew I was so close to smashing my fist into his mouth, he’d keep it shut.

“Yeah,” Bonnie said. She had the sense not to say anything else.

“Some people just aren’t meant for classical music, you know?” I rakedmy teeth over my bottom lip. But the arsehole didn’t stop. “Some people can throw together some beats on a laptop and call it music. They sail by, conning everyone into thinking they’re something special. All the while, the real artists among us get overlooked.”

I laughed. “Artist? You?” His lips tightened. I shook my head. “You still sulking at the fact I came to Jefferson and pissed on your bonfire?”

“What the hell does that even mean?” Bryce asked.

I folded my arms and leaned back on my chair. “The Barn. The fact that I could out-mix you with no hearing and my eyes shut. You’re pissed off that I got a free ride on the course and you didn’t.” I got up and towered over where he sat. “You’re jealous that my piss hitting the toilet pan would sound better than anything you could compose.” I curled my lip. “You reek of mediocrity, bitterness, and jealousy.”

I sat back down and signaled for more coffee. It was silent behind me until I heard the scraping of a chair. I looked back to see Bryce on his feet. “Sorry, Bonn. Can we reschedule?”

“You’re leaving?” she whispered. I didn’t like the swirling I felt in my stomach as I heard the embarrassed shake in her voice. I didn’t like the pale gray I saw as her words hit my ears. My heart was still thudding. But as the red mist dropped from my eyes, and I turned and saw Bonnie’s ashen face, something like regret built there instead.

“Yeah. I…I’ll call you, okay?”

I heard the door to the coffee shop close. Bonnie’s eyes were hurt. “Why?” she said under her breath. “Why did you have to come here tonight?” She scrabbled in her purse and threw a handful of notes and coins onto the table. “Just to get your revenge for the fact we’re no longer partners?” She laughed without humor. “Well done, Cromwell. You ruined it for me.”

She got up from the chair so quickly she seemed to lose her footing. Sam flew over and grabbed her arm to stop her from falling at the same time that I jumped from my seat. “You okay?” he asked.

She put her hand on her head. “I’m fine. Got up too quick.” Bonnie pulled back and rushed out of the door.

I glared at Sam, who was scowling at me. I threw a twenty on the table and got up. He grabbed my arm as I passed. “Leave her alone.”

I stopped short at his order. I looked down at his hand wrapped around my bicep. “You might want to remove that hand, mate.”

Sam pulled it back, wide-eyed, and I pushed past him and burst out of the door. I scanned Main Street, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. As I crossed the road, I saw her in the distance, leaning against the wall of an antiques shop, under a street lamp. She had a denim jacket on over her dress, and brown ankle boots on her feet.

Bonnie lifted her head as I walked toward her. She looked tired and worn out. “He’s gone.” Her attention drifted down the dark road. When she turned back to face me, there were tears in her eyes. “I just wanted this one night,” she whispered. “After everything…I just wanted this one night to go right.”

The sound of her broken voice did something inside my chest. Cracked it somehow. She wiped away a tear that fell down her cheek. “I’ve never let myself have anything like this. Have never been able to.” She choked on a hitched breath. She straightened her shoulders and looked me in the eye. “But I wanted to know how it felt. I wanted to not have to think about it all for one damn night…”

I stared at her, having nothing to say. What the hell was she talking about? What did she want to forget about?

I ran my hand through my hair. Her tears came harder, until she stood off the wall and turned on me. The tears were there, but now so was something I recognized all too well—anger. “Tonight you were cruel, Cromwell Dean. You were cold and cruel and unkind.”

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