Page 34 of The Fate of Us

“What is all this?”

He sets the drill down and walks over to me. “I wanted you to feel like this was home. So I thought the first thing to give you that feeling was to bring your music here.”

I smile at him. This man knows the exact way to my heart. I almost go to kiss him until I remember the papers in my hand. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you.”

“Anything?” I ask, standing taller and taking a step toward him.

“Yeah babe.”

“Anything as in you would pay for me to be a part of the Nashville Songwriters Association and submit an application for one of their workshops,” I say with accusation in my voice.

He grabs the back of his neck. “Ughh—”

“It was you!”

He holds his hands up in front of me. “Listen, I only did it because Mason told me about it. He said he talked to you and you turned him down. He said this was the best thing for you whether you realized it or not.”

“What about what I think is the best thing for me!” I yell as I take a step closer to him.

“Anna, come on. I just thought it would be good for you. I’m sorry if you didn’t get in or whatever it is that’s upsetting you.”

I scoff at that. “Upsetting me? You think I am upset that I didn’t get in? No, I didn’t want to enter this because it’s too much pressure, too much intensity. I could be thrown into a group of the greatest songwriters in the world and laughed at. Don’t you think that is humiliating?”

He steps toward me, arms outstretched trying to comfort me. But I step back. “I’m sorry. It was wrong of me to do that. I thought you were good enough. Mason thought you were good enough. We thought if we paid for your membership and applied for the workshop, you would be happy. We thought you would get in. I’m sorry.”

I scrunch my brow at him. “Wait, you’re sorry because you thought I didn’t get in. Is that it?”

“Yeah babe. I really thought you would get in.”

I scream and growl at him like I am having a temper tantrum. “Well I’m not pissed that I didn’t get in. I’m pissed because you did this behind my back.”

He grips the back of his neck as he takes a deep breath. “Okay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it.”

“No, you shouldn’t have!”

“But I do think you are good enough for it. Maybe the next one you should apply for.”

I hold back a laugh at that. “I don’t need to.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t because I got into this one, you dumbass. That’s why I’m so pissed. What if I fuck this all up? What if I am the worst one there?”

“Wait, you got in?”

“Ughh,” I growl. “Yes.”

This time I don’t stop him as he lunges for me. “I knew you would, babe. I knew you would. You are incredibly talented and deserve every accolade you get.”

I let him hold me, my arms pinned to my sides as he praises me. “I’m still mad at you. You should have told me.”

“Would you have let me send it in if you knew?”

Okay he has a point. “No.”

He smirks at me. “Well then I’m glad I did.”

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