Page 50 of Lyrical

And then I would spend the rest of our lives being the husband she always deserved. She would never once question her decision to be mine.

I’d make sure of it.

I set the amethyst back in its temporary home and locked the drawer. It was where I trusted it most. I did not want to leave it at my place with the amount of people who tended to come and go. There was a time when I was rarely there at all and Connor had the house practically to himself. That was not the case any longer, of course, not since Daniel’s been home. I was now back to sleeping alone in my own bed at night, and I couldn’t wait to be done with that shit permanently.

Thinking of you.

I sent off a quick text to Jillian and leaned back in my chair. I was on a break, my next class not coming in for forty-five minutes.

You must be looking at your hand.

I chuckled. I fucking loved that she’d trusted me the previous night. She’d let me take her in public places before, but they’d always been private enough to make her feel comfortable. She didn’t get off on exhibitionism, and I didn’t get off on displaying her to others. She was for my eyes only. Even if her body was covered, her sounds still belonged to me too.

No, but I will be later when it’s sliding into your mouth and I’m watching you taste how sweet you are.

Fuck, I was getting hard. I shouldn’t do that shit here. It didn’t matter how much time I had before I needed to compose myself again.

Chase! I’m supposed to be working.

You started it.

I switched it over to playful mode. Her sexy-as-fuck body would be trembling beneath me soon enough.

As long as you finish it.

Always, Wild Horses.

I placed the phone in my top drawer and checked the time. Cassie would be down in the gym area, working on the spring play. It seemed like an excellent time to pay her a little visit.

I left my room, closing the door quietly behind me. Sandra’s classroom was across from me, and it was fully occupied with students. The door was ajar, which meant they weren’t in ‘do not disturb’ mode, so I peered through and spotted Hazel independently working on a design project. She noticed me immediately and waved. I smiled, waved back, and continued on. I fucking loved my job.

I headed down the short flight of stairs to get into the gym/auditorium. Its use was based on the day and the situation. Right then, theater students were filling the space in order to rehearse their roles. Which play, I wasn’t sure; it hadn’t been announced yet.

I took a left and entered the large room, noting the kids on stage and Cassie off to the side. She didn’t see me come in, and I didn’t want to disrupt the middle of her practice. I parked myself on a chair and watched.

The fifth graders were stomping across the stage, rolling through lines. This time it was just a play, but whenever they’d performed a musical in the past, I’d been part of it. Whether that meant coaching voices or playing the piano, I was involved. It took extra time on my part, but I enjoyed it. Music in all shapes and forms was my passion; if I could contribute, I didn’t hesitate.

Jillian was also my passion. The song that drove me deeper and made me even more of myself. I could find the melody without her, but it would be weaker, lacking the depth I needed. She intensified every nuance of my life and made it richer. She was everything I was looking for before I even knew I was looking.

And that was the reason I was there, sitting on a metal chair, waiting for the chance to speak with the teacher. When Jillian was hurting, I could feel it. Our connection didn’t allow anything otherwise.

Cassie collected a stack of papers off the piano bench and handed them out, her back towards me. Jillian was protective over Daniel; that was the kind of mother she was. I accepted that. Did I think she might be overestimating the severity of the situation? Of course, but it was still a valid concern. Valid enough to have prompted a visit from me.

“Mr. Nolan?” Cassie finally spotted me. The kids were huddled in a circle, heads down on their papers, likely running parts. “Can I help you with something?”

“Yes, Miss Randall. If this is a good time, I’d like to speak with you a moment.”

She whispered something to the kids, and they nodded. Then she walked over. “This is a perfect time. I just gave them each another small part to study.”

“Which play is this for?”

“Ah ah ah.” She waggled her finger at me. “It’s still a secret. But I will tell you this”—she glanced back and then forward with her hand to her mouth—“it involves star-crossed lovers.”

Romeo and Juliet.“I’ll just have to wait for the official announcement to come out, then.”

“You will come to see it, right? I mean, not just the school performance but the nighttime show? You know how hard these kids work on our productions. I don’t have a date set, but it’ll be in May.”

“Wouldn’t miss it. Neither would Jillian.”

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