Page 93 of One Last Encore

"Guess what?" Ingrid’s voice cut through the hum of the city, firm and certain. She stepped in front of him, tilting her head to meet his gaze. "I don’t want anyone else. You’re stuck with me, remember?"

He’d thrown those words at her weeks ago–half a joke, half a dare–and hearing them now, in her voice, sent a rush of something fierce and blinding through him. Gratitude, hope, fear, all tangled so tight he couldn’t tell one from the other. It rose up all at once, unspooling inside his chest faster than he could catch it.

"I know I missed your birthday last week with the rehearsals for Swan Lake and your crazy schedule," Ingrid continued, digging into her jacket pocket, "but I got you something."

Beck blinked, startled. "What? You didn’t have to–"

"Open it." She shoved a small box into his hands.

His fingers trembled slightly as he lifted the lid. Inside, nestled in black velvet, was a thin gold chain with a compass pendant–the exact one he had been admiring in the jewelry store window two weeks ago.

"Ingrid, this is… this is too much." His voice came out rough, like panic and something raw and aching had collided in his throat.

"No, it’s not," she said easily. "I used some of my savings. Plus, I sweet-talked the jeweler into a discount.“

"Flip it over," she urged, nudging his hand. With slightly unsteady fingers, Beck turned the pendant.

Never lost, right where you should be - I

His heart clenched so hard it was borderline medically concerning. For a guy whose birthday celebrations usuallyamounted to Finn and Reef buying him just enough drinks to regret every decision by morning, this was… different. It was intentional, something meant for him. And that was what stopped him.

That someone had thought of him like that. Like he mattered. Like he was worth the effort. This was what it felt like to be cared for.

"Do you remember saying that to me, the very first time we met?" she asked, her voice barely more than a breath.

He nodded, a quiet smile tugging across his lips. "Yeah. I remember."

"It felt like a joke then," she murmured. "But the more I thought about it… meeting you?" Her voice faltered. She bit her lip, gathering the words. "It’s strange, isn’t it? How every twist, every wrong turn–somehow, it all led me here. To you."

"I used to think fate was something people clung to when they didn’t know what else to believe in," she said, her voice low. "But then…you."

His breath caught, sharp and small, like the sound of a page turning.

For so long, he’d felt adrift— a boat cut loose, wandering waters he didn’t know how to navigate. He used to blame the world for that feeling, the way it had handed him rough tides and no maps. But now, standing here with her, he understood: He hadn’t been searching for a place. He’d been searching for her.

The realization wasn’t loud or showy; it didn’t crash into him like a wave. It settled over him like dusk, soft and sure. He was in love with her.

She made him feel steady, like stepping onto solid ground after years of swimming against a current he couldn’t see. She saw him, in a way no one else ever had— past the noise, past the broken edges, down to the heart of him.

Ingrid waved a hand in front of his face, her nose scrunching in amusement. "Beck? Did I break you? You’re looking very… existential crisis-y right now.”

"Huh? Oh. No, I just–" He let out a rough breath, running a hand through his hair. "I think this is the best gift I’ve ever been given."

The words felt too small for the way his heart was splitting open, but they were all he could find.

Ingrid beamed at him, her grin wide and unguarded, the kind that made her whole face light up, dimples and all. And just like that, all the sharp glances from her father, all his old fears of not being enough, all the walls he had built to survive fell away, like they had never mattered at all.

Beck swallowed hard, his fingers curling tighter around the necklace. Whenever she was, that’s where he belonged.

CHAPTER 26

INGRID. EARLY DECEMBER, FIVE YEARS AGO

"We practically missed his whole set!" Ingrid yelled over the music as she pushed through the packed venue. She scanned the venue until she spotted Beck behind the drums, arms moving with wild energy.

"It’s not my fault we missed the subway," Eden shot back, her pout betraying her guilt.

"It is 100% your fault. You just had to stop at that taco truck." Ingrid side-eyed her best friend.

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