Page 145 of Crescendo

My breath stopped. I pulled back to look at her, so vulnerable, so expectant. She was finally asking.

I’d tried so hard not to push, not to act like she needed to give up her life for me, but maybe we’d both been coming to the exact same conclusion while being apart.

“Take it,” I said, my voice low and urgent. “Tell her yes.”

A fresh set of tears ran down her cheeks as she laughed. “She hasn’t actually asked yet.”

“Yes, she has. Basically, anyway.” My hands clutched harder at her clothing. “Say yes. Be here.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

She laughed again. “Are you telling me you want to see me in London, darling?”

I sighed, my knees weak. “Yes.And I know it’s not going to be easy, but I talked to Arundhati. We’re trying to worksomething out. I could be a doctor for half the year and… a composer, I guess, the other half.”

“Ella,” she gasped. “What?”

“I know. I know. It’s… messy and ridiculous, and there are so many logistics to work out, but… I want to try. With you.”

She laughed and shook her head. “Hell, here I was thinking I was the one surprising you.”

“Oh, you did.”

“Good.” She grinned. “But, wow, you sure know how to stun a woman.”

“LA is far, and we both have big, busy lives, but… I don’t know, that life is so much better with you in it. Ineedyou in it. So, please, figure it out with me?”

She stared at me for one, wild, long moment, and, then, her lips were on mine, pulling me in, taking me home, making me feel impossibly alive again.

I’d missed her so much. Nothing felt right without her, and everything made sense with her. Even if none of the last few months felt like they should have made sense.

We broke the kiss but she held my face between her hands, our foreheads pressed together.

“Ugh,” she groaned. “I was supposed to be coming here with the grand romantic gesture, asking you to make it work.”

“I think you coming out as the surprise conductor for my piece is the grandest romantic gesture.”

“Mm. No. It’s definitely you rearranging your life for us, for your music.” She pulled back, staring at me like she was mesmerised. “You’re going to set the musical world on fire. I’m going to be out of a job.”

“Let’s not be ridiculous right now.”

“I’m so proud of you, darling. You really did it.”

I bit my lip, too overcome to say anything at all.

“We’re really going to figure this whole thing out,” she said.

“We are.”

She was overjoyed, dazzling. I couldn’t get enough of her. And I knew I never would.

“I can’t wait to introduce you to Cynthia,” she said, laughing. “She loved your piece.”

“Ha. Just like everyone else ever, I’m sure she just likes you.”

“Nah. She knows a great composer when she sees one. It was all about the piece. Oh! And the clarinetists. I told them the whole piece rested on them.”

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