Page 196 of Play of Love
I decided to take things into my own hands and make the next move. I would go and see him in L.A. That was the best I could do. After all, he'd traveled to New York on several occasions - unknown to me - to see my concerts and listen to me play.
I covered my mouth to keep hold the tears in, but it didn't work.
My emotions got the better of me, and I could no longer control them. He pulled me into his arms and held me, stroking my head in that loving way I'd grown accustomed to.
"Princess please don't cry. I can assure you you'll see me," he said.
"But when. You live in L.A, and you train every day. When you aren't training, you're travelling. You don't have time for me." That was the reality of it. Aside from being busy, he wouldn't have time to see me.
He took a lock of my hair and curled it around his finger then he held my gaze for a few moments and smiled. "Evie," he began. "I've decided to move to New York."
I straightened up quickly and looked at him, not quite sure I'd heard him properly. "What?"
"I'm moving to New York," he smiled. "I decided that that was the best thing I could do to see you."
All I could do is stare in complete shock, and when I found my voice, I could barely move my mouth. "Gage you can't do that. What about football?"
"I was thinking I’d see the next season through and probably retire. You’re right, I’m super busy. Football tends to take up my life. I’ve always wanted to coach and get involved with that side of football. Maybe now’s the time. That aside, New York is where I want to be. I want to be wherever you are."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I just couldn't believe that he would go to such lengths to be with me. I was filled with gratitude, appreciation, and love, but I didn't want him to do something that would affect what he loved most. "I'm utterly speechless and grateful that you'd do all that. But Gage, you love playing for the Gladiators and living in L.A."
He chuckled. "Okay then Miss Evie, you move then. Come to L.A and leave your precious Philharmonic Orchestra in New York."
That was supposed to be a sarcastic joke to highlight the absurdity of the thought, but I shocked him when I said, "okay," without any thought at all.
The smile fell from his face when he looked at me and saw how serious I was. I supposed that I probably surprised myself too.
"You would give up an actual dream, your actual dream of being a violinist for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra just to be with me?" He said it like it was completely farfetched.
"Yes," I replied, again without any thought to it. I would do it in a heartbeat if that's what I had to do.
He leaned forward and kissed me.
"That means everything to me. But, I can't, let you do that. I still get to have football if I coach. Your music is another story, and there is only one New York Philharmonic Orchestra, so that's where we'll be."
The words seemed to flow from his heart. They flowed straight from his heart and into mine.
I threw my arms around him and hugged him. As I held him I thought of Lucy and all she did for us. Her belief in us made us the people we were.
I pulled away from him and gazed into his eyes, loving the way he looked at me.
“Gage. Lucy made it possible for us to do what we love most.”
“She did,” he smiled. There was a twinkle in his eyes.
“You shouldn’t coach just yet. Maybe someday, but not yet. Gage Force.” I nodded with conviction. “I’m touched that you would want to make such a big change for me, but you love playing. You love being the Gladiators’ quarterback. That is you, and you should do that for as long as you want to. The way I heard it is there’s no one like you, and I am so proud.”
I would never have admitted that to anyone before but I was proud of him.
He beheld me with awe and adoration. Love.
He didn’t have to tell me what that look was. I saw it, felt it, and heard it.
“Evie, you never cease to amaze me.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “I’m still moving to New York. I will still do that. I don’t need to live in L.A. Football is football, I’ll be away for training camp during the summer months and playing during the season but there’s a chunk of the year where I won’t be doing that.” he pulled away and looked at me giving me that smile again. “You’re work is different. Your dream is different. You have concerts throughout the year. Please let me move to New York, Evie. Let me do that for you.”
I thought for a moment, not because there was anything to contemplate, but because I was imagining how things were going to change even more.
“Okay.” I agreed.
