Page 89 of Unspoken Words
The sweet sound of an acoustic guitar filtered through the earpiece followed by Connor’s voice singing a song I knew all too well.
The wind blows through this
And I don’t want to miss
A second of your time
And I will wait here for all of this life, darlin’.
Oh darlin’.
My dreams will fade away
If you choose not to stay, darlin’
You’re my ever after.
How long?
Only if there’s time.
You’re my ever after.
I know.
Only if it’s right.
So come here and see the truth
And you’ll know that it’s all for you, oh darlin’.
His soulful tune dissipated with his voice until all that was left was his breathing and mine, one of us inhaling, the other breathing out.
“I like how you added the ‘Oh darlin’s’,” I admitted, quietly. “They’ve improved metering and bridged your verses and choruses really well. They also add a sense of intimacy to the story.”
“Thanks. I couldn’t make ‘oh baby’ work.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the humour in his voice. “Of course you couldn’t. The phrasing is mismatched.”
“See? This is why I want to work with you, Ellie. You know me and my music. You know what works and what doesn’t.”
“And that’s exactly why I know it won’t work.”
“It can if you give it a try.”
“Connor, I can’t …”
“Can’t or won’t?”
I bit my lip and massaged my temples. “Both.”
“Look, don’t make any concrete decisions just yet. We’ll discuss it more tomorrow over lunch. I’ll pick you up at midday.”
“Connor, no—” The dial tone echoed in my ear before I could refuse him again. “Damn it,” I said, tossing the phone beside me.
Fine. We would have lunch, we would make peace, and that wasit. No love. No laughter. And definitely no working together.
Chapter Twenty-Three
