Page 24 of A Love Song for Dreamers

She didn’t wantme.

Not that she said as much. But overnight, our relationship was reduced to stilted texts, rushed phone calls squeezed into the margins of ourlives.

The shows and the work and the relentless schedule were something I ended up grateful for because they kept me from thinking too much about what could’vebeen.

I was going through some shit—trauma, plus shock, chased by some depression. Some days felt fine, like cracked pieces of broken ground after an earthquake settling together over time. Some days, it washell.

“How hard was it to learn to pick with your other hand?” Her question brings meback.

To the rest of the world, I’d diminish it. The long hours late at night, early in the morning, learning my craft from scratch until I was better than most, if not as good as I oncewas.

“Hard.”

Her eyes color with compassion over the rim of herglass.

I’m not the same person I was two years ago. Most people would agree that I’m more, given my career, my recognition, the gold album I recorded with the help of half a dozen nimble-fingered studiomusicians.

But in some ways, I’mless.

We’ve both moved on, and I don’t blame her for our breakup. I was impossible to bearound.

Still. I wish she hadn’t been so quick to ask me to leave, and so willing to accept when our schedules made it harder toconnect.

Because she didn’t want us as much as Idid.

So maybe I do blameher.

My gaze drops to a chain glinting dully in the sunlight and disappearing beneath the already-low V of herdress.

When she shifts, I catch a glimpse of the end of it. Instead of a ring and a rose, there’s pearl-encrustedpendant.

Because it’s not mychain.

And she’s not mygirl.

There are plenty of women who’d beg for a chance to satisfy me, including the one I met at this party who was exploring the studio with me when Annie walkedin.

I clear my throat. “I heard you’re writing a new show.” I haven’t been keeping tabs on her, but I get the big developments from my roommate in LA, since she and Beck are stillfriends.

“We’re pitching funders later this summer, but there’ve been some problems.” A frown crosses her face. “I wasn’t sure I should come to the party at all because of my deadline. Now it turns out Haley invited me and my dad didn’t know I’d behere.”

I blink. “You’rejoking.”

She shakes her head, her hair slipping over one shoulder as she scrunches her face in embarrassment. “No. I guess two years is a long time to begone.”

The pieces click intoplace.

That was her other surprisetoday.

Jax hasn’t mentioned her to me since he and I reconnected after my tour, but I figured it was for my benefit, not because he hadn’t seen hereither.

Someone calls Annie’s name and she looks pastme.

“Looks like Uncle Ryan wants to catch up. I shouldgo.”

“It was good to see you, Six,” I say and meanit.

I don’t know why I slide in the nickname.Habit.

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