Page 59 of A Love Song for Dreamers

Tyler’s not trying to touch me, to grab me, to make me do anything or be anything. He’s just here, bringing me five-dollar French fries in a five-starhotel.

God, I missed myfriend.

I know my heart was broken when we parted ways, when I chose both our dreams over our future together, but I downplayed how much it hurt not to have this—the calm, dryly funny, quietly charming guy I’ve adored since before I knew what charmwas.

We eat every last fry and talk about everything. Tyler and Beck’s life in LA. Elle’s new show and whether she and her agent have something going on. How I’m stuck on the last few verses of the most important song for this musical. The fact that he got Shay into the studio before coming to New York and was rewarded by something better than he could’veimagined.

“I told your dad I wanted to swap his dumbass kid forShay.”

I grin. “How’d that goover?”

“Notgreat.”

It’s kind of nice to know I’m not the only person who argues withhim.

I gaze past Tyler at the sparkling people andtables.

A couple of tables still cut looks at us, one discreetly trying to takepictures.

“We’re going to be on the internet in thirty minutes, if we’re not already,” Imurmur.

Tyler reaches for the wine glass. “Do you care? Because Idon’t.”

I shake my head, smiling as he drinks. The way he fills out his unfussy jacket is a tailor’s wet dream. The dark, messy hair makes me itch to run my hands throughit.

Ian’s words comeback.

You’re saving yourself forsomeone.

Iwas.

Maybe I stillam.

“For an unavailable guy, you’re acting pretty available,” I comment after we’ve finished the bottle of wine and I’ve won rock paper scissors for the last stub of a fry in the bottom of the greasy paperbox.

Tyler frowns, confused. “What do youmean?”

“When I said Shay had a crush on you,” I remind him, “you said she didn’t have a shot because you’reunavailable.”

Understanding dawns. The fact that he doesn’t argue with me has my stomachsinking.

“Please tell me you’re not seeing someone. That there’s not some woman who thinks she’syours.”

The idea isunbearable.

Tyler pulls his bottom lip between his teeth. “No,” he says at last. “I’m not seeinganyone.”

Relief washes over me, and I can breathe again. But the fear spiking through me a moment ago also reminds me how only a few days with him has me wanting things I have no business wanting withhim.

Tyler swipes the bill for the drinks before I can, but the laughter’s faded from his eyes, replaced by something serious and maybe even sad. “Let me drive youhome.”

* * *

“You got quiet,”Tyler observes in the town car as we cruise through the city toward myapartment.

The lights penetrate the back windows, creating strips of illumination that run over his body andmine.

“There’s not enough quiet in the world.” I lean my head on his shoulder, and Tyler huffs out abreath.

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