Page 12 of A Love Song for Dreamers

“You guys want to go to Leo’s tonight? I know we’re all studying, but only for an hour. Two, tops,” I ask as we catch up to Elle and Pen by thebench.

Elle cocks her head, intrigued. “You have something special linedup?”

“Not yet.” Conviction surges through me. “But Iwill.”

* * *

“You came!”Elle calls from where she’s perched next to Beck on a stool atLeo’s.

She hugs Tyler, and he wraps his good arm around her for asecond.

“I heard that due to your condition, you got an extension until January to write your exams,” Ellesays.

“The gifts never end,” he drawls, but his mouth lifts at the corner when he looks back at me, and my heart lifts withit.

It’s not the only reason to be in a good mood. I emerged from the library after skating to find two calls about interviews for serving jobs. Plus, I’ve started investigating both student loans and scholarships to help cover tuition and living expenses nextsemester.

Rae orders drinks for the crew—alcohol for all of us except Tyler, who’s still on medication and gets a Coke—and we catch up through a few of the open micacts.

Some Vanier students stop by to talk, and the tightness in my chest eases every time Tyler lets them draw him into conversation. I’m thrilled to see him talking and laughing with ourfriends.

Beck said Tyler would need time, and he wasright.

I catch Beck’s eye and he lifts his glass almost imperceptibly. I smile, sighing out a big breath I’ve been holding forages.

It almost feels like oldtimes.

Almost.

“Come on, I have a surprise for you.” Excitement bubbles through me as I take Tyler’s good hand and lead himbackstage.

“A surprise. Are we going to have sexbackstage?“

“Better.”

“No suchthing.”

I nod to the woman who does the bookings, and shesmiles.

“Heard you had a little setback,” she calls to Tyler. “Nice to see you back inaction.”

“You call this action?” he tosses, lifting hisarm.

“Chicks digscars.”

The current performer finishes, and I jerk my head toward the stage. “Let’sgo.”

He balks. “Gowhere?”

I head out to the stage and pull a guitar over my head, nodding to the other mic. A cheer goes up—not for me but from the people who spot Tyler in thewings.

I lean into the mic. “So, this is the performance that’s been delayed a few weeks. But it’s the one weplanned.”

I play the first few chords of our showcase song, and a new round of hoots goesup.

Tyler doesn’tmove.

I step back from the mic, continuing to play as I cross to him in the shadowy wings. “Come on! I’ve never had to drag you onto a stagebefore.”

---