“And that’s true. I’m not him, Tate.”
I wait for him to play the closing notes of the song, and the air stills around us as the final one echoes out.
“But I was that night. I wasn’t meant to be there. Something held the real Maestro up and I stepped in. He said some peopleneedto hear his music, and he couldn’t let them down. And I think I needed to play that night too. I was… I’d had a bad day, remembering.”
“You had?” I whisper, hating the flash of grief that crosseshis face.
“But I couldn’t tell you it was me. It wasn’t my secret to tell.”
“You told me you didn’t know how to play that song.”
His eyes pinch. “I lied.”
“You played all of the others from that night when I asked you to, but not that one.”
Sullivan rolls his lips, whatever he’s about to tell me obviously being hard for him to admit.
“Sinclair made a montage video for the funeral of my brother doing all the stuff he loved. All the risky stuff.” He shakes his head, a sad smile on his face. “It’s the song she put with it. For whatever reason, that night I wanted to play it. I don’t even understand why. And when you asked about it I didn’t know what to do. I was scared that if I started talking about Slade then I’d tell you about Molly. And as much as I wanted to trust you?—”
“It’s okay,” I say gently.
He looks at me and gently places his hands onto my hips, guiding me to step between his legs and the piano. The heat of them against me has my breath hitching.
“Sinclair read out a quote at their funeral. It said some people make you feel happiness. Some teach you lessons. And others give you memories to carry with you for a lifetime. I didn’t know it at the time, but Slade was also going to give me Molly. He gave me a reason to keep going, Tate. And as stupid as this might sound, I still feel him. Not just in here”—he takes my hand and places it over his chest where his heart is thudding in a deep, steady rhythm—“but in a way like he isn’t really gone.”
“He’ll always be with you,” I breathe.
His eyes mist. “I told myself I hated love because it could leave you. And even if it didn’t, then it came with conditions. That no one would ever love Molly like I do. Like she’s theirs.”
“Sheisyours,” I choke, my voice shaking as Sullivan liftsmy hand to his lips and presses a featherlight kiss to the tips of my fingers. “And anyone who can’t see what an amazing little girl she is doesn’t deserve to be in her life.”
“I know.” His eyes soften. “You told me more than once. And you also told me you loved my daughter and no matter what I did, I couldn’t change that. And… Tate? I never want to even think about trying. The way you love Molly is the one thing I couldn’t ignore. I told myself I could cope without your smiles and your songs drifting around our home as you cooked. I told myself that I could live without ever waking up next to you again. Never being the one you looked at the way you did. I told myself a lot of things. But no matter what, all the time we’ve spent apart I’ve kept coming back to the same conclusion.”
“Which is?” I sniff.
“Which is that I can’t live without a woman who loves both of us, but who I’m pretty sure will side with Molly over everything as she grows into the incredible young woman that I know she will.”
I laugh softly as he continues.
“But the day will come when Molly moves out and has her own life. And fuck, Tate, I don’t want you not to be there beside me when she comes home to visit and brings boyfriends that I’m going to want to strangle.”
“I could keep you in line.” I smile as the first of my tears escapes down my cheek.
“Yeah, Baby, you could,” he whispers.
My heart squeezes.Baby.
“I love you, Tate. I have loved you for longer than I’ve been able to admit to myself. But I’m not hiding anymore. I want you. Molly wants you. My family want you. All I’ve heard about isyousince the party yesterday. They wanted to know where you’d gone.”
“I’m sorry.” I reach up and wipe my cheeks. “I needed some time.”
“Do you still need it?” Blue eyes scan mine, back and forth with growing urgency.
I hesitate and his face falls.
“Tell me our song isn’t over. Please, Tate.”
“Sullivan…”
