Then someone clapped. Then someone else. Then everyone.
But Chloe wasn't looking at them.
She was looking at me.
I didn't move. Couldn't. My feet were nailed to the floor. My heart was somewhere in my throat.
She stepped off the stage. People reached for her—touching her arm, asking for her name, asking if she had more. She smiled. Nodded. Said thank you.
But she pushed through.
She crossed the room like she was crossing a battlefield. Didn't care who watched. Didn't care who saw.
She stopped in front of me.
"Hey," she said.
"Hey. So she stole your words."
She nodded.
"I thought so. Doesn't matter who says them," I said. "I knew from that first day who they belonged to."
She opened her mouth like she might say something, but she didn't. She just nodded.
The crowd was still moving around us, but she didn't pay them any attention. Just kept her eyes on mine.
"They heard me tonight," she said softly.
I nodded, knowing what she meant.
"They did."
She exhaled slowly, like she'd been holding that breath for years and didn't realize it until now.
She moved closer.
"I thought I'd feel different," she admitted. "Lighter or something."
"You don't?" I asked.
She shook her head slightly.
"I feel…" She trailed off, searching for the words. "I don't know how to put it in words. But I just feel something other than angry or melancholy. I feel like the past fourteen years might not have broken me as badly as I thought."
Her hand found mine. Squeezed.
"Because you're strong," I said.
"Yeah," she agreed. "I am."
She leaned into me slightly.
"Can we stay here a little longer?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said. "We can stay as long as you want."
Chapter 34: Chloe
