There are new notes inside. Folded white paper, crisp and fresh, tucked among the faded hearts like they’ve always belonged there.
You don’t need these notes to carry you. The spark is inside you. Believe in your own magic.
Like a frenzied shark, I attack the next square note.
Win or lose, we still feast on tuna tonight.
—Black Cat
I laugh despite myself, the sound wet and wobbly. When did Taio find time to do this?
The third note is just a single line:
You don’t need to earn their love. You already have it. We’re all just here to watch you shine.
The fourth:
Black Cat says break a leg. I told him that’s a weird thing to say to someone you supposedly love, but he insisted.
And the fifth, tucked at the very bottom:
I’m right here with you. You’re never alone.
—Your Taio
Your Taio.
I clutch the notes to my sternum, each inhale a battle against the knot forming beneath my collarbone. Taio must have planted these little paper lifelines before his flight, slipping them into my sacred box when my back was turned, certain they’d find me at my most vulnerable moment.
God, this man.He’s the stuff of fairy tales.
I grab my phone and call him before I can talk myself out of it.
He answers on the second ring. “Hey, you. Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”
“I found your notes.”
A pause. Then, softer: “Yeah?”
“They’re perfect. You’re perfect. I just—” My voice cracks embarrassingly. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I just wanted you to know I’m thinking about you.” He sounds tired. More than tired—exhausted in a bone-deep way that makes me want to fly to New York and wrap myself around him until he remembers how to rest. “I’m so sorry I’m not there.”
“It’s okay. Tell me what’s happening with your dad.”
“Charlie, you have a huge performance.In minutes.Let’s stay focused.”
I collapse into the plush velvet chair in front of the mirror, my reflection wavering as I settle. The pacing stops, but my knee immediately picks up the rhythm, bouncing against the underside of the vanity with a soft thud-thud-thud that matches my racing pulse.
“No, definitely distract me right now. What’s going on with the lawyers?”
He sighs. “They’ve got me going through boxes of financial records. Years of transactions. They need me to identify which ones Wright’s testimony specifically covered, because apparently I’m the only one who can explain where the money went on our end. I’ve been highlighting bank statements for days now.” Another sigh, heavier this time. “It’s taking so much longer than expected. My dad keeps finding reasons for me to stay for ‘one more meeting’ or ‘one more review session.’ I don’t know what’s legitimate and what’s him just…wanting me here.”
“He’s nervous.”
“So nervous. And desperate. If this appeal doesn’t go through, I don’t think he’s going to recover.” I hear the frustration in his voice, the guilt. “I wanted to be there tonight, Charlie. You have no idea how much.”
“Hey.” I keep my tone firm but gentle. “It’s okay. You need to get this sorted out. I understand. And I have backup security?—”
