Page 88 of Of Heartbreak and Harmony
When the opening notes of Chopin’s “Nocturnein E-flat Major” fill the hall, goose bumps cover my body, and I don’t stop myself from blindly reaching for Torren’s hand. He takes my hand in both of his, cradling it on his knee as I sit with my eyes closed. As I completely lose myself in the music, it feels like the only thing keeping me anchored is his hold on me. I’m so happy in this moment that I could die and float away with no regrets.
When the last song is over, I stand and clap so loudly that my hands hurt. She stands and bows, and I don’t stop clapping until she’s disappeared once again behind the curtain and the lights in the hall slowly come back on.
When I turn to face Torren, his eyes are already on me, and they’re filled with a mix of emotions I can’t decipher. I smile up at him through my tears, speechless. There isn’t a single word in the English language that could adequately express how happy, howgrateful, I am in this moment.
I don’t flinch away when his hands cup my face, warm, calloused fingers and cold silver rings resting on my skin. I don’t stop him when he gently wipes away my tears with his thumbs.
“Do you want to meet her?”
All I can do is nod.
He smiles, then takes my hand. “Come on then. I’ll introduce you.”
I’m on a cloud as we drive back to the hotel.
I close my eyes, rest my head on the seat, and relive the entire experience. Every song. Every note. It was surreal, and she was just as magical in person. They say don’t meet your idols, but in this case, they were wrong. Constance Chen is even better than I could have imagined. From her soft, lilting accent to the elegant way she moved, she exuded music. When she hugged me, I could have passed out.
But her parting words...
Those are what echo the loudest in my head.
Hold on to that one, she’d said, nodding at Torren.They don’t go through this amount of trouble for just anyone.
I try like hell to beat it back—to silence it—but for the next few days, I sift through the tabloids. Despite the burning desire in my chest for it to meanmore, I search for something, anything, to douse the growing embers of affection. A sign that it was all for show. Proof that it was an act. That the date was just for the job.
I find photos of Torren and me after concerts everywhere. Pictures and videos of us coming and going from the hotels and the buses.
But not a single mention of the private concert with Constance Chen.
Not a headline. Not a photo. Not a statement. Nothing.
Jonah’s words once again flit through my mind.
Bare minimum. Wants to keep you hidden.
I think you should be seen.
The date Torren planned? It was more than the bare minimum. It was the opposite of a pap walk. And while it was a secret moment, hidden from the world, it made me feelseen.
And that? Well, that messes with my head more than anything else could.
25
TORREN
I loungeon the couch in the girls’ suite, my feet propped on the coffee table as Hammond scrolls through his tablet in front of us.
We’re set to leave for Houston this afternoon, but Ham wanted to have a meeting before we set off on the buses. I figure the first order of business is the stalker, so I cut to the chase and ask the question that’s on all our minds.
“So what’s the update on Savvy’s biggest fan?”
“They’ve been silent. The relationship story seems to be working. No texts. No letters.”
I glance at Sav. “That true?”
“Yeah. It’s like they vanished into thin air.” She frowns. “I still can’t make sense of it, though. It just...it doesn’t sit right with me.”
Hammond sighs. “Well, we’ll take what we can get for now.” He glances at Callie. “You’re doing a great job. With any luck, the investigators will have something by the end of the tour.”
