Page 44 of The Sound of Forever
Julie looks at her, a mix of love and exhaustion on her face. “She’s had a big day,” she says softly.
“So have you,” I reply, standing and stretching. “Need help carrying her inside?”
She hesitates, then nods. “That . . . would be great. Thanks.”
I scoop Rayne up carefully, cradling her small frame against my chest. She stirs slightly, her face pressing into my shoulder, a soft sigh escaping her lips, but she doesn’t wake. Her weight feels unfamiliar in my arms, a reminder of just how small she is, how much she’s been through.
Julianna leads the way up the stairs, her steps quiet, glancing back occasionally to make sure I’m managing. Rayne doesn’t so much as twitch as we reach the landing, her room at the end of the hallway. Julianna pushes the door open, stepping inside and pulling back the covers on the small bed we set up just a week ago.
I lower Rayne onto the mattress as gently as I can, her body slack with sleep. Julianna tucks the bunny beside her, smoothing the blanket over Rayne’s shoulders. Then, she brushes a strand of hair from Rayne’s forehead, her hand lingering just long enough to make my chest ache. I stand there awkwardly, feeling like an intruder in a moment that’s not mine to share.
Once Julie is sure Rayne is fast asleep, she heads outside the room where I join her.
“Thank you,” she whispers, turning to face me.
“Anytime,” I murmur.
We’re too close, and I know it. Her eyes meet mine, wide and searching, and the air between us feels electric, charged with everything we’ve left unsaid. There’s a flicker of hesitation in her gaze, like she’s caught between stepping back and leaning in. I can’t tell which one I want her to choose.
The tension crackles, palpable, as her eyes drop briefly to my mouth, a movement so quick I might have imagined it. My pulse kicks up, and I lean forward slightly—barely—but it’s enough to feel the faint warmth of her presence. Her breathing hitches, and so does mine, the space between us shrinking with every second.
Her hand twitches, like she’s about to reach for something—me, maybe—but she doesn’t. Instead, her lips part, her gaze flicking back to mine, and for a moment, everything around us disappears. It’s just her and me, suspended in this precarious, magnetic pull that feels impossible to fight.
I can’t help it. My hand moves, brushing lightly against her arm, and she freezes. A faint sound escapes from Rayne, a tiny murmur comes from her room. Julianna steps back instinctively, the moment splintering like glass, and her eyes dart away from mine.
I clear my throat, forcing myself to move, to step back into the hallway. “I should go,” I say, the words rough, jagged, as they leave my throat.
She nods, her expression carefully neutral, though the tension lingers in the air. “Goodnight, and thank you again.”
“Goodnight,” I reply, turning and heading for the stairs before I lose whatever restraint I still have.
ChapterForty-Five
Keane
The soundof the fire crackling in the hearth fills the quiet corners of the living room, a soothing rhythm against the stillness of the night. Rowan sits on the worn leather couch, leaning back like he owns the place, a bottle of water in his hand and that signature smirk on his face that always manages to get under my skin.
“So, why did you need a kite ASAP?” he asks, raising an eyebrow as he takes a sip.
For a second I regret asking him for this favor. But knowing Rayne is going to love it makes it all better.
“The girl next door needs it,” I reply, keeping my tone casual. “Hers is falling apart, and I don’t think it can hold up much longer.”
“Girl next door?” he echoes, frowning. “You’re actually socializing with the Valencia family?”
“You know Julie’s last name?” I ask, thrown off. I don’t know it—why the fuck does he?
He nods, his expression unreadable. “Yeah. I ran a background check. I wanted to make sure they were safe to have around.”
“It’s an aunt and a little girl,” I say, my tone laced with annoyance. “How dangerous can they be?”
“You’d be surprised,” he replies. Then, his expression shifts, more serious. “Glad to see you’re actually doing something other than wallowing in self-pity and trying to revive your career.”
“I’m not trying to get my career back,” I protest, the words coming out sharper than I intended. “That would be stupid. What am I supposed to do, announce that I’m alive and turn myself into a goddamn freak show?”
Rowan shakes his head. He gives me a look that says,Chill the fuck out.“No, but I don’t understand why you’re still so obsessed with playing music the way you used to.”
“Because music was everything to me, Rowe,” I snap, my voice cracking just enough to betray the rawness beneath it. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever been good at, the only thing that made sense. I just want to feel . . . something again.”
