Page 157 of Mercy (The Sins Trilogy 3)
Chapter Fifty-Five
–four months later
Ivy
My heart is pounding. The applause and bravas are still coming from the audience. I look down and see my fingers trembling. My God. How can this be? I’m usually in more control of my hands.
Even my legs are quivering. But somehow I managed to walk across the stage and exit without tripping. Backstage, Tony hugs me. “You were perfect! Magnificent!”
“Oh my God, so many people came!” When I heard the number of tickets sold for my debut, I thought I was hallucinating. Or maybe somebody had added one too many zeros.
“Ryder’s right. You’re a hot commodity,” Yuna says with a big grin. “You even have a book out.”
“Not my book. A book about us.”
About my and Tony’s lives—how we met. Fell in love. Lost each other. Then found our way back.
I didn’t think it was such a big deal, but it was. The news articles about Caleb’s death didn’t generate much interest, but add our story, and suddenly everyone wanted to know more.
Thank God for Ryder and his PR team, who helped me when I had no clue what to do once Tony and I were thrust into the spotlight. It was him, Ryder and Elizabeth who said I should capitalize on the momentum to have my musical debut if it was something I still wanted to do. Elizabeth didn’t even mind that I might have to quit my job at the foundation.
“There are so many ways to help people, and not everyone can work here at the foundation. You help people by making their lives better with your music.”
Tony kisses me on the forehead and cheeks. “I’m so proud of you. I have the most talented woman in the world as my wife.”
I grin, then wrap my arms around his neck. “And I have the most supportive husband.”
“All right, all right, enough hugging, you two,” Julie says with a laugh. “And no more kissing and messing up your makeup. There’s a reception to go to!”
“Let’s get going, then”—Tony links hands with me, then brushes his lips against my knuckles—“Mrs. Blackwood.”
