Page 237 of Love Unwritten
I don’t check the peephole before opening the door.
“Surprise!” Nico runs directly at me and throws his arms around my waist while my mom, Burt, Willow, and Rafael hang out in the hall.
Tears spring to my eyes. “You’re really here?” I answer my own question by pulling Mom and Willow into a group hug.
“We heard you were missing us.” Burt wraps an arm around Rafael’s shoulder, despite hardly reaching it, and pulls him against his side. Rafael’s cheeks turn pink, and I’m a goner as I let go of my mom and Willow to wrap my arms around him.
“Thank you.”
He kisses the top of my head. “You may not be able to come home yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t bring home to you.”
One day, I’ll marry this man, and no one will stop me.
Not even him.
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
Ellie
Cole’s grip on the microphone tightens. “I’d like to play a new song for you.”
The first row of people standing by the stage go wild, along with my heart. After spending the last month on the road with him, I should be used to watching him enchant a crowd, but here I am, acting starstruck again from my hidden corner backstage.
He continues, “See, I made a new friend this summer.”
A few girls shout that they love him, which earns them a deep, raspy chuckle.
“And she and I have been working on an amazing album together.”
Traveling around Europe while writing music has been one of the best things that’s happened to me. Although I haven’t been able to go sightseeing as much as I thought I would, I’ve been enjoying myself with Cole and his team. They’re professional, creative, and push me to step out of my musical comfort zone and test new kinds of sounds. I’ve even been learning how to play the banjo and mandolin, much to Nico’s excitement and Burt’s surprise.
If it weren’t for Nico, I’m not sure I would be in this position to begin with. Becoming his nanny and music teacher not only gave me a renewed purpose but also the courage to chase after my dreams once more.
Together, Nico and I fell in love with music again and formed an everlasting bond in the process, and not a day goes by when I don’t miss him. He video calls me daily to catch up on what he calls my European adventure. I make sure to prioritize at least a few minutes each day for him, whether I’m out and about trying to get inspired or holed up in my hotel room, feeling heartsick over how much I miss him and his dad. Rafael and I talk every day too, which makes me happy and incredibly homesick.
If Rafael hadn’t surprised me two weeks ago, I might not have made it through the full five weeks without running home, although he assures me that I would have.
“Is she your girlfriend?” a random person in the second row shouts.
“Oh, no. Definitely not.” Cole points at something. “She is happily in a relationship with a decent guy who wouldn’t hesitate to kick my ass.”
I cover my mouth to stifle my laugh. Rafael has slightly warmed up to Cole, solely because he sees how much this whole tour has meant to me, but that doesn’t mean they will ever be friendly.
“I’d love for you to let me know what you think of the song when I’m done. Perhaps we can even convince the songwriter to come out here and introduce herself.” He glances over at my concealed spot in the wings, and I take a step back as if the spotlight can find me if he stares long enough.
Yesterday, Cole asked me if he could play one of the new songs we wrote together because he wanted to see how people would react. I was surprised, especially since he hasn’t even recorded it in a studio yet, but he told me to trust him.
So here I am, about to listen to a crowd react to my song live.
Cole readjusts his fingers on the guitar chords. “This song is called ‘Shades of Blue,’ written by yours truly and the wonderful Ellie Sinclair.”
The volume of the crowd goes up by about twenty decibels.
I suck in a breath. “Oh my God. He said my name. Out loud.”
A crew member chuckles behind me before saying, “Better get used to it because, come tomorrow, everyone will know it.”
I didn’t think it was possible for the crowd to get louder, but somehow it does.