Reverse (The Bittersweet Symphony Duet, #2)

by Kate Stewart

“She’s been a good friend to me, and not that I owe you any explanation, but we met up at one of her gigs when I got back from Europe last month. I didn’t touch her when we were married, nor did I want to. So yeah, we’re together now, but it’s new. And considering I’ve traveled the globe recently and landed here for a break, it’s pretty fucking mind-blowing that you’re standing in front of me in Mexico.”

“Do you get so lost in her, when you fuck her, that you lose all sense of time?”

“Tell me, Easton,” her voice shakes as she poses her next heartrending question. “Are you as close as two people could ever be?”

His shifts uncomfortably as I resign myself. “Here’s a newsflash for you, Easton. Despite your beliefs, brutal honesty is not the best way to conduct yourself in every situation. It’s not the bravest way, either. There’s a difference between being brave—ready to face and endure danger or pain, and inappropriate—which means not suitable or proper in the circumstances.” I lift my chin defiantly. “But I’m trying to be brave in lieu of inappropriate because inappropriate would be confessing that I’m still wholly, unconditionally, and definitively in love with you while you’re on a romantic getaway in Mexico with your girlfriend!”

“You want truth? You want brutal honesty? The truth is, for the last two days, I’ve been sitting on the beach drowning in the realization that while loving you helped me recognize my worst fear, losing you left me living in it. Any life I live without you now will feel like settling.”

“I’m so sorry,” I croak. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like anything less to me than my supernova…and you should know the only thing I’ve ever despised about you, Elliot Easton Crowne, is your last fucking name.”

“He’s perceptive. He can read people easily and usually judge people’s character within minutes. He speaks the way he lives—with intent, and it’s fascinating to me because I’ve never met anyone so brave. He’s brilliant, magnetic, and…magical, and I’m drawn to him more than I have ever been to any other soul in my life. He listens to my passion like it’s his favorite pastime and treats me like I’m the most precious thing on earth—with the utmost respect and care. He’s fiercely protective and has a temper. Still, it’s mostly directed towards those who endanger the ones he loves, who purposefully play ignorant, or treat others unfairly, but would never, ever hurt me.”

“Like me, he’s close to his parents and mildly superstitious because of his mother. He habitually practices a few of her quirks, though he’ll be hard-pressed to admit it. He idolizes his father, too,” her voice cracks painfully with that admission, as does my chest. “He’s insanely talented and can memorize songs in mere minutes, the notes, the lyrics, all of it, though he’ll never call himself a prodigy or a genius, he’s too humble… He’s famous and hates it, but only because he’s an empath to his core and doesn’t want to be idolized or held responsible for other people’s life choices.”

“He’s my supernova, the only star in my sky, and oh…how he shines. Every time I look at him, my insides light fire, and I am every bit a moth to his flame. But I don’t care if I burn because…because I would rather burn with him in any capacity, than exist safely anywhere else without him.” Raking

“I’m in love with Easton Crowne, Daddy, and I’m never going to fall out of love with him, and I t-think…” she hangs her head, her cries carrying over to me and breaking me down completely, piece by piece as does her next declaration. “I think it’s way too late. I think…I think I’ve lost him for good, but I’m going to try like hell to get him back, and if I do…I’m going to put him first.”

“I just wanted to tell you why I have to break your heart again, Daddy. Despite it being the worst twist of fate imaginable, Easton is the man who fills my heart and soul, and with me, he comes first.”

“But I told you where to find me. I told you I’d be right here where you left me,” he reminds me as I shake in his hold, hope lighting up my being. “It’s not too late, Beauty,” he murmurs, “and with you, it was never going to be.”

“Actually, it was the damn ding, ding, ding from my Prince Phillip.” “Baby, you good?” He scrutinizes me, “Did I fuck you too hard? Did you hit your head on the board?”

“Even if this was hard to accept at first, it’s…kind of beautiful, isn’t it? That our love story led to theirs?”