Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Jax couldn't breathe, his hand squeezing tightly around Kaia's fingers.
He didn't know why he cared so much about an old man he didn't really know or a mystery that probably wouldn't have a good ending.
But this dressing room had taken them all back in time.
He could picture a beautiful woman sitting at the mirror, putting on her makeup, doing her hair, maybe even leaving something for her lover tucked behind an old brick.
"There's something in here," Walter said, reaching his hand into the space. He pulled out an envelope and stared at it, as if he couldn't trust what he was seeing.
Jax couldn't believe it, either.
Walter slowly turned and held up the envelope. His name was written on the outside. "She left it here, just like she said."
"What's inside?" Kaia asked.
"I—I don't know if I can look. Maybe this is enough."
"You've come this far, Walter," Kaia said. "Reina would want you to open it."
Walter turned to Jax. "What do you think?"
He hadn't expected the question, but he knew the answer. "Open it."
"You do it. You tell me what it says." Walter held the envelope out to him, and he reluctantly let go of Kaia's hand to take it.
He opened the envelope and pulled out two pieces of paper—sheets of music. He'd been expecting a note, a love letter, not this. And seeing the notes made his gut clench. He had to remind himself that this wasn't his music. This wasn't about him at all.
"What is it?" Kaia asked.
"It looks like a song. There's a note at the top for you, Walter. I think you should read it yourself." He handed him the sheet music.
"How you made me feel," Walter said, staring down at the page. Then he lifted his gaze to them, confusion in his eyes. "She wrote me a song?"
"It looks that way," he replied. "Probably her version of a love letter."
"But I—I don't read music. I don't play music. She wrote a couple of lines at the top, but then there's nothing."
"Look at what she's trying to tell you. She's happy. She's falling in love. Read the words out loud," he said.
Walter looked down at the paper. "She hopes I'm feeling the same way.
And even though time and space will part us, we'll be together again one day.
" He lifted his gaze. "It's what I wanted to hear, but I wish she had finished it.
I wish she had sung it and left me a tape or something so I could hear her voice once more. "
"Maybe you could get someone to play the music for you," Kaia suggested.
Jax stiffened at her suggestion. But she didn't know he played. She was just making a general statement.
"I guess so," Walter said.
"The important thing is that she left this for you," Kaia reminded Walter. "She wanted you to know how she felt about you. It's incredibly sweet and romantic, don't you think? All these years, that song has been tucked away, waiting for you to find it. It's extraordinary that it was still here."
"She said if it was meant to be, it would be." Walter folded the papers and put them back into the envelope. "I'm grateful. Thank you for this. Even in my wildest dreams, I didn't think it would still be here, if it was ever here at all."
"Do you know if Reina is still alive?" Kaia asked.
Walter shook his head. "I tried to look it up on the computer. I saw that her sister died, but I didn't see anything about her."
"Maybe we should try to find out."
Jax frowned at Kaia's suggestion. "Or maybe this should be the end of the story," he said. "Because I can't think of a better one. Your old love left you a love song."
"But if she's still alive, they could reunite in person," Kaia argued, giving him a pointed look.
"Or we could find out she passed away. Or even if she's alive, she may have a husband, children, family, and wouldn't want that kind of reunion.
She could have looked you up, too, over the years, Walter," he said, turning away from Kaia's irritated gaze.
"You said it wasn't the right time for you until now.
But you don't know that now is the right time for her. "
Walter blinked a few times, indecision in his gaze. "You both make good points."
"Well, you don't have to decide anything right this minute," Kaia said.
"That's true." Walter took one last look around the dressing room.
"It's strange to be in here and think about her being in this room, getting ready to perform.
The club was so popular; it was always packed.
And she loved the spotlight. She sang from the deepest part of her heart.
I'd never met anyone like her before, so filled with creative passion.
She was unique, but she didn't see it that way.
She saw herself as a shadowy version of her sister.
I wish I could have convinced her that Anita didn't hold a candle to her.
I wish…" His voice faded away. "A lot of things.
But it all happened a very long time ago, and maybe this is our second ending.
" He took another breath, then let it out. "I'm ready to go."
As they left the dressing room and returned to the former club area, Jax pushed the armoire back into place.
Then they went back up the stairs to the bookstore.
It felt like they were leaving one time dimension to enter another.
The bookstore was brightly lit with sunshine pouring in through the windows.
The buzz of conversation brought them all fully back into the present.
Ellen was busy with a customer, but she gave them a small wave, and said, "I hope you found what you were looking for."
Walter nodded. "I did. Thank you."
"I'm glad. Come again any time."
Walter didn't answer, and Jax was okay with that. He didn't think Walter needed to go back there again. He should just be grateful he'd found the love song, and hopefully that would bring him peace and stop him from roaming the streets in the middle of the night.
Both Kaia and Walter were quiet as they got into the car, and he didn't feel like talking, either.
There were too many subjects he didn't want to discuss.
One of those subjects was the song. Walter knew he could play guitar, and he was surprised Walter hadn't already asked him to play Reina's song, but that's the last thing he wanted to do.
It would be far better if Walter took the music to someone else, a music teacher, maybe a friend who played, and then he would be out of it. He'd gotten too involved in Walter's story and so had Kaia. None of this had anything to do with either of them.
But he had to admit that when Walter had pulled that brick out, and Kaia had slipped her hand into his in a completely surprising move, he'd felt a connection to her he didn't want to feel.
Which was another reason all this needed to end.
Walter had tied him and Kaia together, and he needed to cut that tie.
When they got back to the building, he said he'd wait for Kaia to come back after she saw Walter upstairs. Hopefully, that would prevent Walter from asking him for help with the song.
Before Walter got out of the car, he said, "Thank you again, Jax."
He turned in his seat to face him. "No problem. I'm glad this ended well."
"But I have one more favor to ask, Jax," Walter said. "Could you play the song for me? I think you know how."
He froze at Walter's request, feeling a rush of panic. "No," he said abruptly, then softened his refusal. "I'm sorry, I can't."
"Are you sure?"
"I am."
"Okay," Walter said. "I guess we all have our secret lives, don't we? If I can give you one piece of advice…"
"Sure."
"Sometimes you don't have as much time as you think you do. When something you love is right in front of you, do everything you can to hang on to it, because sometimes you don't get a second chance."
He didn't know what to say to that cryptic comment, and he was very aware of Kaia's gaze on him. Thankfully, they both got out of the car, and once the doors closed behind him, he let out a breath.
He felt bad for saying no to Walter, but he told himself that he couldn't possibly be the only one in town who could play the music for him. And he'd done enough. It was time to get back to his life.
But what the hell was his life? The question rocketed around in his head, along with Walter's words that he might not have as much time as he thought he had. That letting go of something he loved was a mistake.
But Walter was an old man, and he was in his early thirties. He had plenty of years ahead of him. Despite that rationalization, he was very aware of the months he'd been wasting. That couldn't go on forever. And every day he was reminded of that fact.
Kaia returned to the car a few minutes later, letting out a breath of relief when she took her seat.
"Walter is feeling good," she said, giving him a smile that made him relax.
For some reason, he'd thought her first words would be challenging him on whether or not he could really play the song.
"This worked out well," she continued. "Walter got some closure, and hopefully that will do a lot for his overall health.
I still can't believe that love song was still in that hiding place after decades. I never thought we would find it."
"I was shocked, too. But that area had obviously been blocked off for a long time."
"And where it was hidden probably wouldn't have been found unless someone remodeled or tore the building down. Walter and Reina got lucky."
"The love song is a good ending."
"I'm not sure it has to be the end," she said. "What if Reina is alive? I'm going to look into it."
"Well, count me out. I'm done."
Disappointment filled her gaze. "Really? You're done? Wouldn't it be great if they could reunite?"
"Even if she's alive, she could be married. She could be sick. She might not remember him. Sometimes it's best to leave the memories where they are. Especially, since your boss already told you to stay out of Walter's life," he reminded her.