10. Strings Reattached
Strings Reattached
Evan
It started with music. It always did.
He thought about Piper. Her laughter. Her quiet faith in him. He thought about Sarah, how she steadied his world just by existing in it.
His phone buzzed on the bench beside him, Jonah.
He didnt answer.
Not tonight. the one space that usually brought him peace. He sat on the bench and played a few wandering notes on the piano, nothing planned, just letting his fingers move until a shape formed. And then he heard the softest sound behind him.
Sarahs voice.
You always look like youre trying to outrun something when you play.
The words hit him like a strike to the ribs. Evan blinked, the breath stalling in his lungs as if shed just named a truth he hadnt admitted even to himself.
He turned. She was in the doorway, wearing a long T-shirt and leggings, her hair twisted up in a bun that somehow made her look more beautiful than any red carpet.
Maybe I am, he admitted.
She stepped inside slowly, as though afraid to disrupt the moment. Mind if I sit?
He gestured to the empty spot on the bench beside him. She joined him, their knees brushing.
She glanced at his hands on the keys and smirked. That same four-note loop again? Youre really stretching yourself tonight.
He rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Its a work in progress.
For me? she asked playfully, bumping his shoulder.
He looked at her, all the teasing gone from his voice. Always for you.
For a while, they didnt speak. He kept playing soft, slow chords that carried more truth than words. And then her hand found his.
Im still here, she said.
He looked down at their joined hands, at her fingers intertwined with his, so warm, so steady. Her eyes were open unguarded, and something in them cracked him open.
He hesitated, breath caught in his throat.
And then he leaned in, slowly at first, almost reverent.
His breath caught.
The silence shifted.
He turned to her, and in a breathless beat, his mouth was on hers.
It wasnt sweet. It wasnt slow.
It was fire-catching, sudden, consuming, and impossible to stop.
Months of longing ignited the second their lips met.
She moaned into his mouth as he deepened the kiss, his hand cupping the back of her neck, the other sliding low to the curve of her waist, anchoring her against him.
Her hands gripped his shirt, fisting the fabric until it was gone, tossed carelessly to the floor.
He pressed kisses to the hollow of her throat, down her collarbone, his stubble grazing her skin in the most delicious way.
She gasped when his hands found her hips, lifting her gently onto the edge of the piano bench, the keys letting out a discordant chord beneath them.
Sorry, he murmured, grinning against her skin.
Dont stop, she panted.
I wasnt planning to.
He trailed his mouth down her chest as she arched into him, her fingers tangling in his hair. Clothes became obstacles, then memories, each piece falling to the hardwood in a trail that marked their undoing.
By the time they reached the couch, she was trembling under his touch.
Ive memorized every inch of you, he whispered as he kissed his way down her body, his lips brushing the sensitive hollow just above her hipbone. And Ive barely touched you.
Then touch me, she whispered, voice thick with need. Dont hold back. Not tonight.
He didnt hesitate.
His hands slid along her thighs, spreading her open like a secret he was finally allowed to read.
She gasped as his mouth found her center, and he worshipped her with the kind of focus that left her writhing, one hand over her mouth to keep the cry from waking the world.
He tasted every breathless moan, every shiver, until she shattered around him with his name on her lips.
He kissed his way back up her body, her hands greedy and guiding, pulling him over her. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he sank into her in one long, aching thrust, and they both groaned into the heat of the moment.
They moved with urgency, hips colliding in a fevered rhythm. He whispered her name like a plea, her fingers scraping down his back, clinging to him as though anchoring herself to the one thing she didnt want to lose.
Their bodies danced, breathless and burning, until she fell apart again beneath him, and he followed, spilling into her with a broken gasp, forehead pressed to hers.
When she pulled him close again, it was more than just heat. It was a connection. Trust. Worship.
They moved again, slower this time. Reverent. Like this was a promise sealed with skin and breath and sweat. Every stroke, every sigh, a vow neither of them dared speak aloud, but both of them meant.
When they collapsed into each other afterward, their bodies slick and tangled, their hearts were still racing.
And for the first time in a long time, Evan didnt feel haunted.
He felt whole.
They lay tangled in soft, sticky silence, limbs knotted, the world narrowed to the breath they shared.
I used to imagine this, Sarah said softly.
What? he asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
This. A real life. A quiet night. A man who doesnt run.
Evan swallowed hard. I used to think it wasnt for me. But now I want more than anything to build it.
She smiled, cheek pressed to his chest. A house with space. A backyard for Piper.
And a garden, he added.
Sarah laughed. You in the dirt with a spade? I need to see that. She nudged his side with her foot, grinning. Evan glanced at her, a smirk tugging at his lips, their eyes locking for a brief moment filled with warmth and the silent promise of something lasting.
Id do it for you. For her.
She was quiet for a moment. Id paint a nursery wall. Not now, but someday.
He held her tighter. Then someday, we will.
Sarah shifted beside him, her cheek pressed to his chest. She reached out, tracing the black ink on his forearm.
What does this mean? she whispered.
Its a compass, he said. Got it the day I signed guardianship for Piper. It reminds me to never lose my way again.
She kissed it softly. You havent. Not with her. Not with me. Their clothes scattered across the floor again like dropped notes, their bodies finding rhythm in the hush of the room.
When it was over, they lay tangled in the aftermath, her head on his chest, his fingers drawing lazy circles on her spine.
Neither of them spoke for a long time.
Then, softly, he said, My dad used to love like this. Loud. Reckless. Until it burned everything down.
Sarah lifted her head, watching him.
I swore Id never be him. I swore Id never let anyone close enough to wreck me.
Youre not him, Evan.
He nodded slowly. But Ive been so busy keeping everyone out, I didnt realize Id already let you in.
Her fingers brushed his jaw. Im not here to wreck you. Im here to stay. If you let me.
He pulled her closer. I want that. I want you. But I want it clean. No lies. No performances.
She nodded. Then say it.
I love you.
Her breath caught. Say it again.
He kissed her forehead. I love you.
Her smile was soft, radiant. Then lets fight for this. Together.
He exhaled, like something inside him had finally settled. First thing tomorrow, Im calling the label. No more charades. No more image polishing. Im done hiding.
They lay there a while longer, the world finally quiet.
Evan stared at the ceiling, his arm wrapped tight around Sarahs waist.
Feels like the calm before the storm, he murmured.
She hummed in agreement. Then we hold tight.
Then his phone buzzed again on the table, the same number that had flashed earlier.
Jonah.
This time, he didnt ignore it.
He reached for it, thumb swiping to unlock the screen.
A message from Jonah: Call me. Now.
Evan sat up, the shift in energy instant. He dialed.
Jonah answered on the first ring. Weve got a problem.
What kind of problem? Evan asked, already knowing he wouldnt like the answer.
Pipers mom just filed to pursue full custody.
Evans stomach dropped. His hand clenched around the phone, knuckles white as Jonah continued speaking. Shes claiming youre emotionally unstable, unfit to provide a normal environment, and she has media clips to back it up.
Evans blood ran cold.
Tell me its not real.
I wish I could, Jonah said. Shes coming hard, Evan. This wont be a negotiation. Its war.
He looked down at Sarah, who was already sitting up, concern written all over her face.
What is it? she asked.
He couldnt answer right away.
He just held her hand tightly.
And knew everything was about to change.