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  But then I remember thinking once before that there was no excuse for what he’d done. Only there had been an excuse.

  I take a deep breath and straighten, free from the well-wishers at last, and head for my coat. I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what’s happened. But I’m going to believe in him. I trust him.

  I start checking with the stage hands and organizers to see if they know anything. I call the hotel to see if he’s there, but turn up empty. I exit the building and start checking the grounds. I go past the reflection pool and head toward the main plaza. Being nighttime, it looks different than the last time I was here, four months ago with my Firework Girls.

  Erik was on my mind even then.

  Struggling to keep my fear at bay, I go all the way to Columbia Avenue, looking around for him.

  He’s here. He’s somewhere. He hasn’t abandoned me.

  I keep telling myself that, determined to believe it. I’m as fearful for us as I am fearful for him. What if something horrible happened to him?

  I can’t imagine what. What horrible thing could have happened in the wings of Lincoln Center?

  But there has to be an explanation. I just need to find him.

  Turning up empty, I go back to the reflecting pool. I just need to stay put. For all I know, he’s looking for me too and we keep missing each other.

  I check my phone again. Nothing. I sigh in frustration and put it away. Maybe his phone is dead. I don’t know.

  I should reasonably wait by the entrance to Lincoln Center, but patrons are still slowly exiting the building and I’m too easily recognized. I’ve tucked the medallion into my bag but I still have the bouquet of roses.

  I decide to keep an eye on the building from a distance. I’d rather wait and worry in private.

  I approach the base of Illumination Lawn and climb to the top, just as I did last summer. When I get to the rail at the back, I take in the massive white building that is Juilliard. The lights within glow. It’s quite lovely. But the building doesn’t have that other-worldly aura it used to.

  It used to represent this out-of-reach dream. It used to mean I wasn’t good enough, not really. But tonight I just proved there’s more than one path to success, and Juilliard doesn’t own it.

  But Juilliard also represented Erik. It still does.

  And that’s what finally gets my tears flowing. I can’t stop them. I’m terrified. I’m terrified for him and for me and for us.

  But I can’t stop believing. He’s somewhere. He’ll come to me. He’s somewhere.

  I scan the sidewalk below and all along Juilliard. I consider going across the street to see if he’s there, but if he’s looking for me too, it’ll be at Lincoln Center. I have to stay put.

  Just before I turn back so I can check the crowd coming out of Lincoln Center again, I hear his voice from far away, calling me: “Ashley!”

  My heart leaps into my throat and I spin, my eyes searching frantically. I hear him again—this time a little closer—“Ashley!” I see him! He’s running across the plaza, coming from Lincoln Center.

  Heart pounding, I run down the slope of the lawn, the cool air hitting the tears on my cheeks.

  When we reach each other, I drop the flowers and he takes me into his arms, lifting me off my feet and clinging to me.

  “Where have you been?” His voice is muffled in my neck.

  “Me? Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you!”

  He sets me down and looks at me with concern. He looks pale and worn and I instantly know something horrible did happen.

  “I’m sorry, honey.” He wipes the tears from my cheeks. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” His eyes glitter and he smiles at me through the weight of whatever’s happened. “You won. God, I’m so proud of you. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

  Now I’m more confused than ever. “How do you even know that? Erik, what’s happened?”

  His smile drops and he takes a shaky breath. “My mom’s in surgery.”

  “What?!”

  “She was having a hard time breathing. Well, harder than usual. Her lungs were filling with fluid. They almost lost her in the ambulance.”

  My head’s spinning not only from what he’s saying, but from wondering how he knows any of this.

  “She’s in surgery now. Just before my phone died, I gave Margie your number to call when Mom gets out. Did she call you yet?”

  I shake my head, still trying to get a handle on everything. “Who’s Margie?”

  “Mom’s neighbor. She checks in on her from time to time. She found mom on the floor, trying to get to her phone to call 911. Once she called 911 with mom’s phone, she texted me with hers. It came in when I was recording you, otherwise who knows when I would’ve seen it. I saw it was an emergency and went into the hall to call. The paramedics weren’t even there yet. I was listening as Margie talked to 911, and then once they got there she kept me up on what was going on.”

  “My God. Is she going to be okay?”

  He nods and shrugs wearily. “I think so. Before she went in, the doctor told Margie she should come out of it all right.”

  I shake my head. What timing, with us clear across the country and our flights not for a couple more days. “Are we flying back early?”

  Now it was his turn for tears to come to his eyes.

  “Oh, honey,” I whisper. Poor guy. It’s been a rough night for him, too.

  He blinks them back. “Yes, I’d like to. I was hoping you’d be all right with that.”

  “Of course.”

  I hug him and we hang onto each other tightly. “God, we must have kept missing each other,” I say. “I thought—”

  But I don’t say what I thought.

  He pulls back, a look of dawning on his face. “You thought I left you?”

  “Just... for a moment,” I say helplessly, shrugging. “I kind of thought about before, you know?”

  He looks confused. “But... for what reason? Why would I leave?”

  “Well...” I hesitate, but realize I need to just come out with it. Maybe I should have a long time ago. “Because we’re competing against each other, and maybe that’s more than you want in a relationship. You wouldn’t be the first musician who felt that way.”

  He sighs. I instantly see I haven’t been imagining his unease since I won the second round.

  “Look, I know I’ve been licking my wounds a bit. I mean, yeah, I’m not crazy about losing to anyone. But that’s not about you, sweetheart. You can understand that, can’t you?”

  I sigh. “Well, yeah. I didn’t handle things too well when you beat me in the fall.”

  He grins sheepishly.

  “But, is this going to come between us eventually?”

  He takes my face in his hands and kisses me. “If I’m going to lose to anyone, I’d rather it be you. Yeah, there’s that selfish part of me that hates to lose, and I’d be lying if I said I don’t hope I can beat you in some other competition someday.” I can’t help but smile. “Wouldn’t you feel the same way?”

  God, I would.

  “But I’m also so proud of you and so fucking crazy in love with your music.”

  His words bounce around in my heart in recognition. Does he really feel that way about me and my music?

  “God, honey, when you play like that you make me fall in love with you all over again.”

  I smile broadly.

  “Does that make sense?” he asks.

  The giddiness in my heart breaks loose and I let out a little laugh. “I’ve felt that way about you for years.”

  He smiles. “Really?”

  “I don’t know how I feel about it being a new experience for you,” I tease.

  He smiles and kisses me then, embracing me firmly. I kiss him back and we hold onto each other with relief.

  I pull back and he puts his hand on my cheek.

  “Come on,” he says. “Let’s go home.”

  Chapter 22

  Tw
o months later, Erik’s mom is home and mostly recovered from surgery. After seeing how Erik’s handled the results of the Hess Competition, she’s softened her approach towards me and been more supportive in general. We’ve even discovered we have something in common: a mutual love of Nutter Butters. It’s not much, but it’s a start.

  Meanwhile, our careers have taken a turn no one could have anticipated, thanks to the meddling of Sam and Jack.

  I had forgotten all about the video Sam took of me and Erik playing together at the Rivers Paradise Resort, but she didn’t forget. After a bit of plotting and scheming, Sam and Jack convinced Chloe and Grayson to post the video to their YouTube channel. Five days and half a million hits later, they let us in on the secret.

  Chloe was afraid we’d be mad, but after seeing so many views, along with comments like “captivating” and “I couldn’t look away,” why would we be? In fact, at that point, Erik and I started to envision something new.

  Grayson and Chloe helped us start a channel of our own, and he helped us get some recording equipment set up so we could make more videos of our collaborations. We’ve posted clips of us playing individually, too. Our new videos have even more hits than the first, which suits me fine since the sound-quality of Sam’s “perfectly fine” phone video kind of sucked.

  In the avalanche of emails we’ve received since then, we’ve secured one of the best managers in the industry and he’s currently arranging a ten-stop national tour that will culminate at none other than Lincoln Center.

  But for now, Erik and I are enjoying a moment of solitude and normalcy. We’re walking along our old stretch of the Greenbelt, hand in hand. He’s come home with me to Boise and managed to reconcile with my parents. Before we left the house, my dad even pulled me aside and told me how nice it is to have Erik be part of the family again.

  We approach my favorite bridge and draw to a stop at the top. The river dances below, and the trees rustle lightly as the spring breeze plays through. We lean on the rail, arms touching elbow to shoulder. I can’t help but smile.

  I look over at him, the boy I loved who grew into the man I love even more. I nudge him slightly with my hip. He smiles, leans in, and kisses me oh so gently. My heart flutters around in my chest. We pull apart, looking at one another and staying close. What a journey it’s been with Erik so far.

  Unless I’m wrong, I have a feeling we’ve only just begun.

  The End

  More from the Firework Girls...

  Did you miss Isabella and Shane’s scandalous love affair? Find out how it all started in FORBIDDEN HEAT.

  Curious how Sam got caught in the crosshairs of Chloe and Grayson’s relationship? It’s a comical turn of events, that’s for sure. Discover these love birds’ whirlwind romance in MIDNIGHT HEAT.

  And are you dying to see how Sam and Jack finally get together? Experience the hilarious, heart-warming, heartbreaking ride of these two wild doves in fan favorite, NUCLEAR HEAT. (Not to mention their fun, sexy follow-up short story, HANDLE THE HEAT.)

  Finally, don’t miss the fun when Jack’s cousin Sophie and Chloe’s brother Bobby meet in HOLIDAY HEAT. Light on the “holiday” heavy on the “heat”, this emotional story features the entire Firework Girls gang.

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  BOOKS BY JORDYN WHITE

  THE FIREWORK GIRLS

  “Like an addictive TV show where you feel like you’re friends with the characters and are glued to every development.” - SPR

  FORBIDDEN HEAT

  Isabella and Shane (Firework Girls #1)

  MIDNIGHT HEAT

  Chloe and Grayson (Firework Girls #2)

  ETERNAL HEAT

  Ashley and Erik (Firework Girls #3)

  NUCLEAR HEAT

  Sam and Jack (Firework Girls #4)

  HANDLE THE HEAT

  A Firework Girls Short Story

  Sam and Jack (Firework Girls #4.5)

  HOLIDAY HEAT

  Bobby and Sophie (Firework Girls #5)

  THE BEAUTIFUL RIVERS SERIES

  “I loved the Firework Girls series but I think I'm loving Beautiful Rivers more!” – Mary M, Five-star Amazon review

  BEAUTIFUL MINE

  Connor and Whitney (Beautiful Rivers #1)

  BEAUTIFUL FALL

  Lizzy and Brett (Beautiful Rivers #2)

  BEAUTIFUL DARK

  Corrine and Mason (Beautiful Rivers #3)

  BEAUTIFUL DEEP

  Rayce and Emma (Beautiful Rivers #4)

  BEAUTIFUL LIES (a novella)

  Rita and Dallas (Beautiful Rivers #5)

  HEARTS ON FIRE SERIES

  HEART OF GLASS

  Mia and Luke (Hearts on Fire #1)

  LOVE ON THE ROCKS

  Raven and Spencer (Hearts on Fire #2)

  Coming summer of 2019

  For a complete, up-to-date list of all Jordyn’s books and shorts:

  Jordyn White’s Reading Order Page

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