After Five Lives Of Trying I Finally Let Go

After pressing my final, clear fingerprint onto the contract, I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

David said kindly, "Go ahead and cry. That's good. Musicians need that passion."

"But now that you've signed, you're heading to Chicago for the music festival in nineteen days. And once you're in a band, you'll be touring all over the world. Have you talked this over with your fiancé?"

"I don't have a fiancé," I said, wiping away my tears. They weren't tears of sorrow, but of the sharp, clean relief of a new beginning. "And I'm not getting married."

When I returned to Eleanor's old house, Grayson was at the dining table, looking troubled.

Tomorrow was the day we were supposed to go to City Hall.

In my past life, on this very day, the woman he loved, Claire, had invited him to an important master class—a stepping stone to Broadway. She wanted Grayson with her. Although Grayson ultimately chose me, he spent the entire day on the phone placating her.

My heart had been brimming with the simple joy of marrying him. I prepared a lavish dinner and served it to him.

He picked at his food while on the phone with her. "Yeah, I'm having roasted chicken and your favorite vegetable salad... Why don't you come over and try some tomorrow?"

The day after we registered, he actually brought Claire to our home for a "celebration." In reality, he was making his new wife cook for his muse.

"Paige, we're supposed to get our marriage license tomorrow, right?"

Grayson finally spoke, his fingers drumming restlessly on the tabletop. I nodded without a word.

Grayson hesitated, his gaze drifting. "Claire has a really important master class audition in the city tomorrow. She's anxious and needs a partner to run lines with... You know I'm the one she has the best chemistry with..."

In the past, I would have pleaded with him to stay. Now, I just looked at this master of pretense and smiled calmly.

"If it's that important, you should go with her. Besides, the forecast says it's going to rain tomorrow. Probably not a great day to get married anyway."

Grayson looked stunned, clearly not expecting me to agree so easily. A flash of relief washed over his handsome face, quickly masked by a show of hypocritical guilt.

"Paige, you're so understanding. But I can't just leave you. Not when you're carrying my child..."

"It's fine," I interrupted his self-pitying act. "We can reschedule. Why don't we aim for nineteen days from now?"

Grayson found a calendar and flipped ahead.

"That looks like a good day, and the weather's supposed to be nice. Let's set it for nineteen days from now!"

He gave me a grateful hug and planted a kiss on my forehead. "Thank you, Paige. I swear I'll make it up to you when I get back."

I watched his back as he hurried off to make another call, a new lightness in his step. Nineteen days from now, he wouldn't need to make anything up to me. Our shared future would have already vanished into thin air.

Soon, we would both be free.