Love Does Not Wait Forever

Our eyes met.

A flicker of panic crossed the girl’s face, but she quickly composed herself, the corners of her lips curling into a practiced smile.

"Wasn’t you supposed to perform abroad and return tomorrow, Coach Claire?"

Following her gaze, I realized my left hand was gripping the violin case so tightly that my knuckles had turned pale out of tension.

I set the case on the ground and shook my hand, "I wasn’t used to the food there, so I changed my mind."

Her eyes darted briefly toward her discarded underwear.

"But I didn’t expect you’d show up at my house so early, wearing such pretty clothes, no less," I added, stressing the words “my house” and “pretty” with deliberate emphasis, causing her to let out a soft laugh.

At that moment, the bedroom door creaked open and Lennon stepped out, holding a stack of papers in his hands. I tilted my chin toward the girl, silently demanding an explanation.

Lennon leaned against the doorframe, his eyes lingering far too long on her exposed skin before finally speaking. "She is just borrowing the bathroom."

Heh, what a clumsy lie.

I did not bother calling him out, narrowing my eyes with a cold stare.

The room fell silent, save for the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock.

She was young, after all and the tension was too much for her. At last, she broke the silence, her voice trembling as she stammered out a defense.

"Coach Claire, don’t misunderstand. I only came to pick up some sheet music from Lennon. It started raining heavily, so he let me in to shower and dry off…"

"Did I tell you to speak?"

I cut her off sharply and her voice trailed off instantly.

However, my actions seemed to displease Lennon.

He frowned, stepping forward to stand between me and the girl, effectively shielding her.

"Claire, please control your temper."

As he spoke, he tossed the sheet music in his hand toward me, Brahms’ Third Symphony.

"Mia came here to pick up the sheet music and got caught in the rain. I let her use the bathroom. Is there a problem with that?"

I curled my lips into a cold smile, then bent down and picked up her underwear between my fingers. I tossed it in her direction.

The girl’s face turned a deep shade of red. She lowered her head, staring at the crumpled underwear on the ground, her teeth sinking into her lower lip.

"Of course, no problem. But a person with proper manners wouldn’t leave their underwear lying around."

The deliberate provocation made Lennon, who was usually calm and composed, narrow his eyes dangerously.

As his expression grew darker, Mia’s composure began to crack as tears welled in her eyes.

She stepped past Lennon to grab my arm and called my name softly.

Her pitiful expression was complete with tearful eyes and a pleading look.

Lennon, however, pulled her behind him protectively. His gaze was now cold and unfamiliar, making it hard for me to breathe.

"Have you had enough?"

"She’s your apprentice, not some random person. Drop the superior attitude."

"If you’re angry, go vent it elsewhere, but don’t take it out on Mia."

I froze, caught off guard.

He was never one to hide his disdain for her in the past. When had their relationship shifted to this level of intimacy?

The first time I met Mia Blake was during one of my coach’s classes.

She had been only twenty years old at the time, a quiet girl sitting alone in the corner of the classroom, practicing the violin diligently.

I had stood at the door, pointing her out to my coach with a casual question. "Sir, class ended ages ago. Why hasn’t that girl left yet?"

My coach glanced over, shaking his head. "That’s just how she is. Every time, she stays behind to practice a little longer and asks me for extra guidance."

"If you don’t have natural talent, you have to work harder."

I listened to the girl playing the violin and she played Scarborough Fair with a few wrong notes here and there.

"Her technique needs work, but her emotional depth is impressive. That’s crucial for a performer."

My coach gave me a dismissive look, clearly unimpressed by my assessment.

I smiled knowingly, aware of what he was thinking.

After all, by the time I was twenty, I had already been selected to play in the first violin section of the city orchestra.