Crescendo

Chapter 9

Soundtrack for this chapter:
Clair de Lune—Claude Debussy*
The Scientist—Coldplay
Dive—Ed Sheeran

9

Jules

The second time I woke up in Theo's bed, rather than stealthily slipping out of it, I rolled closer to the middle, hoping my body would find Theo's. But he wasn't there. Oh...is this how he felt that morning I left?

Before I could process anything, before I could even begin to think about what happened the night before, I heard the distant keys of a piano being depressed just softly enough to emit the faintest sound. Careful not to make any movements too quickly, I pulled myself out of Theo's bed and followed the music.

My feet led me to the living room, where a fully awake Theo had his back to me as his fingers pressed out Debussy's "Clair de Lune"; as I listened, I was brought back to a piano recital I'd played at as a teenager. My mother and father had ignored my pleas for guitar lessons every year, instead insisting I continue with the piano.

"The piano is a classical instrument. The guitar is so...common. Do you know how regal it is to have a piano in the home? And for others to hear the music coming from our house! You will keep up with it," mother used to say.

I learned to fall in love with it, and there was no denying the beautiful sound and limitless possibilities of the piano; I would never forget the look of horrified disapproval on my parents' faces when they heard the spin on I put on their beloved Debussy composition at my recital. My piano teacher had praised me for the creativity I put into it; she was fired that evening.

I walked up to Theo and put my hands gently on his shoulders. His fingers lifted from the keys immediately.

"Keep playing, and slide down."

He set his hands back on the keys and picked up where he'd left off. I sat on the bench beside him and started adding in my own chords and notes; some of which were from my original performance of the song, some of which were on the spot additions. Very quickly, I felt the cut on my right hand start to strain against my skin when the movements of my fingers picked up, and I had to pull back and continue with a gentler touch.

The melodies that flowed from the piano were a beautiful mixture of classical music and modern sound, an intertwining of two very different personalities. In all honestly, while sitting there next to Theo, listening to the music the two of us were creating together, I was almost happy to have been part of the accident from the night before.

When the final notes were struck, I let myself sink into Theo next to me, and his right arm came around my back. It felt incredibly romantic, regardless of the journey that got us to that point.

"I'm sorry I woke you. I was trying to play quietly."

"Don't be sorry." I imagined his lips turning up into a smile.

I lifted my head from his shoulder and turned to face him. He regarded me with concern in his eyes.

"How're you feeling?"

I took a moment to take stock of my body. "A little sore. My head hurts, but not as bad as last night. And my hand," I held it between us, "this hurts more than my head."

"That's because it's in an awkward place. You'll have to be careful not to reopen the wound once it closes."

I looked back into his eyes. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to recreate our first night together. I wanted him to replace everyone else in my life from back home. There was a moment the night before when I realized I had no one; even though my mother and father and Will existed, I could never count on them like I'd been able to count on Theo, at least, not in a way where I could still be myself. Why did I run from him in the first place?