Brendan’s black pupils dilated as shock churned in him. Meanwhile, complex and intricate feelings filled his heart as though he had just been cut.

He had thought she cared only about this music book and the piano. It turned out that she was that invested… just because of him?

She had been trying to secure the music book he had given her, which was why she was so miserable that she was sobbing.

Something seemed to have struck him, and Brendan picked Deirdre up and walked out of the private roo