This is only a sample, the full book is available on Patreon until I publish it. link in my bio ❤️

Emery's POV:

I felt the wood beneath me vibrating. I heard it. Bach's Cello Suites.

I remember what it feels like to play them. The vibration through my cello, the way the music takes over every single piece of my mind. I can't hear or see anything else. It's only me and the music. Nothing can inter-

"Emery!" My boss slammed her first on the table.

I may have been reading into the vibrations too much. It wasn't really music, it was actually all the loud conversations and footsteps vibrated the table I was cleaning.

"Sorry," I smiled sheepishly, bowing my head in apology.

"Just stop daydreaming and start working," Linda, my boss, scolded.

Linda wasn't a mean boss, the problem really was me. I tended to daydream a little too often.

By too often I mean a few times a day.

I picked up the tray with dirty dishes and wiped off the table once more before carrying the tray to the kitchen. We were a busser short today so I was serving andcleaning up my tables. It made for a hectic day which was why I hadn't had a break today. I decided to just blame that on the fact I was daydreaming instead of the truth- I was daydreaming about playing the cello because that's what I'd rather be doing.

Shockingly, serving wasn't my dream job. I was still working on getting the dream job. Since I was little I always wanted to be a famous cellist. Not really for the fame, but so that I wouldn't have to work jobs like this one and could instead justify spending all my free time playing my cello.

It sounds dramatic to say the cello was my life but it was. Any waking moment I wasn't working I was usually practicing. I was drawn to it in a way I can't begin to explain. When I played I felt like I was in another universe. Everything else fell away. I couldn't give up on that, I felt it deep in my core that playing the cello was what I was meant to do.

I did have a gig playing at a fancy little restaurant a few nights a week. The problem was, most people really don't care too much about the background music while they're at a romantic dinner. I did get tips but some nights it would only be a few dollars and some would argue not even worth my time but it was worth it to me because even if I wasn't making much as a musician, I was still getting paid to do what I loved and that helped me justify not giving up on it.

There were also those special days. Sometimes, someone would come that I knew traveled to that other universe with me while I played. The joy I felt when someone would come up to me that genuinely listened and felt it like I did was insurmountable. It made up for the fact that their tip would be one of the few I received for the night. It wasn't about the money. Music filled a hole in me that I didn't know was there until I started playing and suddenly felt like I knew who I was, who I was meant to be.

I was struggling my way through music school. Not struggling because the schoolwork was hard, I absolutely adored my music classes. It was trying to not get so far in debt I would never get out that was the struggle. That and at the rate of only taking a couple classes a semester, I would never graduate. At least, that's how it felt.

I had a lot of jobs. I served at this diner in the morning and early afternoon, then I walked dogs later in the afternoon, and at night I would go to the restaurant to play the cello. In the in-between time I would sell products from this makeup company. Most of that involved social media marketing, which I loathed, but I had people that bought from me regularly and, well, any extra cash I could make helped.

After serving several more tables I glanced at the clock and sighed in relief seeing that it was finally the end of my shift. I closed out my last few tables and let the next server take over before rushing back to the locker room, pulling off my apron as I did. I was running a little late. Always running a little late. It's just until everything else takes off Emery, I told myself as I changed out of my uniform and into regular clothes before leaving to pick up the dogs.

I had seven people I walked dogs for, and they thankfully all lived relatively close to each other. I road my bike to the first house and picked up the first dog, a blue heeler named Roger. I left my bike at the first house and went on to pick up the rest of the pack. I didn't mind walking the dogs as much as I minded waitressing. Walking cleared my mind and I enjoyed the dogs' presence since I couldn't have my own with my boyfriend being allergic.

I spent an hour walking them and spent way less time saying goodbye than I usually did. "I'm sorry, I'm extra behind today," I said, scratching the ears of the last one before I left him to his owners and rushed home. I rode my bike home and carried it up the stairs to lock in our apartment. I wasn't about to lose another bike.

I got to the door and it was unlocked, which wasn't unusual, but especially disappointing today. I took a deep breath and reminded myself to be patient before walking through the door, depositing my bike against the wall by the door.

"Hey babe," Tyler called out.

I paused as I took in the scene before me. Homework was spread out on the coffee table indicating he had been studying. Had been. At some point. He was currently watching baseball on TV. Not to mention the dishes scattered on the table and floor.

"Hey," I greeted. "Did you look for a job today?" I asked, turning to the kitchen to get water.

"Uh, yeah, I didn't have time. I'm really drowning in my homework," he replied distractedly.

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I knew his schoolwork was hard. I knew that. I felt like such a jerk when I would get bitter at him. Medical school was no joke, but talk about drowning, I could hardly pay all our bills including both of our school bills. We agreed he would get a part time job. Part time only, and just one, to help out. We agreed on that six months ago and yet were still at square one.

I filled a glass halfway with water and drank it in one gulp before heading for the bathroom. I didn't have time to get into it with him, nor did I have the energy. I felt like a broken record.

I closed the door and stripped down. At least I would get a few minutes of relaxing in the shower. Emphasis on few. It's just temporary, Emery, I reminded myself. My life wasn't at an ideal point that was okay, I was working towards something bigger, I just had to stay positive.

I savored the short time I spent in the warm water before I had to get out. As I stood in the shower I tried to not get upset with Tyler. We'd been together for 5 years, since junior year of high school. I knew he was just going through a rough patch. I agreed that I would bring in most the money while he worked towards his dreams, I just didn't expect that I would have to do all of it. Supporting both of us wasn't easy, especially since I was also trying to work towards my dream, just a lot slower.

I dried off and wrapped my towel around me before stepping out to find clothes. I looked towards the living room on my way to the closet and he was in the same spot, still watching TV, homework untouched. Drowning my ass. Sighing, I went to the closet and pulled out one of the simple black dresses I was allowed to wear at the restaurant while I played the cello.

I didn't want to know what time it was. Time and I had a strictly hate-hate relationship. There was no love. Time and I just did not get along. It didn't change the fact I still had to check it and when I did, I hated time a little more. I just wanted one second to breathe before I went to the next job but that just wasn't going to happen today. Or any day, apparently.

I changed into the dress and grabbed my makeup before sitting at my desk and opening my laptop. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Just smile, Em. Just smile and be your cheerful self. I was starting to think I should've gone with acting based on how good I was at acting happy and chipper when I really just wanted to crawl into the bed and sleep more than two or three hours at a time. Instead, I plastered on the smile everyone was expecting and started a live video.

"Hey everyone!" I greeted, waving at my webcam. "I'm back for another episode of Enchanting with Emery. Based on the polls I took last week, the make-up trick that won out was nailing the smoky-eye look..."

I tried not to rush it but I had to rush it a little or I'd be late to my next job. Being late had a snowball effect, it just seemed to get worse and worse and if I was late again, my creepy boss would definitely decide we needed a one-on-one and I was notup for being in a room alone with him. Dude just gave off the wrong vibes. It was the only part of my cello job I didn't like.

As soon as I was done with the video, I went to the bathroom and pinned my hair halfway up, thankful that I had natural wavy hair so I didn't have to do too much. I grabbed my heels and dropped them in my purse because no way my feet could survive walking that distance in heels. I pulled my flats on haphazardly as I moved out of the bedroom and towards the front door, grimacing when I saw the time. Power-walking it is.

"See you later," I called out as I reached the front door.

"Wait, you're leaving already?" Tyler asked, finally snapping his eyes over to me.

"Well, yeah, I have to be at Ruth'sin twenty minutes," I said. Like always.

"Oh..." he trailed off and looked at me guiltily. "I'll look for a job tomorrow," he promised, smiling weakly.

No you won't. I simply shrugged and he didn't like that. He looked like he was about to say something but I didn't have the time so I just opened the door and got out of there.

I hurried down the stairs and out of our apartment building, walking as fast as I could to the bus. As soon as I was on it, I put my headphones in and listened to Bach's Cello suite. I knew it would work. It always worked. I held onto the bar of the bus and closed my eyes, unable to stop the smile. God, classical music would never fail to melt away the tension, no matter how upset or tired I was. I rarely got to listen to it in the house because Tyler hated classical music. I could rarely even practice the cello in front of him because he didn't like that either.

I sighed and shook my head. The negative thoughts towards Tyler had to stop. We'd been together a long time and we had a plan for our life. We would get married after school, we would move to a nicer place, I would be able to focus on music. It wasn't fair for me to want him to listen to me play when I knew he didn't like it. God knows I'd turned down going to his sporting events because I had zero interest in them. I couldn't be upset with him for not doing my thing if I wasn't going to do his.

I just really, for once, would love if he actually sat and listened to me play.

It wasn't going to happen but that was fine. He didn't have to be a part of every single thing in my life, at least I had the bus.

I actually didn't mind the bus. It was like it was the only place I could stop moving for a moment, the only time I had a chance to really breathe and take in my music and not have to dwell on being late or the list of things I had to do because I couldn't do any of that on the bus. What I could do was find a place of peace before I had to put the smile back on. That was why my bus rides seemed a little too short and before I knew it, I had to put away the music and step off. The time on my phone indicated I had three minutes to get to Ruth's.

I hurried off the bus and halfway-ran from the bus stop to the entrance of the restaurant where a friendly face was waiting. "Running behind again, Em?" Richard, the valet, teased with a smile.

"Hey, I did pretty good today," I replied, pulling my heels out of my bag.

Richard reached an arm out and I smiled in thanks as he held my bag. He was used to our routine by this point. I took off one flat and slipped on the heel while balancing on one foot, then did the same on the other side. I dropped the flats in my bag and kissed Richard on the cheek before heading in. Richard was a good person and one of the few people in my life that encouraged me to not give up on music. He was older, in his sixties, and a total sweetheart.

I dumped my bag in the back and made my way to the cello. It was on a stand only slightly elevated than the rest of the restaurant. It was towards the back but centered in line with the entrance so everyone could be intrigued when they first walked in then slowly forget about the musicians as they drank wine.

Negativity like that isn't going to get you anywhere, I reminded myself. I really wasn't usually this negative, I was just so tired. I'd only had eight hours of sleep spread out over the last four days. It was hard to be positive when I felt like I could collapse from exhaustion at any moment.

"Emery, have something romantic to play tonight?" Pierre, the manager inquired with a sly smile as I sat. He was so gross.

"Of course," I said, physically holding back the eye roll.

Pierre winked at me and moved on, probably to make someone else uncomfortable. I decided he must like making me and the other women here feel uncomfortable. It was either that or he genuinely had no idea how creepy he was, but I didn't see how that was possible.

"Man, it took a whole three seconds before he was being inappropriate. Is that a new record?" David asked as he sat at the piano next to me, rolling his eyes.

"It's actually not," I said honestly, looking over at him. "One time he was right outside when I got here."

"That guy's a lawsuit waiting to happen, Em. Hey, maybe that's our ticket out of here," he said with a smile.

"Don't hold your breath," I sighed. "Same set list as last Thursday?" I asked.

He nodded and I adjusted my posture, pulling my blonde hair back and to the side opposite where the neck of my cello would rest. I pulled the instrument in position and ran my fingers over the strings. I closed my eyes for a moment and released a breath before I started to play.

Music had a way of taking over me. Anytime I played the cello, the second my fingers touched the strings, it was as if I was transported to another place where time didn't matter, where nothing else mattered. It was like I somehow became music, like we weren't separate from each other but a part of each other. This was why I put up with Pierre, this was why I didn't let myself get discouraged even if I wasn't getting enough sleep or enough of anything, at least I always had this. Playing made it all worth it.

I got so lost I sometimes forgot I was supposed to act like a normal person between songs. I tended to just close my eyes and keep them closed the whole night as I played, imagining I was playing at Carnegie Hall or, if I was really dreaming because it wasn't even on the same continent, the Royal Albert Hall in London.

But I wasn't there. I was at a restaurant and I was supposed to open my eyes and smile, be charming, always be charming. I opened my eyes and was grateful at least I didn't have to force the smile because playing the cello always made me smile inadvertently anyway.

What I didn't expect was for someone to be watching so closely. My gaze locked with the most beautiful pair of storm-grey eyes I'd ever seen, attached to an even more beautiful man, and as if that wasn't enough, he seemed to actually be listening to me play.

A/N:

Heyyy guys, here is the first chapter for the romance I promised you after Clashing! Let me know what you think!

First impressions of Emery?

First impressions of Tyler?

Hm, I wonder who is watching her play 👀

Updates on Saturdays ❤