Staccato (Magnum Opus #2) - E.M. Lindsey Page 0,13

for the sake of pity and to make themselves feel better about who they were—because at least they weren’t blind.

“I brought you some food. Gurvan cooked some soup and sandwiches. Have you eaten today?”

He didn’t expect an answer, and he didn’t get one. At best, his father’s hand twitched in his, and he felt nails that were too long, too jagged. He felt a rush of frustration because they should be taking better care of him.

Letting go, Nik shuffled across the room to the little cabinet Van kept stocked with toiletries. Once a week, his brother would come by and shave him, shampoo his hair, lotion his skin, rub his feet. And maybe it hadn’t been done in a while, or maybe there was no point in grooming a dying man, but Nik couldn’t stand it.

His nimble fingers found the little nail file, the rough emery board scraping at the pad of his thumb. He clutched it against his palm and made his way back, then found the leg of the chair with his foot and hauled it over before sitting. He found his father’s hand again, his finger running over his nails, then he began his work.

“I met someone,” he said after a pressing silence. He knew if the old man was listening, he wasn’t understanding, but it felt good to offer the words up into the void anyway. “Just for a minute today. His niece asked me to play something for her, and it was the first time I’ve done that in…years. I think.” His throat tightened at the memory of what he no longer had. “She was sweet, and he was…”

Different, his brain supplied. Adam was different, but in the best possible way. He was alluring and kind and a little bit of a disaster, which Nik understood on a visceral level. He was terrified, and he sounded as alone as Nik felt most days, and he’d been brave enough to ask Nik to come back.

“I think I might see him again. Mitch told me he was attractive. A lot of tattoos and piercings, which is new. Not my usual type.” He allowed himself a grin at the thought because his usual type was stuffy and uptight and arrogant. Usually tall and dark-haired though that was more coincidence than anything else. “I wish you could meet him. Really meet him.”

“Ah, mon fils.” His father’s hand twitched.

“Papa?”

There was silence again, and the fingers relaxed, and Nik knew that was probably it for the night. His father had drifted, and it was rare he came back after those moments. But he worked meticulously until all the jagged edges were filed down, and his hand was soft again. The food remained on the table, and he made a mental note to ask his brother how often his father slept through dinner.

And if maybe it was a sign things were starting to take a turn. Again.

He didn’t want to race toward that finish line, but he wanted to be prepared for when it showed up on the horizon. Losing his mother had gutted him, no matter how complicated their relationship had been. But losing his father would be worse. Losing him like this was cruel, and unfair, and inevitable.

If he had someone to help soften the blow, warm arms and careful promises that he wouldn’t have to suffer alone, maybe it would be better. But Nik had been notoriously hard to love, and it was something he accepted. And something he knew he’d survive.

Chapter 5

Legato

Adam felt like a creep, sitting there at the front desk watching Nik talk with the ancient owner of the piano store, knowing full well Nik couldn’t look up and see him. It was the worst sort of voyeurism, but he couldn’t help himself.

It was the first time Adam had seen the mysterious grand piano player up close. Hell, it was the first time he’d seen his face, and it was nothing like he’d expected. He’d been at the tattoo shop for months, and he hadn’t even realized the guy was blind. He was always just there—or he wasn’t—like he was some sort of specter manifesting whenever the world needed a song.

But now he was real. He was tangible flesh and bone, and he’d taken Adam’s hand, pressing their soft palms together like Adam was someone worth knowing. He wanted to be furious that Chloe had offered to watch Evie and then fucked off to talk to her piece-of-shit boyfriend—and he was beyond furious—but it was hard