Perfect Song (Mason Creek Book 2) by Lauren Runow (christmas read aloud .txt) 📕

to face me. “I’m here to help you. You need to let me help you.”

“I don’t need help.”

She places her hand on my arm, stopping me from taking my next bite. “Everyone needs help at one point or another. It’s okay to have someone help you.”

I look at her and then down at her hand, silently asking her to remove it so I can take my next bite. She does with a sigh.

I know I’m being an ass, so when I finish my bite, I wipe my mouth and close my container. “Fine, Linda. Let’s talk. What do you want to know?”

“Why did you end it with Justine?”

“Because she’s young. She’s got her whole life in front of her. She doesn’t need to be with a sick, older man.”

“Don’t you think that should be her decision?”

“No. I’m not going to hold someone down. Especially a woman like her. She lives in New York anyway. It wouldn’t have worked out. You know I would never move there.”

“No, I know you wouldn’t, but what about her staying here? It sounds like she might have done that.”

“For what? To take care of me? No, thank you. I don’t need anyone’s help.”

“Do you hear yourself right now?” she says, exasperated.

“Yes, I do, loud and clear. Do you hear me?” I stare at her, raising my eyebrows in question.

“That woman loves you. Does that not mean anything?”

I huff and open my lunch back up, taking another bite of food.

“So, let me get this straight. If the tables were turned and you’d just found out that she was diagnosed with MS, would you leave her?”

I turn to her in outrage. “You know I wouldn’t.” I clench my jaw, angry she would even suggest such a thing.

“Then, tell me why it’s okay for her to leave you?”

“She’s not. I’m—”

“Pushing her away. How would you feel if she were the one pushing you away?”

I take a bite of my sandwich, not wanting to answer her.

“Do you get it now?”

I keep my sight glued in front of me, not turning her way.

“You act like you’ve been given a death sentence. You haven’t! MS is treatable. There are things you can do and still live a normal life. Why would you not want to be happy?”

“I was just fine without her.”

“No, you weren’t. You pretended you were by living your life through Matthew. But he’s going off to college, and he’ll be living his own life. It’s time you got yours back too.”

I drop my head against the back of the seat.

She reaches out her hand to me again. “I don’t want you to be afraid to live. You deserve to be happy. We all want to see you happy.”

I keep my head against the headrest but turn, so I can see her. We stare at each other for a bit until she grins and pats my arm.

“Okay then, let’s finish our lunch, and then you can call Matthew, so I can see my nephew before I have to take off. I’m going to New York to help with Cailin while Adam and Sarah perform. You should be there, too, but what you do now is up to you. I’ve said my piece.”

I grin in a silent thank-you, and she nods her head, picking her sandwich back up and taking another bite.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Justine

My life has been insane these past two weeks, planning this event, but it’s finally here. Everything is set up, and now, I’m waiting for people to arrive and get this show on the road.

It was fun to meet Adam and Sarah in person when they came earlier for their sound check, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt, seeing them as well. They are the only things tying me to Tucker since he left me in New York, and I hate having that connection to them.

Nothing came up about Tucker when we met in person, but it felt like this huge elephant in the room. When we’d spoken earlier in the week, I had told them that he nonchalantly broke it off. I’d thought that would make it easier. It didn’t.

I wanted to ask them if they’d spoken to him or if Linda had any news, but I knew that wasn’t appropriate for why they were here. I had to remain professional and do my job as the event coordinator of this amazing event.

Everywhere I look, I see things about multiple sclerosis and the orange ribbon that signifies the disease. At the time, I thought it would make a great decoration, but now, all I see is Tucker, and it makes me realize even more what he’s going through.

The attack on me was frightening, but I was able to overcome it, and I even feel more secure, being back here in New York. Seeing all these orange ribbons reminds me that his pain will never go away. Science says it’ll only progress.

The thought breaks my heart.

The event is running smoothly. Broadcasting live over social media is working great, and we have people commenting from all over the world. One thing we didn’t plan on was people telling their own stories with the disease.

Our MC of the night is taking time to read their stories aloud for the live audience as well as all the people watching from home, and it’s making this event so much more amazing and really tying in the human aspect of this disease and the impact it’s left on our world.

Donations are pouring in, and even I’m surprised at how much we’ve raised so far.

With Adam and Sarah closing out the night, the anticipation of their grand finale is killing me. We advertised them and the event highly throughout the week, and people at home are starting to ask when they’ll be on.

The MC finally announces them, and the crowd cheers as they walk out onto the stage, where a stool is sitting with a microphone next to it and another one standing beside it.

The two look