Gali flopped into the armchair. “I’m sorry, hon. I don’t blame you for wanting to end things. But I don’t think it’s because he doesn’t fit your requirements. Maybe it’s time to get rid of those rules you’ve been clinging to. Maybe this didn’t work out the way you wanted, but you were happy, Minh. Happier than I’d seen you in a long time.”
She had been happy. Gali was right. But now she was also hurting more than she had in a long time.
Six years.
“I don’t think so, Gali. Rules are what has kept me safe—” She stopped and shook her head. Why was she having this conversation twice in one day?
Rules are your version of penance.
Gali sighed. Disappointment hung heavy in that sound. “Do you really still believe that? I love you like my own sister. But I worry about you. I was hoping Chris would…” She trailed off, shaking her head, then stood and came over to Minh on the couch. She gave her friend a tight hug before pulling back with a sad smile. “I’ll be here for whatever you need, whenever you’re ready. How about some ice cream?”
The tears were getting harder to hold back, and Minh’s throat felt tight. She barely managed a nod at Gali, who rose again. “Two pints, two spoons…coming up.” She squeezed Minh’s hand. “I just want you to be happy.” And then Gali was moving away, heading into the kitchen, while Minh lay down on the couch, blinking at the ceiling.
I was happy with Chris, she wanted to say, but she couldn’t get the words out, and in the next moment she found herself wondering whether it really was because she’d tossed off all the restrictions and lived the life she was meant to have for the first time in six years.
Was that her real destiny? Or was this hurt a sign that she needed to go back to her rules? Either way, things were different now. She didn’t know exactly how, but one thing she couldn’t deny was that the music…the music had already changed.
…
Chris had waited for a little while after Minh had walked out before he called Harmon back. He’d been too keyed up after their conversation, to risk saying something wrong on the phone.
“Thanks for calling, Yuval. I’m looking forward to our meeting next week.” Chris tried not to sound too excited, but it was hard to rein it in. If this investment came through, it would guarantee that Phantom Studios had a chance at something truly big.
“I am, too. I wanted to see if you could bring a copy of the film. You said you were almost finished the last time we met.”
Chris heard a voice from downstairs. Minh, saying good-bye to the guys. She was leaving? She wasn’t coming home with him?
Not that he could really be surprised. Things between them hadn’t gone well. First he’d said too much, and then he hadn’t said enough. But he’d thought…
Well, he wasn’t sure what he’d thought. Was this it, then? They were just…over?
He frowned. He needed to go after her and see what she was thinking. Try to sort things out…
Harmon cleared his throat, the sound echoing through the phone. Shit. What had they been talking about? A copy of the movie. “Yes, absolutely. In fact, the animation is all wrapped up. I’ll bring it along.”
After they hung up Chris raced downstairs, hoping that Minh might still be there, but she was gone. “Fuck!” He ran both hands through his hair and stared at the door as though he might will her back through it.
But of course she didn’t come back, and later that night, he found himself unable to sleep, regretting that he hadn’t gone after her.
Chapter Fifteen
Later that night, Minh was still feeling down and confused. She couldn’t stop wishing that she could go to Chris, to talk to him and try to make him see that she wasn’t wrong.
Except that she was starting to think that maybe she was. After eating way too much ice cream with Gali, she’d continued to work on the final two songs for the score, and for the first time, she’d found herself completely ignoring the rules of good composition. The music had flown out of her, making her nearly giddy with creative excitement.
She hadn’t felt this way in years.
She had a hard time not calling Chris to share her progress with him. She was trying to keep her mind off of dialing his number by sitting in the living room and listening to the recording of the song on her laptop so that she could figure out how to round it out. She had just jotted down an idea when her phone rang.
It was her parents. Weird. They never called her during the week. A chill ran down her spine. She picked up the phone, feeling anxious already. “Dad? What’s going on?”
“Hi, sweetheart. I had to call because—something happened to Kieu. We just got a call from a hospital in New York. She overdosed last night. They found her just in time and brought her in to the emergency room. Mom and I are flying up and—”
Oh, God. Oh, no. The guilt and fear invaded everything. “I’m coming too.” Minh shot out of the chair and ran to her bedroom. “I’m going to pack now. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get a flight right away, but if nothing else I can probably borrow someone’s car and be there in two days if I drive straight through, or—”