Sing

CHAPTER 47.

MONICA

More waiting.

I felt like I’d spent the past weeks doing nothing but waiting.

The cafeteria was quiet, for once. I stared at my tea, trying to absorb Jessica’s arrest. That had been Jonathan’s plan. it had been what my curiosity had kept him from executing. It seemed so petty now. I looked at my watch, checked my texts for word from Margie, and took out my notebook.

I opened it to the last page, the only one left blank. Much of what I had in there wasn’t even suitable to be put to music. I had drawings and staff notes, compositions for multiple instruments with no idea if there was even a possibility of matching words.

“Monica,” Brad sat down across from me with a prepackaged yogurt cup and toast wrapped in plastic.

“Brad.” I folded my notebook closed. “Thank you for that text. It was...it saved my life.”

“I’m sure you’re exaggerating.” He unwrapped his toast. “You’re off the hook for dinner, you know. But I hope we can still be friends?”

“Of course. And you still need to yell at me for what I did.”

“I’ll give you an earful.” He bit the toast, wrinkled his nose and went for the yogurt. “What are you doing here?”

“Margie said she’d text me when he got out.” I looked at my phone, checking to make sure it was on for the hundredth time.

“How long has it been?”

“Six hours, give or take.”

He stirred his yogurt slowly. “That’s long.”

I took a second to absorb what he said, then snapped up my phone and texted Margie.

—any word?—

“If she forgot to text me I’m going to beat her senseless,” I said more to myself than Brad.

A text shot back immediately.

—Dr came out an hour ago. Issues with the aortic valve. Bad—

“Fuck.”

I didn’t say good-bye to Brad.