Tomorrow's Lullaby
Page 1
Table of Contents
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Title Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
Discussion Questions
Read Kyra's Story!
No Match for Love series
Sunset Plains Romance series
Other Books by Lindze Armstrong
Sweet 'N Spicy Reads
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
Contents
Get a Free Story!
Title Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilogue
Discussion Questions
Get a Free Story!
Read Kyra's Story!
No Match for Love series
Sunset Plains Romance series
Other Books by Lindze Armstrong
Sweet 'N Spicy Reads
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Copyright
To everyone whose lives have been touched by adoption.
Sienna couldn’t believe she was going to be late. Her junior year at the Academy of Arts was starting off with a bang.
What had she been thinking, flying back from summer vacation the day before school started? Her plane had been delayed five hours due to weather. She’d stumbled through the front door of her shared apartment sometime after two in the morning, tossed her bags in a corner, and fallen into bed, fully clothed. Even Liv’s deep breathing—she got mad if Sienna dared to call them snores—hadn’t kept Sienna awake. Four hours later, her alarm had done a crummy job of pulling her from slumber.
This better not be an indication of how this year would go.
Fallen leaves crunched underneath her hurried footsteps. At least she wasn’t the only student running late. She dodged a tired-looking man eating a bagel and a girl whose tangled hair suggested she’d just rolled out of bed.
This semester had to go well. The last two years had been stressful, emotional, and life-changing. All she wanted out of this year was normal.
Sienna pushed open the heavy wood doors to the Livingston Building, tripping over the threshold. The hallway was completely empty, the doors shut tight—definitely late.
Room 101, 103, 105. Sienna peered in the small, rectangular window on the side of the door. Auditorium-style chairs descended toward a large white board at the front of the room.
Sienna slowly opened the door, wincing when the hinges let out a quiet squeal of protest. The room was uncomfortably quiet. Professor Callahan wrote on the white board, the fresh marker squeaking with each stroke. Dark brown elbow patches stood out on his tweed jacket, and she could tell he’d brushed his wispy gray hair into a comb-over, even from here.
Sienna scanned the rows of seats. There had to be an open spot near the back. She couldn’t face the humiliation of walking in late, then prancing to the front of the room for a chair.
A guy in the last row lifted his backpack off a seat. Sienna barely glanced at her classmate, her eyes zeroing in on the chair. She slid into it with a grateful, “Thanks.”
Maybe this semester wouldn’t be so bad after all. Surely five minutes late didn’t mean the whole semester was doomed.
Professor Callahan turned to face the class, capping the dry erase marker he’d been using. His messy scrawl was almost unreadable. Sienna squinted. She was pretty sure at least one of the words was “TV.”
“Welcome to History of Television,” Professor Callahan said, his voice nasally. “You’re in for an informative and exciting semester.”
Only at an arts university would History of Television be one of the options for the required film general. Sienna liked watching TV as much as the next person but had a sneaking suspicion that taking this class would kill the fun. But it had fit into her schedule and seemed like the easiest of the options.
“Television used to be a much under-appreciated art form, often overshadowed by film,” Professor Callahan continued. “But it’s gained in popularity over the last decade and has finally earned the respect it deserves.”
The guy sitting next to her snorted. For the first time, Sienna paid attention to her seatmate.
He covered his face with a dark sinewy hand. “Sorry,” he whispered. “But is this guy for real?”
Her breath caught. Holy cow. The guy was gorgeous. His skin gleamed a beautiful golden brown and inviting hazel eyes had her mouth going dry. His dreadlocks, pulled back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, made their way to his shoulder blades. Mercy. She could make out a tattoo—some sort of quote—under the cuff of his shirt sleeve.
Bad boys had always been her weakness, and so these days, she had rules when it came to guys.
But that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the view.
He must be a transfer student—he looked too mature to be a freshman. The Academy of Arts was pretty small, and she’d never seen this guy before.
“You can expect to view a minimum of ten hours of television a week as part of your course assignment,” Professor Callahan said. “I assign the viewing material and require weekly five-page reports. If you’ll turn to page two of your course syllabus, we’ll go over the shows we’ll be covering.”
“TV as homework? I can get behind that,” the guy whispered, leaning toward her. His breath smelled like spearmint, and she struggled to catch her breath without being obvious about it. “You do like TV, right? You’re not one of those purists who only reads Jane Austen and analyzes Van Gogh’s art for fun, are you?”
“Hardly,” Sienna said. “I don’t just like TV—I love it.”
He grinned, revealing two front teeth that were slightly crooked. It gave his smile character.
“Do you lean more toward reality shows or sitcoms?” he asked.
“Reality TV. I love the drama.”
“I’m sorry,” a nasally voice said, “but are we interrupting you in the back row with our learning?”
Sienna’s face flamed red. Professor Callahan glared up at them. She hadn’t been called out by a teacher since high school.
“Of course not,” the guy said. “We were bouncing around the idea of forming
a study group. Sorry, Professor. We’ll talk about it after class.”
“Well then.” The professor harrumphed loudly and turned his attention to the syllabus.
Sienna stayed quiet, and so did her seat mate. As the professor launched into his first lecture—an incredibly dull and painfully detailed account of the father of modern television—she was all too aware of the man sitting beside her. Every breath, every shift in posture had her nerve endings dancing.
She kept her eyes stubbornly forward. But she felt his gaze on her intermittently for the rest of class.
“Read pages twelve through eighty-two of your textbook as homework,” Professor Callahan said. “Be prepared for a quiz. See you Friday.”
The sounds of backpacks zipping open and laptop lids closing filled the classroom. Was her seatmate still watching her? She peeked over. Those hazel eyes made her skin flame.
“Sounds like a fun semester.” His voice was deep and raspy when he wasn’t whispering. Maybe a vocal performance major? She’d pay to hear him sing.
“I’m worried it’s going to kill television for me,” Sienna said.
He laughed, exposing those crooked teeth again. He slung his backpack over a broad shoulder and held out his hand. “Aaron Johnson.”
“Sienna McBride.”
His shake was firm without being painful. “Looks like we’re study buddies now, Sienna.”
She raised an eyebrow, exiting the row and waiting for Aaron to do the same. The butterflies in her stomach were going nuts. “Oh, really?”
“Professor Callahan thinks we are. If we don’t put together a study group now, I’ll have lied to a teacher. I’m begging you—don’t force me to be that guy.”
Sienna bit her lip, trying to hold back the smile that wanted to split her face. There was nothing wrong with studying with a handsome man. Flirting with him, even. It wasn’t like she had a boyfriend. The few dates she’d been on with Jared before heading home for a month hardly counted.
“I suppose you’re right,” Sienna said. “I guess I could consider it my duty as your peer to be your study buddy.”
“You could say that.” Aaron pulled out his cell phone. “Let me get your number, and we’ll get together soon. Maybe this weekend?”
“Sounds good.” They exchanged numbers as her heart pounded furiously in her chest. She hadn’t allowed herself to flirt with someone this off-limits since making the rules.
“It was nice to meet you, Sienna McBride.”
“You too,” she said.
Aaron raised a hand in acknowledgment, walking backward for a few steps before turning around and disappearing out the door.
Sienna tried to forget about Aaron during her next two classes, but that proved nearly impossible. After the last class, she headed to the music hall and instantly felt at home. The soundproof practice rooms made the building unnaturally quiet. It was nice to be completely alone with her thoughts.
The six-foot square practice room barely fit the upright piano with a natural oak finish. Soon, she lost herself in one of her audition pieces for Juilliard. She ran a difficult measure over and over, working on fingering. She played the entire piece through dozens of times, focusing on her memorization. She inserted emotion into the notes.
This time, she’d nail the audition. Juilliard wouldn’t even consider saying no.
Three hours later, her back was stiff, and her fingers ached. Time for a cool down. She played Hunter’s Lullaby from memory, instantly transported back two years in time. The familiar notes calmed and soothed her. She felt good about the practice session. Dr. Stone would be pleased with her progress.
Exhaustion hit full-force during the mile-long walk home. But sleep would have to wait until she unpacked. And probably went grocery shopping. Food wasn’t something Liv usually thought about. She trudged up the stairs to her second-floor apartment. The chipped yellowing paint and faded brown carpet weren’t much to write home about, but it felt good to be home.
She kicked the door shut with one foot as her cell phone buzzed.
Kyra: Hunter and Sophie wanted to wish you good luck on your first day of classes! They made you a sign.
Sienna grinned, waiting for the photo she knew would be texted next. Her phone buzzed again. Sophie held a sign, and the uneven letters said “good luk Ant Sienna!” Hunter’s scribbles nearly covered the words. He held the other end of the sign and appeared to be trying to rip it from Sophie’s hands. His nose, identical to Sienna’s, was scrunched, his eyes narrowed. His blonde hair that mirrored her own was tousled. Sienna bit her lip, blinking quickly to stop the tears from forming.
She was beyond lucky to have placed Hunter with the Petersons. When they’d adopted him, they’d welcomed Sienna with open arms and given her the title of aunt. She’d forever be grateful to them.
Sienna: Aw, so adorable. I love it. Tell them thanks. I miss you guys already!
Kyra: How was your first day?
Sienna: It went great :)
Kyra: Oh good. I hope it’s your best semester yet.
So did Sienna. With her upcoming Juilliard audition, she couldn’t afford any distractions or mistakes.
Sienna: Thanks!
She shoved her phone in her pocket, knowing Kyra wouldn’t text back—she always let Sienna have the last word. Kyra was great about keeping Sienna in the loop when it came to Hunter. Aside from their weekly texts, Sienna always visited the Petersons when she went home to Utah. But as much as Sienna craved photos and information about Hunter, it always stung that she was a bystander in his life. It hurt to know her son wasn’t really hers.
The door flew open, bumping Sienna in the rear.
“Whoops. Sorry, S. Didn’t know you were home.” Liv dropped her backpack to the floor and wrapped Sienna in a tight hug. “How was Utah? I didn’t even hear you come in last night.”
“Utah was great. I’m glad to be back though.”
Liv grinned, raising her face to the ceiling. “Me too. Philadelphia speaks to me.”
Sienna laughed. She and Liv had been assigned as roommates freshman year and become instant friends. Last year they’d found this small one-bedroom apartment just off campus. When summer came, they decided to keep the apartment. It was nice to not deal with moving on top of beginning a new semester.
“You look pretty,” Sienna said. Dark brown hair was piled on top of Liv’s head, and her eyes popped with dramatic makeup against her smooth and flawless olive-toned skin. Her green dress shimmered with each movement. “Did you just get back from an audition?”
“Yeah, the campus is doing Aida—the musical, not the opera. Of course, I deserve to be Amneris.”
“Of course.”
Liv hugged Sienna again. “Gosh, I’ve missed you. I have so much to tell you.”
“We texted last week.”
Liv’s dark eyes glittered, and a smile brushed her lips. “It’s been an eventful week.”
Sienna’s eyes widened. She grabbed Liv’s hand, inspecting it for a ring. It’d be just like Liv to impulsively jump into marriage with a guy she barely knew. “Craig didn’t propose, did he?”
Liv pulled her hand away. “Uh-uh, that’s over. I’m with Eldon now.”
“Eldon? What happened with Craig?”
“Craig wasn’t the one. So I dumped him. Oh, don’t look at me like that. I met Eldon at the theater my last week in Detroit. It was love at first sight. I’m telling you, I heard the lyrics to Every Story is a Love Story in my head when our eyes met across the room.” Liv hummed a few bars of the Aida song. “Ours is a love that will never die.”
Right. It wasn’t like Liv had gone through six—now seven—boyfriends since Sienna had known her. “Uh-huh. And I’m assuming Eldon lives in Detroit?”
“No. That’s the best part—he’s here, in Philadelphia. He was only in Detroit on business. It’s fate, I tell you. Written in the stars.”
“And just how old is Eldon? That sounds like an old man’s name.”
“Okay, he
’s thirty-nine. But that’s what I need after Craig—a mature man, not an irresponsible boy.”
Sienna stifled a sigh. She knew it was pointless to try and talk sense into Liv, but she had to at least try. “He’s old enough to be your father.”
“You’re one to talk. The heart doesn’t have an age.”
Sienna’s ears flushed red. “Jared is eight years older than me—not eighteen.” And even that big of an age difference had bothered both Sienna and Jared a little. “Besides, I don’t think Jared and I will go anywhere.”
Liv made a sympathetic noise in her throat. “He still hasn’t texted you, huh?”
“I’m sure he’s busy with work.” At first, the lack of communication had hurt Sienna’s feelings. But if they continued dating, she’d have to tell him about Hunter. And she wasn’t sure how straight-laced Jared would take it.
Aaron would probably be fine with it. He seemed . . . edgy. But that was exactly what she didn’t need. She’d tried dating that kind of boy, and the decision had altered the course of her life. Not that she’d give up having Hunter for anything, but still, the consequences hurt.
“There’s someone else you’re interested in, isn’t there?” Liv asked.
Sienna’s cheeks flamed, and she shook her head. “No.”
“Don’t lie to me.”
If she didn’t admit to her burgeoning crush, then it didn’t exist. Sienna tried not to break eye contact, but after nearly thirty seconds of staring, she blinked.
“You met someone,” Liv crowed. “You blinked.”
“Yeah, well, not all of us can go for hours in staring contests. That doesn’t mean I met someone.”
“Who is he? Someone from school?”
Sienna headed to their bedroom while Liv trailed behind. “It’s nothing. Just a guy in my television history class.”
“Tell me everything.”
Sienna dropped her backpack to the floor and grabbed one of her suitcases. Might as well start unpacking while they talked. Liv’s side of the room was already littered in clothes. “His name is Aaron, and we flirted a bit during class. We’re going to study together this semester. That’s it.”
Liv clapped her hands. “Perfect. You can double with me and Eldon. When’s your first date?”
“It’s not like that. We’re just going to study.”