[ Bastien wasn’t fishing for that, and he wouldn’t have thought he wanted to hear it. What he wants is for Byerly to spend time more than a couple miles away from his office for something entirely unrelated to his work, losing himself the way he does sometimes with music, and being there for a young woman who he certainly cares about more than Bastien does, even if he likes her less.

But still. It’s unexpectedly nice to hear. Enough so that it takes Bastien a second to muster up further resistance. ]

What if I spend the whole time writing you a song so full of longing adoration it’s as if you have been away for a year?