Chapter 200

Jake's POV

The whispering tick of the wall clock was a sure metronome for the progress of time, and it slipped silently away in the studio. It must be way past midnight, but yet I just couldn't seem to make myself get up and leave. We had been working on this piece and it was almost done. Some force seemed to make me want to stay – to bask in the atmosphere of our combined creation.

Then the door creaked open again, and there was Lila walking in. Her eyes flew wide at the sight of me. "Jake, what are you still doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," I said, a smile in my voice. "Couldn't sleep?"

She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "No, I kept thinking about the piece. I wanted to see it one more time."

"Glad you did, then," I said, waving her to come alongside. "I was feeling the same way."

When she reached the spot, her eyes went for a run over the almost completed work. "It's amazing how far we have com