Page 39 of Finding Emotion

“That’s cool,” Jimmy said, startling Skylar. She scowled as she realized she’d been staring at Damon like some kind of fan. “Dame rarely gets stuck like that.” He looked past her at the rock star. “He’s a bit of a virtuoso. If he’d shown interest in music when he was young, he might have become a prodigy.” Jimmy’s lips lifted, but it was more a facsimile of a smile. “I’m surprised he listened to you.”

“Well, she was right,” Damon said, though he was still distracted by fingering the guitar.

“But you said her music was crap,” Jimmy said.

Damon’s hands jerked on the guitar, letting out a discordant note as he flushed.

Guilty as charged, then, Skylar thought to herself even as she shrugged. “My stuff isn’t for everyone. Probably too angry for Mr. Sweetface.” She told herself she didn’t care, but her fingers clenched together, and she hid them between her legs.

“I did think it was too angry,” Damon admitted. He looked away from her. “But when you sang to that fan in the hall, I heard something different in it.”

Some of the ache in her fingers eased.

“I’ve always loved your music, Skylar.” Jimmy’s hands dug into his pockets as he tried to catch her eye. “Even when you were part of Winter Dust Storm. You made that band what it was.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t play so well with others, it turns out.” Skylar didn’t want to remember her band days. She cocked her head to study Damon. “A virtuoso, huh?”

Damon shrugged. “I started out playing by ear. I had to teach myself how to read music.”

A hum shivered along Skylar’s skin. It was even more exciting than being turned on. She reached for her guitar. “A contest then.”

Damon shook his head. “I’m not that competitive.”

“Aw, come on.” She pushed to her feet. “It’ll be fun, and a break will let you see that song of yours fresh afterward, once the worm is clear.”

Damon looked toward Jimmy, who leaned against the wall with a shrug. “Might be fun. You know, something you enjoy.” His manager smiled. “In case you forgot what fun is.”

“Cute,” Damon said, but returned his guitar to his more natural hold. “What’s the challenge?”

She grinned. “We take turns playing anything we want. The quicker the other one plays countermelody, the more bragging rights they earn.” Electricity zipped under her skin toward her fingers. She hadn’t felt that since her first band invited her up to play with them. Some of her happiness dimmed when she realized she’d likely never be a part of one again. Not after letting Jack and Sorcha play on her emotions for so long. She forced her smile to grow wider. Damned if she was going to let them ruin another moment. “I’ll start.”

She picked a popular song from one of the bands Damon had mentioned his mother liking.

He laughed after just a chord. “Too easy.” His playing quickly joined hers, and they both sang the chorus together.

Her smile eased into something more natural in response to the joy his blue eyes sparked with.

“All right, what about this?” he said, choosing his own tune.

Skylar picked it up easily enough. They continued like that for a while, and the electricity turned into something with claws. Nerves, she realized, as some of her giddiness faded. She hadn’t played with anyone since the band. Oh, the label had hired a band for her to tour with, people that played her songs, but she only sang with them. She’d grab a guitar to do a random riff when the audience called for it, but she’d be the only one playing during that, enjoying the spotlight.

She’d missed truly playing with others, she realized. After transitioning into the next song he picked, she decided to cheat a little on her turn. If Damon hated her stuff so much, he probably hadn’t listened to anything from her old days with Winter Dust Storm.

He had a good ear, though, and his counterpoint put what Jack used to play with her to shame. The thought made her abruptly stop. She forced a laugh, but her heart pounded in her ears.

“Your manager wasn’t just bragging on you. Damon, you’re an adept.” Like me, she thought, but another voice inside scraped at her, telling her she shouldn’t try to raise herself higher all the time.

“You too!” Damon looked happy saying it. “Skylar, you’re amazing. You should showcase it more.”

“You mean instead of shouting all the time?” Her smile felt like it contained ground-up glass. “Nah, this voice of mine would give out.”

Jimmy’s phone vibrated, loud even among the dragged-in breaths she was taking.

“Oh, crap, we can go, Dame.” Jimmy ran a hand through his hair. “To the venue. But it’s, like, now.”

“Okay.” Damon turned to gather up his music. “You want to come and check it out, Skylar?”

She waved him away as she found the nearest wall to prop her back against and give her suddenly weak legs a break. “I’m through tagging along. I’ll catch you at the suite later.” She tried to make sliding down the wall to sit look natural, and took a deeper breath, holding on to it. Somehow that only made her heartbeat louder.

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