Page 46 of Resist Me

She looked over my shoulder and her eyes softened. I tensed when I heard the voice. There was kindness in it when he said her name, but also a note of irritation. I couldn’t help but wonder where it stemmed from. Likely, it was because of me.

“I’m making friends,” Willow told him. The mischievous look on her face was so like his that I was surprised I didn’t notice their relation earlier.

He came around my side to stand next to her. The tightness in his jaw was apparent and when he swept his gaze over me, I raised a brow. For such an outgoing, annoyingly goofy person, he was prickly as hell when it came to me. Something made him lash out in the library and I’d been curious about it but not enough to approach him again.

“He’s not friend material,” West said.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “I’m very friendly. I did save Willow from being crushed by a hundred pound bar.”

West turned his irritated gaze on her. “I told you to wait for me.”

“You took too long,” she replied matter-of-factly. “Besides, he’s nice. What’s your name?”

“Linc.” I held out my hand and she took it with a smile. “Lincoln Porter.”

Her eyes widened and she pulled her hand back. “Oh. That makes sense. You’re his arch nemesis.”

“Let’s address the fact that he’s the one who made my life hell for the past six months.”

“You convinced someone to break my ribs,” West growled, his nostrils flaring.

“That’s not what I did, but it’s pointless to argue with you, so I’ll just go. It was nice to meet you, Willow. Don’t forget the safety stops.”

Instead of her bright smile, there was something closer to a smirk on her face. I didn’t know how to feel about that, so I turned around and rejoined Rick. He took me by the shoulder, getting close.

“Is she single? Don’t tell me she’s dating Densmore.”

“No, they’re siblings. Unless you want him to kick your ass, I’d keep your distance.”

“He doesn’t hate me, so maybe I’ll shoot my shot.”

“Good luck with that.”

I sat on the bench again. Before I laid back, I looked over at West and Willow. They seemed to be talking quietly to each other, both of them looking tense.

What had him so wound up? Even when he was messing with me, he usually had an infuriating playfulness about him. Something had really gotten under his skin.

Not my problem.

*****

My hands were beginning to ache, but I continued playing. It wasn’t often that I could practice here without anyone else being around. My keyboard at home worked well enough since it had weighted keys and I’d spent a hell of a lot of money on it, but it was always better to play on a real piano.

When I stumbled over a couple notes, I stopped. I was starting to hate this piece. With a deep breath, I decided to play something else, a song that I could just enjoy without pressure. River Flows In You was one of my comfort songs and I knew it by heart, so I closed my eyes and let my fingers dance across the keys. It was like muscle memory and it didn’t fail to make goosebumps rise on my skin.

The room filled with the smooth flow of the notes. The rise and fall of the music felt like it matched the cadence of my breaths. It was thoughtless, which had its own sort of purity. When I sunk into this state, the physical concept of music disappeared along with my simple existence. Things justwere.

As I closed out the song, I felt almost weightless. Slowly, the world came back into focus, but it was gentle, like a current gradually rocking me back to shore.

And then my peace shattered.

A slow clap erupted, making my eyes fly open. There was a figure standing in the doorway, tall and lithe. Only when she stepped forward into the light did I recognize her.

“Willow,” I said, surprised.

“Lincoln.”

Her grin was so familiar, even though I’d only met her once, and briefly. I dropped my gaze to the keys, then shook my head and closed the case.

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