Page 32 of The Sound of Us

I put down my soda and glared. “It does not say that.”

“But it does sound like you,” Isla said, laughing. “You haven’t gone to the radio station since Tuesday when Dante serenaded you and turned you into a pile of mush.”

Sometimes Isla’s teasing cut too close. Noah was flexible about time so long as we put in the requisite hours, but I had been avoiding going to the station and I couldn’t put it off any longer. The reality was that I was afraid to go back. Dante had made me feel things I wasn’t ready to feel.

“You weren’t even there. And he didn’t turn me into mush. He played guitar and sang a moving song. I was moved. That’s what happens when you hear a moving song.”

“What part of that involves running away?” Isla tipped herhead to the side and lifted her eyebrows. Seriously. She was being so annoying.

“I didn’t run away. I had a class.” I raised my voice over the rumble of the garbage truck backing into the alley.

Isla lifted a knowing eyebrow. “You told me that morning the class had been canceled.”

“I was worried I might have missed an email that it was on again.” I shoved three french fries in my mouth at once so I didn’t have to answer any more irritating questions.Skye likes Dante. Skye likes Dante.It was like being in middle school all over again.

“I think she’s definitely showing avoidance,” Haley said. “Dante makes her feel anxious feelings.”

“Why don’t we talk about Isla and her bartender. Yet another one-night stand.”

“Deflection.”Haley grinned as she scrolled through her screen. “‘To avoid uncomfortable feelings associated with a man who turned her into mush, the deflector will try to move the focus from herself to a friend named Isla.’Guess who is rocking her psychology course? I might just declare that as my major.”

“I’m not deflecting,” I grumbled. “I’m just pointing out an interesting fact. And you should return that online textbook because it’s full of lies.”

“Do you know what’s interesting?” Isla asked. “The part of the ‘avoidance’ definition about anticipating negative consequences. You’re afraid of getting hurt if you let him get too close.”

“Do you know what’s not interesting? Being psychoanalyzed by my friends when I’m just trying to have a meal.” I shoved the last few bites of my burger in my mouth. I’d avoided hamburgers when I was training. Red meat. Cheese. Carbs. All the bad things. I had missed out on so much.

I stared out the window watching a truck driver empty the dumpster as I scrambled to think of a new topic of conversation so they would stop talking about Dante. After a few minutes, the driver and his partner jumped out and proceeded to empty the blue plastic recycling containers into the truck as well.

“Look at that.” I pointed out the window. “They’re putting the recycling in with the garbage. If you want to talk about something worthwhile, talk about that. It’s criminal behavior.” My dad had been obsessive about separating recycling from garbage. One item in the wrong container and we lost our television privileges for the night.

Haley scrolled on her phone. “Let me read that ‘deflection’ paragraph again.”

“Or better yet, tell Dr. Haley how your last two boyfriends were dicks and cheated on you.” Isla stole a handful of my fries. “That would make anyone wary of getting involved in a relationship.”

“I’m not interested in being in a relationship with anyone, and especially not Dante, who showed up at the station with two women and then tried to add me to his harem with his siren song,” I snapped. “He knows my weakness is music. He knows he has a voice that makes people swoon. He played me.”

“Or maybe it was heartfelt,” Haley said. “One of the reasons his show is so successful is because he is genuine with his listeners. He asks them to share their pain and gives them the music to express those feelings.”

Haley was right. I listened to Dante’s show every night and it was authentic and real and deeply emotive. But it was easier to think that he was trying to manipulate me than to consider the alternative. I’d had two failed relationships. I’d spent my life trying to get into the WNBA and I hadn’t even come close. I’d tried to make my father happy and instead he’d died angry and bitterly disappointed after I’d told him it was likely I was going to be cut from the college team. I couldn’t take any more rejection and I couldn’t make any more mistakes.

“I have to go. I don’t want to be late for work at the station, which, by the way, I am not avoiding.”

Haley walked with me around the building, and we cut through the back alley. One of the restaurant workers was outside talking to the truck driver. I thought I saw something change hands, but it happened so fast I figured it was just a handshake.

“If you need help overcoming your avoidance problem, I canhelp.” Haley grinned as we parted ways for opposite ends of the campus.

“I can’t avoid Dante,” I said. “He’s effectively my boss.”

Chad was standing in the hallway with a clipboard and a pen when I arrived at the station.

“Nick asked me to manage the hot dog stand,” he said. “I’ve been able to get everyone to sign up for a shift except Dante.” His mouth turned down and he gave me a sad puppy dog face. “He likes you. Maybe you could get him to sign up. Even just for an hour. I’d like to have a hundred percent success rate.”

An image of Dante and Molly all cozy on the couch flashed in my mind. “He doesn’t like me.”

“Skyyye.” He whined, but with a smile. Chad didn’t seem to have an unkind bone in his body. He was a ray of sunshine in an otherwise dreary world. “I’m a guy. He’s a guy. I know how guys act when—”

“Stop.” I held up my hand. “Don’t say it. I’ll ask but I’m not making any promises.”

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