Page 124 of Meet Me at the Metro

“We were trying to convince Theo to audition for the orchestra,” Kim interjects.

“Oh, really?” Connor busies himself to gather his plate of food. “That’d be cool.”

Theo scoffs, “Cool.”

Connor stiffens and finally brings his dark eyes to look at his stepbrother. “Something the matter?”

“Nah. Just wouldn’t want to intrude on you and Nora’squality friendship time.”

“You wouldn’t be intruding on anything,” I retort, slightly annoyed.

He’s trying to bring up things I believed were well past us. I’d rather he not stir the pot that’s already simmering with dinner’s newest arrival.

Connor takes a passive-aggressive jab at the meat on his plate. “Ellie’s right. We get plenty of time together as is, between classes and piano lessons. Plus, the more the merrier, right?”

Mother fuc—

“Piano lessons,right,” Theo derides. “Nearly forgot about those. I mean, if you would even consider those lessons.”

Connor’s lips tighten into a serious expression.

“Theo,”I breathe.

“You know, I’d love to hear more about them, Connor. I’ve heard you have quite aninclusivetake on them.”

I kick his foot beneath the table, silently begging him to stop.

Please don’t do this here.

Connor narrows his eyes and shrugs. “Not sure what you mean.”

“Oh, I think you know what I mean.”

I could scream.

“Kim,” I interject, abruptly ending their heated conversation. “Theo told me that you and his dad met atGildenhill. I take it you’ve been there for a while now?”

She hesitantly glances between the two young men at the table before offering me an answer.

“I have. He gave me a tour around the campus on my first day there. That was about fifteen years ago, but some days it feels just like yesterday.”

Those final words are laced with grief, so I try to bring some light-heartedness back into the room. “He stole your heart away the second you heard him play the piano, didn’t he?”

I remember how I felt the first time I heard Theo play—Charmed.Captivated.

However, I can’t help but notice the frown still lingering on Kim’s face. “He did. I loved hearing him play—watching him play.”

A prolonged, reminiscing silence settles around the room. I can feel the years of hurt lingering within the walls of this house. It’s like an agony that resists being forgotten despite all of the renovations that have been made inside.

Pretty distractions.

“Speaking of,” Kimberley asserts. “I wanted to talk to you about something, Theo.”

His brows lift.“About?”

“About your dad’s piano.”

Theo stiffens and grits his teeth. “What about it?”

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