Page 25 of Sing Your Heart Out

I pull her up and practically drag her along with me, out the French doors and into the back yard. The sun is setting, but it’s still hot as balls outside.

I turn to face Sarah, my mouth pulling down at the corners. I can feel myself beginning to sweat.

As beads of sweat break out across my forehead and neck, I turn to Sarah. A little frown appears on her face.

“Well?” she asks, sounding exasperated.

“Shit.” I rub my neck. This is harder than I thought. “So Sarah…”

She crosses her arms. “I didn’t tell anyone, if that’s what you are worried about.”

Wincing, I shake my head. “No, that’s not… I mean…” I struggle for the words. “We can still be friends, right?”

Her brows go up. “I’m sorry?”

“I’m saying, things between you and me… we let them get a little mucky. But I hope we can put that all behind us. It’s important that we can still be friendly. And we can still be partners in this competition.”

She stares at me for so long that I grow uncomfortable. Her mouth isn’t quite frowning, but she definitely isn’t smiling either.

“So… what?” she finally asks. “You want to still make music with me? Is that it?”

My neck feels hot, and it isn’t just from the setting sun. “Well… yeah. I like you. Obviously I also find you attractive… but more than that, I think we make good music together. Don’t you?”

She shades her eyes, looking off into the distance. “I don’t know, Smith.”

“Hey, sure we do. I mean, we basically won the last challenge…”

She pins me with her gaze. “That isn’t what I meant. Of course I think we make good partners musically. But I also fit well with Mellie. And to be frank, Mellie isn’t on my shit list at the moment.”

I blow out a long stream of breath. “Last night… or this morning, whatever you want to call it… that was a mistake. I get weak sometimes, wanting things I shouldn’t have. But I swear, it won’t happen again.”

She doesn’t answer. She just narrows her eyes.

“Please, Sarah?” I say. “Please. I’m asking you. Begging you, really. We are magic together. I know it, you know it— “

She groans. “Okay, okay! Just… stop, all right?”

A grin instantly springs to my lips. “Yeah? You’ll partner with me tomorrow?”

She sighs. “Yes,” Sarah mutters.

“Yes!” I cheer. “Right on.”

“I’m only doing this because I want to win,” she specifies, pointing a finger at me. “This has nothing to do with you as a person. Because this,” she indicates my whole body. “Is a heck of a lot prettier than what lies beneath. You get me?”

For a second, I pause and narrow my eyes. I want to argue with her, but I did just win her over in an argument…

So I let it go. Shrugging, I try to be complacent.

“All right. That sounds great.”

She stretches and shakes her head. “I’d better not regret this, Smith.”

“Why would you?” I answer.

She sniffs and turns, returning inside. I stay outside for a few more minutes, my insides fighting with themselves.

Happy that I won her over.

---