Page 47 of Sing Your Heart Out

Sarah comes over, touching my wrist. “Hey,” she says softly.

I jerk away from her touch, frowning at her. “I need space!” I say again. Raising my hands, I back away from her.

Her brow draws down. “Is this about the contest?”

“Of course it’s about the contest,” I growl. I know I’m lying to her, but I really do just need some time to chill out. I grab my t-shirt, putting it on. “Have you seen my pants?”

“No…” she says slowly, moving back to sit on the side of the bed. “Are you worried that you’ll win? Or are you worried that I will?”

That gives me pause. I haven’t actually considered what would happen if I won. Sarah is a better songwriter than me, plain as day.

“I don’t know,” I say, shrugging. Spotting my jeans, I tug them on. “I figure either way you slice it, someone is going to be secretly mad at the other. Someone’s feelings are going to get hurt. And hurt feelings lead to bitterness and lashing out— “

“Whoa, whoa. That is not what we do,” she says.

I look at her coldly. “How do you know what we do? Huh? We have been pushed together by this contest, forced to spend a lot of time together… who’s to say that outside of this house, we don’t hate each other?”

Her mouth opens. “I… You… That’s not fair at all!”

“No?” I smirk. “Tell me that you know for a hundred percent sure that we will survive tomorrow’s outcome. You look at me and swear that no matter what, we will both handle it with grace.”

When I started sweating again, I don’t know. But now I wipe sweat from my brow, angry beyond words.

Her face crinkles up. “I can’t promise you anything like that, Smith. I can’t see the future. I’m not all knowing or anything.”

“Well, neither am I. But I know one thing for sure… I need space. I need to be alone tonight. I need to focus on myself.”

She cocks her head. “And our relationship? What about that?”

I shrug. “We need to press pause. Slow things down for a minute.”

“Press pause?” She crosses her arms. “That sounds like you are telling me that you want to break up, Smith. Is that what you want?”

“Maybe!” I snap. “I don’t know. Just… this is a lot of pressure for something that’s only a few weeks old. Maybe when we get home, if we still want to talk…”

Now she looks pissed. “I can’t believe you. Are all men babies? Because you’re acting to much like my ex for my comfort right now.”

My neck heats. “I am nothing like Justin, Sarah.”

“Well don’t act like him, then!” She throws up her hands and looks at me out of the corner of her eyes.

“See?” I say, motioning to the air around us. “This is what I’m talking about. We won’t last past tomorrow. I am doing us both a favor— “

She stands up, shaking her head. “No. Don’t do me any favors, okay? Just… just don’t.”

With that, she marches to the door and opens it with a slam.

She’s gone before I can say any more… or before I can dig the hole any deeper.

“Fuck!” I yell, punching the door.

God, why am I like this?

Moreover, why is she so much of a know it all?

Closing the door, I fall on my bed, screaming into a pillow.

18

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