Page 70 of Love Me Steadfast
“No.” I shake my head. As much as I’d like to be known for a piece with high difficulty, the better choice is to give the guests something fun to listen to, even sing to. And “A Carol of the Bells”—in duet, no less—isn’t a piece you can whip up cold.
“Yeah, too hard,” Morgan says with a twist of her lips. “I’ve got it,” she says, grabbing my hand, rattling off our set list on the way to our rooms down the hall.
“Let’s knock those two industry dudes flat,” she says, offering me a high five.
She looks so happy right now. With no trace of the sour attitude she’s so capable of. Or the sullen way her eyes glaze over when she’s bored, which is often. How can I turn her down?
“You know it.” I smack her palm. At the very least, it’ll get whatever that was with Garett out of my mind.
Taking measured breaths to keep my flutters from spreading,I pick up my violin from my room, then follow Morgan, the noise of the party growing louder with every step. If I was with the quartet, it would be ten times easier. I’d get to keep my eyes on the sheet music and not the crowd. I wouldn’t have to sing.
As I weave through the living room, William comes in next to me. “I wondered if you guys were going to play.”
When I don’t reply, his eyes tighten with concern. “What’s wrong?”
I bite my lip. “I…nothing.”
“Hey,” he says in a kind voice. “Just take it one note at a time, okay?”
A soft warmth pulses through my chest. Of all the things he could have said, somehow this hits just right. Enough that I can muster a smile. “Okay.”
I replay William’s words in my mind as I tune up. As usual, Morgan’s energy carries me through. She’s so easy to accompany, with her confidence and the way we can read each other. Our final song gains us some whistles. One is Will’s—since that night at The Limelight, I have it memorized.
After our performance, guests return to mingling. I snatch up another white chocolate truffle then head for my room to drop off my violin. But once I’m there, I all but slump onto my bed. Nibbling my truffle, I peer out my window, past the bare aspens to the street, which is still packed with cars. Playing for all those people was a thrill, but it drained the last of my social battery. I’m ready to crawl into bed right now.
Just a little longer.I lick the bit of melted chocolate coating from my fingertip and flick off my light, then nearly bump into Garett.
“That was some fancy playing, Charlie.”
Where did he come from? “Thanks.”
I try to walk past him, but he steps in front of me. Quick, like a cat. “No need to rush off.”
My breaths kick up. What is he doing? “I should getback to the party.”
He smiles, but his eyes are hard. “Nobody will miss you for a few minutes, right?”
Alarm bells explode in my brain. I dart to get by him, but he snakes an arm around my waist, stopping me in my tracks.
“I saw the way you looked at me.” He gives my ass a hard squeeze with his other hand. “You liked it.”
“Stop!” I jerk away and shove against his side. “Let me go!”
“Hey!” someone calls from the hallway.
Garett pulls his hands away just in time for William to charge. “Did she give you permission to touch her, asshole?” He slams Garett back into the wall. Hard.
“Jeez, take it easy!” Garett barks.
William lunges, hitting Garett in the face.
Garett hits back. It’s too dark and they’re a blur, but the hard thuds and grunts and cracks are enough for me to know that William is going to beat the crap out of Garett if I don’t do something.
“Will, stop!” I cry when Garett stumbles back, his hands covering his face.
“You broke my fuckin nose!”
Breathing fast, Will stares him down. “You so much aslookat her again, I’ll break a lot more than that.”
