Page 28 of The Sound Of Silence

My heart races as I swallow a lump in my throat, and a new energy runs through me, imagining what his look means. It doesn’t take long to realize… I want it to be attraction. I want him towantme. To be noticed. Because God, do I notice him.

Pippa steps forward, bringing me back to my stark reality, and I panic.Oh god, oh god. This is bad.

Guilt consumes me while she smiles obliviously. “Damn, Willow. You look absolutely gorgeous. Right, Jesse?”

Pippa glances Jesse’s way, but it’s so brief she doesn’t notice his sullen expression. Or the way his sinful eyes penetrate mine with…Is that disgust? Did he just figure out my thoughts?

When he doesn’t answer, Pippa moves on, adjusting her own striking gown as she speaks. “Are you almost ready? We thought we could go together.”

Jesse turns toward the door, ready to walk out no matter what I say, but still looks my way for an answer.

Turning to the side, I try to avoid his unnerving stare, and nod as I slip my left foot into my ridiculously high heels, raising it to the couch to secure the straps.

The split in my dress separates instantly, causing the material to fall away from the thigh, giving anyone that’s watching a peep show.Big mistake.

Closing my eyes, I pause silently, hoping the lack of movement will camouflage me enough to hide away, praying no one notices as the featherlight silk brushes against me, sending a shiver through my entire body. But when neither of them mentions it, I relax, dropping my foot to the carpet before bending over to buckle the other shoe, thankful my dress stays in place this time.

“That’s no fucking better,” Jesse grates through clenched teeth before I hear an “oomph” and imagine Pippa just slapped him in the chest.

A warmth coats my skin, as my cheeks undoubtedly pinken, but I put on a smile and ignore it all. It’s too late to do anything now. “Okay, I’m ready. Thank you for the company.”

“Our pleasure,” Pippa says with a smile. “Although part of it may be for selfish reasons. Providing a united front and all that.” She shrugs.

“You, selfish?” I say, biting back a grin so she knows I’m joking. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

Pippa gently pinches my nose as I walk past, her smile widening as she does, and I silently thank her. She used to do the same thing when we were younger, when she sensed my mind was traveling toward a dark place—I was more obvious about it back then—and just like in the past, it works to calm me now.

I release my lip from between my teeth and let a genuine smile shine through, my nerves from earlier dissipating. This is my sister. My sidekick. And Jesse is her boyfriend. So what if it feels like he knows me. Like no one’s ever known me before. That piece of information is theonlything that matters. He’s hers.

Oh and he’s an ass.That’s worth remembering if my mind wanders again.

Our drive to the school is quiet, and as we pull into the parking lot, I’m shocked to see how many cars are already there. Supporting my dad. Coming home.

We saunter the path to the grand entrance, and Jesse leads the way inside, holding the door open as we move through. I could almost count the gesture as chivalry if it didn’t look like it pained him to do it. In fact, nothing about him looks comfortable, except for the way his stupid tailored suit molds to his stupidly muscular body.Dammit.

I force my eyes shut to rid myself of my thoughts and then open them again slowly, taking in the crowd of guests, noticing quite a few people that I thought I’d never see again. I suck in a breath as the reality of what I’m doing really sets in.

I barely made it through school. Why the hell do I want to be back here?

A shiver makes its way down my spine as I fail to calm my breathing. But as I move past Jesse, I swear I hear him whisper, “you’re not alone.” Only when I glance his way, he’s looking in a different direction.

Just my imagination then. My head even nailed his gruff tone.

Ignoring the looks we get as we move toward the center of the room, I take in another breath and concentrate on blocking out my feelings. All I’ve done is walk in the door and I’m already regretting the “take back my life” decision I made. Just a few hours and I can go back to my bubble of an existence.The countdown is on.

Chapter Thirteen

Jesse

IfIthoughtIwas going to be the only one feeling completely out of place tonight, I was wrong. Willow’s been ready to bail since the moment we walked inside. Which I only know because I haven’t been able to take my eyes off her for more than a second. I’ve already admitted to myself that I think she’s beautiful, but tonight she’s striking beyond words, and God, if that doesn’t make my life so much more complicated…

I’m also using it to distract myself from the fact that sometime within the next few hours I’ll be standing in front of these strangers, pretending they give a shit about what I have to say, while hoping like hell that nobody mentions that I grew up in the next town.

My chest tightens but I ignore it. I’ve done this speech to schools before—it’s the only public speaking I ever agree to do—but that’s because it’s usually aimed at teenagers, not the middle aged and beyond. Teens thrive on motivation; I see it in their eyes. My aim is to give them the extra drive they need to get through their final school years, to reach for their dreams. But here? I’m not sure what to expect. And God, I hate that.

Just get through the night.

For the first hour, Pippa drags me along to guest after guest, showing me off like a trophy. And despite the warm greeting she bestows every time, it’s obvious they mean nothing to her. She’s just going through the motions and playing her part.

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