“What do you think of Professor Wolfe?” I asked. “He’s quite the character.”
“I don’t like him at all. How he spoke to you was completely uncalled for. You played beautifully.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said. “But I steered this conversation directly into compliments aboutme, which was my plan.”
Harper rolled her eyes but gave a small laugh too. A win.
“I’m serious,” she said. “Why would he say you had no feeling or passion? And why would you agree?”
“Because he’s probably right. I hadn’t played in years.”
She stared. “You haven’t played inyears, and so you just bust out with Rachmaninoff?”
Shit, fuck, bollocks.
“An exaggeration.” I waved a hand. “I wasn’t exactly in a stellar mood that day.”
“Because I was a total bitch to you, as we’ve established.”
“Ah, so you’re the sole arbiter of my moods, Bennett? Aren’t we full of ourselves?”
She gave my arm a shove. “Come on…”
“Maybe Wolfe picked up on something.”
“Such as?”
I shrugged. “Something. Nothing. Who knows? He was drunk offhis arse—”
“Okay, sure.” Harper sighed, frustrated, and started to go. “Anyway, I should get back—”
I threw up my arms. “What the bloody hell have I done wrong now?”
“You haven’tdoneanything. I just can’t figure you out, Orion.”
That makes two of us.
“Are you trying to figure me out, Harper?”
“Don’t do that. Don’t get all cute with me.”
I waggled my brows. “Ah, you think I’m cute.”
She turned to go again, but I grabbed her hand, laughing.
“Wait, wait, wait. Tell me.”
For a long moment, her hand stayed in mine, then she pulled it back and crossed her arms tight.
“Youalmostanswer questions with something honest, then back off. You screw around in every class, then you rattle off entire pages of text from memory. You play piano like a miracle and…” She shook her head. “I don’t understand what you’re doing.”
“I’m notdoinganything.”
“I don’t believe you.”
I barked a laugh. “You don’tbelieveme.”
“No, I don’t. I just… Never mind. Maybe it’s me.” She looked out over the water. “Maybe this fucking school is messing with my head. It’s not what I thought it would be.”
