AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I can’t actually read music,” I admitted. “I just learned to memorize the notes.”
“Oh.” She blinked in surprise. “That’s interesting. Well, go on then. Play something you know by heart. I’d love to hear it.”
I sat down uncertainly and debated whether I wanted to do this. It was revealing to play the songs I knew by heart. The first one that came to my mind and leached out of my fingers was Hallelujah in the style of Kate Voegele.
My fingers were a little stiff at first, but they came to life as they poured over the keys, the music flowing through me. I closed my eyes and began to sing, and before I knew it, I was playing another Kate Voegele song. Lift Me Up. It was my all-time favorite, something that really spoke from my heart.
When I finished, my hands fell away from the keys and I opened my eyes nervously. I was surprised to find every set of the King families eyes on me as they crowded into the library to watch my performance. My cheeks heated in embarrassment at the surprised expressions on their faces. And when Julia started clapping with tears in her eyes, everyone else did too. She pulled me in for a hug as I stood up, and I was grateful for it. I didn’t want them to see my emotion.
“You play so well,” she said. “And you have such a lovely voice, Harper. It’s truly special.”
Her praise resonated through my soul the way that only a mother’s could. When I opened my eyes, Jameson’s gaze met mine with an unfamiliar expression.
He cleared his throat and his eyes blazed with warmth as they danced over me. “That was beautiful, Harper.”
Julia pulled away and held me at arm’s length. “You must let me teach you how to read music whenever you come to visit.”
My happy face melted under her words and was replaced by a pang of longing. Because even though I nodded in agreement, I knew I would never truly be a part of this family.
Chapter Fifteen
It was the Saturday before Christmas, and the day of Jameson’s friend Mark’s wedding. The whole family had been invited, and I was grateful when Lily came upstairs to help me get ready. She tore through my suitcase and frowned at the plethora of short dresses. When she looked up at me, my gut burned with shame.
“While these are all really nice, Harper,” she said carefully, “I think it would be better if you borrowed one of my dresses. I have just the perfect one.”
“Will it fit me?” I asked, my eyes roving over her shorter figure. I was a good three inches taller than her by my estimation.
“Definitely.” She grinned. “It’s too long for me anyway, and I’ve been meaning to get it hemmed but I haven’t got around to it yet.”
“Okay,” I conceded. “Thank you.”
She ushered me through the house and into another bedroom that was almost as large as Jameson’s. It had a huge walk in closet, and when she led me inside, it looked like an entire store lived there.
“Holy crap,” I gasped.
She giggled and shrugged. “I know. I have a little bit of a shopping addiction. What can I say?”
She dug through the racks and then pulled a beautiful silver dress off the hanger and wiggled it in my direction.
“Wow, Lily,” I murmured. “This is gorgeous.”
“I know. I think it will look amazing on you. Go ahead and try it on.”
She laughed at the blush on my cheeks as I tried to wiggle out of my skin-tight dress. “For someone who dresses so sexy, you sure don’t act the part.”
The words slipped from her mouth before she realized how they sounded, and mortification washed over me again. I hated that Jameson’s family thought I was trying to get attention, and I was nothing but a gold digger. But I couldn’t really blame them. That was what Jameson had intended after all.
“I’m sorry, Harper,” Lily said weakly. “That came out completely wrong. You have a beautiful figure, I just meant it doesn’t seem like you really know it.”
“It’s okay.”
I turned around and discarded my clothes and pulled the dress over my head while Lily went about finding some shoes to match.
When I turned around and glanced in the mirror, I actually liked my reflection for the first time since I’d stepped foot in the King house. This dress was exactly my style, and I was so much more comfortable in the calf length material.
