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There were three weeks left before our big event. So far, Mrs. Banks had scrapped our song choice three times in a row. She hadn’t completely turned down our newest version, but still hadn’t exactly approved it. In her words, we were still lacking passion. I had to pretend I knew what that meant.
The most passion I felt these days was passionate hatred for my cousin during cheerleading practice when she forced the squad to run laps on the outdoor track. She’d given us a lecture this week on something about adding slenderizing cardio to our workouts. As if I needed that, stuck in a furry mascot suit.
“I hope so. At this rate, we won’t have any time to practice the final song before the centennial event. It’ll be over before we know it.”
“Yeah, it’ll all be over.” He lifted his chin to look at the inky black sky above. The lights on the football field were still on, washing out the stars that usually shown bright this late at night. “I guess we should be happy about that.”
“Happy we finally get our evenings to ourselves?” I asked with a fake laugh. My heart was aching at the thought. I’d started to enjoy our time together. I liked making music with Collin. And when he wasn’t around all of his friends, he was actually pretty decent.
“Yeah.” He turned his head to glance at me, his eyes dark. “That’ll be nice.”
His words hit me in the gut, twisting like a knife. I tried not to grimace or show any emotion whatsoever on my face. I might have convinced myself that we were friends, but it was silly of me to think he’d felt the same.
Once again, I’d seriously overestimated the impact I’d had on Collin. He was the high school quarterback. The lion at the top of the food chain. I was the girl who invented up excuses to get out of party invites and spent far too much time in the music room. We were like water and oil.
“Audrey, I need to say something.” He turned to face me again, his brow wrinkled in deep concentration. Glancing up from his hands that were white knuckling the top of the fence, he searched my face. “I’m not sure if I should, but it’s been bugging me for a while now. Maybe you already guessed...”
I winced. I couldn’t help it. Was he going to end this good thing we had going? Was he already tired of writing music with me?
I tore my gaze away to look across the empty football field. “I have no clue.”
“Audrey?”
I thrilled when he placed his hand gently on mine. Looking up to find him staring down at me, I felt my pulse skyrocket. He was good. So good. He easily made my body forget that we were practically from different planets. And that I had a solid dislike of all jock-kind. Not to mention, the solemn swear I had made in middle school to never ever crush on a jock. Those kinds of things were Dixie Chick serious.
“This whole project has been great.” He caressed the tops of my knuckles gently with the pad of his thumb, sending all kinds of yummy feelings up my arm. “I don’t really want it to end. Do you?”
It was like someone else was pulling the strings when I shook my head. My body had completely disengaged from my nervous system.
He worked his jaw and swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the effort. “You see, I was wondering if...maybe we could...”
I waited for him to go on. The silence was brutal.
“I was wondering...if we could still play together after this is all over.” His words came out in a rush and he grimaced at the end.
For some reason, my chest deflated like a water mattress with a hole. I shouldn’t have been disappointed. This was what I’d wanted. Collin and I made great music together. It was nice to have a musical friend.
“Yeah, that would be nice,” I said, forcing myself to smile at him.
“That’s a relief. I don’t really have any other friends who play music,” he added, puffing out his cheeks. “So you know, I’m kind of desperate.”
A sour taste filled my mouth and I tilted my head to one side, trying to comprehend what he’d just said. He wanted to be friends. But only because he was desperate. Yeah, that cut like a rusty razor on the skin. No one wanted to be second best. Certainly not me.
I slipped my hand out from under his, trying to fight back the angry tears I felt forming at the corner of my eyes. There was no way I was going to lose it in front of Collin. That would be just the cherry on top of the night.
“Yeah, sure.” I stepped back from the fence, blinking rapidly to clear my eyes. “I’d better get going. It’s getting late and my mom doesn’t normally let me take the car, so she’s going to be extra freaked out if I don’t get home at a good time.”
“Audrey, wait.” Agony entered Collin’s voice and he bared his teeth in a grimace. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, that didn’t come out right—”
“Collin Sebastian Preston, is this Audrey?”
I turned to see a little brunette woman, with a plump figure and olive skin walk towards us. She had the brightest smile I’d ever seen and immediately I found myself wrapped up into her arms, with the scent of lavender surrounding me. My ribs groaned under her surprising strength and the moment she released me,
I gasped for breath.
“Collin’s refused to tell us much about you, young lady,” she said, holding me at arm’s length. “But we got the scoop from Ally. She said you were pretty, but I didn’t realize what a beauty my son was hanging around. It’s no wonder he hardly spends any time at home anymore.”
My mind whirled, trying to place this woman and if I’d ever met her before. I looked over at Collin for help. He was shaking his head, giving her a hopeless and horrified look.
