Page 83 of Disharmony

“Maybe this will help?” he suggests softly.

In that second, I know I’m not the only one who has been captivated by Ash. Has something happened between them in McCallister’s singing class that I don’t know about? He never lets anyone touch his guitar, yet he’s offering it to her. Annoyance stirs in my core. I’m not used to competition, especially with the guys I see as brothers.

She beams at him in gratitude. “Thanks.”

When she smiles, her whole face changes. She’s not a model like Alexa Frost, but she has a haunting beauty that other people overlook. But, when you see her, really see her, it’s impossible to look away.

My gaze flits to Zed. His position hasn’t changed, but his eyes are glued to her.

Fuck! Why did I bring her here? I could have kept her to myself…

Ash’s eyes close and they stir behind her lids. Whatever it is she’s thinking makes her demeanor change entirely. I’d kill to know what’s going on in that mysterious mind of hers. Ash Cooper keeps me guessing. When she opens her eyes again, they shine with a burning determination.

As soon as she starts playing, I’m hypnotized under her spell. Her voice is beautiful, but the lyrics are dark. Really fucking dark. They’re about someone who is stuck in a situation they can’t get out of.

“My ribs are chained,

Crushing my lungs,

The suffocation drowns my heart

Pumping a sea of blackness through my veins…”

Her lyrics pierce my heart as if they’re written just for me.

Ash and I… we’re the same.

Perfectly broken.

twenty-nine

Ash

“So…” I say, tapping my fingers against Venom’s guitar for comfort and bracing myself for the worst. “What did you think?”

To my surprise, Zed speaks first. “It was… good.”

“Really good,” Venom corrects him, glancing down at my notebook. “Can I read it? Sometimes it helps me to see the words written down on the page.”

“Sure,” I say, handing over my pages along with a piece of my heart. My soul is nestled between those lines, and my mind is embedded in the ink.

I try not to think of him raking over them as I look at Ripper.

“Ash…” Ripper’s voice trails off then he clears his throat. “Do you want a drink?”

“I guess,” I say, confused as to why he’s not made a comment about my song. “What do you have?”

“I’ll show you,” he says, jumping up. I follow him over to the minibar. Does he want to put distance between us and the others? He drops his voice as he stares intensely into my eyes, “Your song was incredible. You are incredible.”

I’m bad at taking compliments on a good day and even worse when they’re coming from one of the people I look up to.

“Ripper, I—”

He puts his thumb on my lips to silence me. His contacts can’t disguise his dilating pupils, and I swallow hard.

“Ash,” his voice comes out in a low rumble, “can I kiss you?”

I don’t think I can form words right now, so all I do is nod. His hand anchors itself in my hair, and his lips are on mine again. The kiss starts gently, but there’s an urgent force hidden underneath it. A hunger, almost. A hunger that, coupled with my leftover adrenaline, is racing through me and makes me forget how close Venom and Zed are.

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