Page 32 of Tempting the Player
“No.” He shakes his head, the dark brown strands bouncing around with the movement. “I’m sorry about how you found out. I should have stayed in the background. I shouldn’t have gone to the party or spent so much time hanging around when you didn’t realize who I was. But I’m not really sorry about that either, because it meant I was there that night, and my presence might have kept you safe.”
“So, you’re sorry, but not really? Wow, what a great apology.” I lean closer, elbows on the table. “I liked you. I thought that you...” I trail off. It’s too humiliating to say out loud.
“If things were different...” His expression is pained, and his tone suggests that he’s saying it more to ease my embarrassment than really meaning it.
“Well, they aren’t,” I snap.
“No, they’re not.” He sighs, shifts his weight in the chair so he can pull a piece of folded paper from his pocket, then slides it across the table. “I’m leaving town soon, but if you need anything, anything at all, call me.”
The pang of sadness that hits me at the thought of him leaving just makes me angrier. “Thanks, but I’m just fine with Grady.”
He nods once, then stands. Hesitating, he raps his knuckles against the table. “Be safe, Jane.”
* * *
Over the next week, Grady and I fall into a rhythm. As the days pass, so does my anxiety. Everyone seems to think the incident at the party was an isolated event since there hasn’t been anything else. My friends, my parents, even Grady. I hope they’re right. The not knowing who or why messes with my head. But I’m not going to let it stop me from living my life.
My parents finally came clean about a few other random threats they’d received for me at home. I guess not everyone is happy that Ivy decided to reappear. It’s mostly angry letters from moms who think I should be ashamed that I’m not being a good role model for young women (I guess the photos of me at a fraternity party didn’t scream sweet innocence—major eye roll), but also a few death threats that really freaked out my dad. It explains why they were so adamant about security. I’m still mad, but I know they hired Hendrick with good intentions.
Hendrick. Thinking about him still makes my chest hurt.
“You don’t need to stay,” I tell Grady as he drops me off at Eric’s house. “I’ll call you when we’re done.”
“I won’t be far,” he says. He’s never far.
Inside, I head toward the sound of music in the back of the house.
Eric stops strumming his guitar when he sees me. “You actually came!”
“I told you I would.”
“You said that on Sunday and again on Tuesday,” Lennon says.
“Sorry. Things have been hectic.”
“Heard you have a tail.” Ted stops drumming just long enough to speak.
“Just a precaution. He’s leaving this weekend. Was that a new song you were just playing?”
“Mac wrote it,” Ted says, and shoots his girlfriend an adoring smile.
“They helped,” she adds quickly. “And it’s still really rough.”
“I liked it. Can I hear it again?”
I sit on the lumpy couch that sits along one wall in the small room while they start the song from the top. The lyrics are catchy, a little melancholy but the tempo is upbeat. Parts of it are still rough, but when they’re finished, I’m smiling bigger than I have in days.
“That was really good. Your voice is perfection on that chorus.” I sing part of it back. “You should belt it out even louder the second time. Pour all that pain into it. It’s going to be amazing. Are you singing it at your next gig? When is the next gig?”
They all share a look that I can’t make out.
“What?” I ask finally. “What’d I miss?”
“We were hoping we could do it for the first time at the Spring Fling.”
“Paris asked you guys to do Spring Fling?” My voice rises with excitement. “That’s amazing.”
“No.” Eric shakes his head. “Not exactly.”
