Page 71 of Off The Rush
“Bold move,” she comments, patting my shoulder encouragingly. “I like it.”
As the night goes on, I can see Emma becoming more and more relaxed, her earlier encounter with Rachel seemingly forgotten. She beams at us all, her happiness lighting up her face like a thousand suns. And when she sings, it’s as if everything else fades away, leaving only the raw beauty of her voice.
“Emma, are you ready for one more song?” JD asks, his grouchy demeanor from earlier completely gone. She nods enthusiastically, and the four of us make our way to the stage one final time.
“Let’s make this one count,” Alec says, wrapping his arm around Emma’s waist.
“Definitely,” she agrees, taking a deep breath as we step onto the stage.
We belt out our last song, our voices blending in a harmony that, while not perfect, is uniquely ours. The crowd cheers as we finish, and we bow, flushed and breathless from our performance.
“Great job, guys,” I say, clapping Alec and JD on their backs as we leave the stage.
“Absolutely,” Emma adds, her hand sliding into mine. I squeeze it gently, feeling warmth spread through me at the simple touch.
“Hey,” I say softly, pulling her aside for a moment. “I just wanted to say… I’m glad you’re feeling better after everything with Rachel. You deserve to be happy.”
“Thank you, Luka,” she replies, her eyes shining with gratitude. “It means a lot to me that you’re all here, supporting me and making me laugh. Tonight was exactly what I needed.”
As we head back to our table, I can’t help but think that it was exactly what I needed too.
Chapter 31
My hands are clammy, and my heart races as I sit in the classroom. The thought of performing a duet with Kenny makes me want to crawl out of my skin. I don’t even want to see him again, but I have no choice if I want to pass this class project. I take a deep breath and try to calm my nerves.
“Hey, Emma,” Kenny says as he slumps into the seat next to me. He acts all pissy and ignores me. I roll my eyes, trying not to let his mood affect me. The door opens, and Rachel struts in, her sleek black hair bouncing with each step.
“Hey, Kenny,” she purrs, flashing him a coy smile. I can practically see the gears turning in his head as he decides that flirting with Rachel is the perfect way to make me jealous. I bite my lip to stifle a laugh; he couldn’t be more wrong.
“Rachel, you’re looking stunning today,” Kenny says, leaning back in his chair with a smug grin. “Did you do something new with your hair?”
“Thank you, Kenny,” Rachel replies, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief. “I just tried a new shampoo. It works wonders, doesn’t it?”
Yeah right. I can see the product from here.
“Absolutely,” Kenny agrees, nodding enthusiastically. I force myself not to roll my eyes again. Instead, I focus on taking slow, steady breaths and mentally rehearsing our duet.
“Emma, isn’t Rachel’s hair amazing?” Kenny asks, turning to me with a smirk.
“Uh-huh,” I mumble, feigning disinterest. In truth, I can’t help but feel a pang of annoyance at his blatant attempt to get under my skin. I shake off the irritation, reminding myself that I need to concentrate on our performance.
“Anyway,” Kenny continues, turning back to Rachel, “how’s your day been? Anything exciting happen?”
“Nothing too special,” Rachel says with a casual shrug. “Just working on my solo for the Spring Showcase. You know how it is.”
“Of course,” Kenny replies, his eyes never leaving hers. They continue their flirtatious banter, and I try my best to tune them out. My palms are still sweaty, and I rub them against my jeans in an attempt to dry them off.
“Alright, everyone, take your seats,” our instructor calls out. The room quiets down as students shuffle into their chairs. As much as I hate the idea of performing with Kenny, I can’t help but feel a bit excited. After all, this is what I love to do: sing.
I steal one last glance at Rachel, who smirks back at me, clearly enjoying the situation. I force a smile and turn my attention to the front of the class. It’s time to focus on the music and let everything else fade away.
“Emma and Kenny, you’re up,” our instructor announces. My heart skips a beat as I rise from my seat, trying to calm my racing pulse.
Kenny and I approach the front of the class, and I can feel the weight of everyone’s gaze on us. As we take our positions, he shoots me a smug grin that I just want to wipe off his face. But this isn’t the time or place for that – I need to focus on nailing this performance.
The music begins, and I take a deep breath to center myself. Our voices blend, creating a harmony that surprises even me. Despite my nerves and annoyance with Kenny, I can’t deny that our voices sound good together.
As we hit the chorus, Kenny makes his move. His arm snakes around my waist, pulling me closer. I shoot him a glare, my eyes narrowing in warning. He smirks in response but removes his arm, opting to keep a respectable distance between us for the remainder of the song.
