But for now, the song is almost there.
The lyrics—they finally came to me.
And I know exactly why.
I glance toward the exit, half-expecting to see her standing there, arms crossed, unimpressed, pretending she isn’t completely mesmerized by the way I playedoursong.
But she’s not here.Of course she’s not.
She’s probably at home, buried in her laptop, convincing herself shedoesn’tstill love music.
I swallow back the disappointment, pressing the edge of my glass to my lips.
“Joel, yourockedtonight, man.”
I turn to find Ethan and Tessa pushing their way through the post-show crowd.
Looks like they actually made it this time.Something about that makes my chest warm.
I tip my drink toward him.“I know.”
Tessa rolls her eyes.“Jesus, I swear your ego isworsethan it was when you were twenty.”
Ethan shakes his head.“Nah, he’salwaysbeen like this.”
I let their teasing roll off me, still caught up in the lingering high of the performance.
“Anna would’velovedit,” Ethan says so flippantly that I’m sure he has no idea how he just slammed be back to reality,
My stomach knots.
The words hit too fast, sharp and unexpected.
I take a slow sip of whiskey, steadying my voice.“Yeah?What makes you think that?”
Ethan nods like it’s obvious.“I mean, I get why she’s being...well,her.But if she actually let herself watch you play, she’d fucking love it the way she used to.Then she’dseewhat I see.”
The glass in my hand suddenly feels too heavy.
“See what?”I try to come off as nonchalant, but I swear there’s a glint in Tessa’s eyes that tells me I’ve failed.At least to her.
Ethan, thank fuck, is clueless as he shrugs.“That you’re different now.Whatever grudge match she’s got going with you might actually come to an end if she saw it.You know?God, I miss when we all got along.Well, mostly.”
The weight of his words drops in my chest.
Because whatever this is I’ve been tiptoeing around with Anna isn’t just about her—or me.
She’shissister.
Not justAnna.Not just the girl who has been in my head since the second I got back.
Ethan’ssister.
The realization knocks the breath out of me, slamming me with something I haven’t let myselffullyconsider.
I mean, I thought about it, but only in terms of Anna being the bigger worry.But is she?What would he think?Would he hate me?Would I I ruin our friendship with all of this?God, if he knew I?—
I shake away the thought of Anna catching me after my shower last night.