Page 39 of The Sound Between Us
There’s a flicker. The tiniest curve on her lip; it’s enough to make me greedy.
“Surface level only.”
“You wound me.”
Her brow arches.
“I’m human. I have feelings. Right now they’re black and oozing and incredibly dramatic.”
“Of course they are.”
“What do you want from me, Harry?”
The way she says it. Not Harrison. Harry. It unravels me.
I can’t answer. Not truthfully. Not yet.
“Are you going to ask me for a kiss?” She smiles, but it’s guarded, teasing. No teasing is to nice a word, it’s downright tormenting.
“No.”
“Oh.”
She starts to turn, but I catch her fingers and reel her back in. Straight into my chest.
Her body fits against mine. And it aches.
“If I ask for a first, there has to be a last. And I don’t want to think about lasts.”
“What do you want to think about?”
“Beginnings. Energy. Hope.”
She doesn’t blink. “I gave up on those. I hide now; I stay small. Do you get that? My mum never recovered from my dad choosing his career over us.”
I nod. It’s the only thing I can do; because I understand more than I should.
“To me.” Her voice drops to barely a whisper. The wind threatens to steal her words. “You’re danger. You’re the thing I’ve built my life to avoid. I have my shop; I have my friends. I have my quiet. And I don’t see where someone goes.”
My chest aches. Deep and loud and stupid.
Dex would be jealous of the rhythm my heart is pounding.
“I don’t know why I came here.” I admit, her name slipping from my lips. “I just know I couldn’t get on the plane.”
“You should’ve.”
“Write a song with me.”
Her gaze flicks up.
“I know you can. I felt it. Write one song with me, and I’ll leave. I swear.”
“Any song?”
“Worth not getting on the plane for.”
“Then you’ll go?”
I nod. Even though it guts me.
Her smile cracks me open. “You’ll need to pinky promise on that.”
I raise my hands, cup her cheeks, and feel the faintest tremble under her skin. The cold makes her skin even softer.
“You have my very honourable word.”
I lean in and press my lips to her cheek. The wind bites my face, the drizzle soaks through my jacket, but I don’t care. It’s real.
“Can we go inside now? I’m freezing.”
“Harrison...”
“Harry. Please.”
Because Harry is who I used to be.
And with her, I might just remember how to be him again.
