My grand gesture,he had said.
“How can you possibly think I’d like that?” I grimaced.
“It’s what you wanted, so I made it happen,” he said, still not understanding what was wrong with his actions.
Levi didn’t do nice. He didn’t do anything without a hidden agenda.
“You’re like a stray cat showing your affection by bringing dead mice.” I didn’t mean to say that out loud. “You really need to learn how to have normal social interactions.”
“You don’t want normal.”
My heart hammered against my rib cage. “Why did you even do that?”
“Because you’re mine.”
“Dalia!” Mr. Delgado’s voice rang out.
“I’m not—”
“Shh, don’t ruin this moment.” Levi’s voice sliced through the air like a velvet-covered blade. “We’ll catch up after.”
I reluctantly tore my gaze and body away from him. I quickly ate the protein bar, because, annoyingly, he had a point about that. I had to focus on the performance. I took my seat on the small makeshift wooden stage among the three other musicians, who each wore a closed-off expression.
I shared a tense smile with Gunther. Beads of sweat were on his forehead, his skin so pale he seemed on the verge of collapsing. From behind his piano, he surreptitiously retrieved an inhaler from his pocket, but it slipped from his grasp and clattered to the stage.Gunther has asthma?He straightened his spine and acted as if nothing had happened.
Mr. Delgado leaned in. “Gunther, don’t play selfishly, as always. Min, smile more. You look depressed. Loic, play louder. Have some pride in your music, for god’s sake.”
As Mr. Delgado turned away, I seized the opportunity to spring from my seat and retrieve Gunther’s inhaler. However, my teacher’s sharp gaze caught my movement.
“And Dalia,” he questioned with a furrowed brow. “What are you doing on the floor?”
“Nothing,” I hastily responded. “Just a few stretches before the performance.”
“Hmm. Original.” He acknowledged with a head nod. “Anyway, I want you to go against all your natural instincts—no eccentricity. Benormal.”
“Normal. Got it.”
I made my way back to my chair and discreetly returned Gunther’s inhaler. He hesitated before accepting it. He likely didn’t want to appear vulnerable in front of the others while he was the most technically skilled student in our class.
“Don’t worry, it can stay between us,” I mouthed to him, raising my violin to my chin. “Good luck.”
“Thanks.” He smiled.
With a flick of his baton, Mr. Delgado, assuming the role of conductor in his tail tuxedo, signaled the start of the performance.
The crowd gathered, and I inhaled the resiny scent of the varnish. The feeling of the strings on my fingers was almost like being in touch with the life pulse of the instrument. My right arm dragging and pushing the bow back and forth felt like the flow of life itself.
I was where I belonged.
In the right hands, a violin was the voice of love. In the wrong hands, it screeched like a cat in pain. I navigated through double stops, plucking the strings and executing one of my cherished techniques: the tremolo. It made my violin quiver like a tormented heart. I moved my bow so quickly that it was almost aggressive; it was edgy and close to the bridge.
It was safe to say I didn’t follow Delgado’s instructions, which earned me a look as dark as the color of his hair, which was tied in a ponytail. I executed every technique—glissando, portamento, col legno, trills.Nothing else existed in the world but me and the music.
I ended the melody with a sparkling, shimmering, and ethereal arpeggio.
The audience erupted into small applause. My heart was beating frantically.I did it.All four of us bowed, our moist hands locking. I emerged from the stage, leaving the violin in place. The plush carpet absorbed the echo of my footsteps as Sylas walked toward me. A wine-brown cashmere suit clung to his frame, the fabric draping snugly over every contour of his lean body. His golden hair was neatly combed in a polished, proper look like those models in magazines.
“I didn’t know you were performing tonight. You and your music are beautiful.” Sylas glanced around him as if he was hiding from someone. “Can you save me, please? I’m tired of mingling with these people on my father’s behalf. Look at me, I can’t even talk without smiling anymore.”
