She raises her brows, a challenge in her expression. “You tell me.”
Relief floods through me. “So it was a joke after all.”
“I wouldn’t call it a joke. More like an attempt at a scare tactic.”
“Does he think I came up here?”
She shakes her head. “No. But he’s suspicious.”
The silence that hangs around us is heavy. Her brother thinks I might be visiting her, and if he finds out the truth…then what?
“Do you want me to leave?” I ask, giving her the chance to say yes but hoping beyond hope that the answer is no.
She swallows, and when she speaks, her voice is soft. “Do you want to?”
I shake my head, my eyes on hers.
“Then stay,” she says.
We stay like that for a moment, just looking at each other, then I finally exhale and look around the room. “So. What exactly were you doing when I came in here? I was worried you had an accident.”
“An accident?”
“Yeah, lying on the floor like that.”
She stifles a giggle. “Oh, no. That’s just my favorite way to listen to my favorite piece of music.”
I grin. “Really?”
“Really. Have you ever heard of Ralph Vaughan Williams?”
“Uh, no. I’m not really into classical songs.”
“They’re notsongs. They’re calledpieces.” She beams and bounces on the tips of her toes. “Oh, this is going to be awesome. I can’t wait for your reaction when you listen to this for the first time!” She grabs her phone from the floor.
“Did you miss the part where I said I’m not into classical music?”
She waves a dismissive hand at me. “That’s just what people think when they haven’t let it fill their soul.” Her big, blue eyes look up at me from her phone. “Trust me. Your life is about to change.”
I don’t doubt it.
“Now.” Her expression turns serious, almost stern. “You have to do exactly what I say. Got it?”
I chuckle. “Got it.”
She holds her hand out to me. “Come lie down.” Then her eyes widen, and she pulls her hand back. “Oh, goodness. That sounded so…I didn’t mean it that way. Just…you can…”
I reach out and grab her hand, amused by her adorable naivety. “Lead the way.”
Just like when we brushed fingers passing the picture, and when I held her in my arms in a “friendly” hug (if I say it enough, that’ll make it true, right?), warmth spreads from my hand through my entire body, settling in my chest. What does that mean?
She pulls me toward her rug in the center of the room and lets go of my hand, lowering herself to the ground to sit cross-legged, and I follow along. “Okay. You have to lie down on the ground and close your eyes.”
“Why, exactly? Can’t I listen like this?”
“Sure, if you want to be distracted by the way the room looks or how hungry you are. When you’re lying down, with all your muscles relaxed and your eyes closed, the music speaks to you.”
“This sounds a little woo-woo to me.”
