She nodded. “I kind of like that. The mystery.” She fiddled with the case on her tablet.
“And you like his music?”
Her cheeks flushed as she met my gaze. I could tell from her expression that Drifter held a special place in her heart. And that realization made my entire soul sing.
“It’s the best music ever,” she whispered.
Needing to tease her to release some of my pent-up energy, I leaned forward. “Better than Fading Atlas?”
Her face fell as she stared at me. “I—er…” She pinched her lips together as if she suddenly realized what she’d said.
Her cheeks were bright red and her eyes was wide. She was desperate to find a way to walk her words back.
“I like Fading Atlas,” she finally managed out.
Was it wrong that I was enjoying watching her squirm? Especially since, no matter what she said, she loved my music whether it was Fading Atlas or Drifter. Then I realized that Sabrina and I had been connected before we even met. That I’d been a part of her life without even knowing it. That did something to me.
I was fighting my feelings for Sabrina, but this realization pushed me over the edge.
Suddenly, I wanted to touch Sabrina. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to hear her beautiful sighs and feel her heart beat in time with mine. I was tired of hiding how I felt, and I needed to know if she felt the same.
So I leapt. I took a chance. I reached out and wrapped her delicate fingers with mine.
“It’s okay that you like this Drifter guy’s music more than you like Fading Atlas,” I said, my voice coming out deeper than I’d anticipated.
Her gaze had dropped down to our hands and, after I spoke, she slowly brought it up. Her eyes were wide as she studied me.
“I like Fading Atlas,” she repeated, her voice hushed.
I narrowed my eyes like I was studying her before I offered her a smile. “I believe you.” I kept my hand wrapped around hers. If she didn’t want this, she would pull away, right?
When she didn’t move, I didn’t pull back. Needing something else to talk about than bands and music, I glanced over at her tablet. “What were you looking at?”
She followed my gaze with hers. When she looked back at me, her cheeks were pink. “I don’t want to say.”
I quirked an eyebrow, and she just shook her head.
“Clothes. I was looking at clothes.”
“Yeah?” I asked as I reached over and grabbed the tablet—all the while keeping her hand clasped in mine. I hadn’t been expecting the goth/emo girls that she’d been scrolling through. When I glanced back up, her gaze was downturned.
“I may have misjudged my outfit today,” she said, nodding toward her shirt and skirt.
I leaned over to return the tablet. “I think you looked cute,” I said as I turned my attention back to her.
“Cute?” Her tone made it sound like she was choking on the word. “I don’t want to look cute.” She shook her head. “I want to look smoking.”
“Smoking?”
“Hot. Like, smoking hot. Like the girls at the concert.” She dropped her gaze as if she were embarrassed for admitting that.
I shook my head. The last thing I wanted was for Sabrina to look like the girls who came to my concerts. I didn’t want her to change any of the things that I loved about her. She was different. She wasn’t from my world. And I wanted to protect that with every fiber of my being.
“I don’t want you to look like them,” I said as I dipped down to catch her gaze. “You don’t need to do that. You’re beautiful and perfect just the way you are.”
From the angle of her head, her hair had fallen forward to her cheek. Out of instinct, I reached out and collected it with my fingers before I brushed her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. I lingered, reveling in the warmth of her skin as I slowly dragged my fingertips down to her jawbone until they rested just below her chin.
My thumb was dangerously close to touching her lips and I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her mouth. Her pouty bottom lip. Her perfect Cupid’s bow. The way her lips slightly parted as she stared up at me. Her gaze hazy and wanting.
