More than Music

32

He stopped and frowned at me. “What?”

What was wrong with me? I dropped my gaze and grabbed my own guitar. “Nothing.”

This time I tried to feel the music as I played, but it didn’t come as easily for me as it did for him. The truth was, I was still too distracted from picturing all the things I wanted to do to him. It was like avoiding Jared had only made my desire for him increase, and now that we were alone—and now that I knew what he looked like without any clothes on—I found it even harder to resist him.

“That was better,” he said. “But I can tell you’re still holding back.”

No kidding. If I was in this room with Jared for one more second, I might not be able to stop from touching him. Where was Hector? Shouldn’t he be back from the gym by now?

“This isn’t working,” I said. “Maybe we can try again tomorrow.” Tomorrow, when the other guys were here, too, and I could focus on something other than being alone in a hotel room with the hottest guy I’d ever met.

“Hang on, I have another idea.”

I sighed. “I don’t know…”

“Let’s try playing something together, something just for fun.”

“Like what?”

“Do you know this one?” he asked and then started up “Blitzkrieg Bop” by The Ramones. It was one of those songs most rock guitarists learned since it was simple but a lot of fun to play. I reluctantly joined in when the chords repeated again. When he got to the chorus, I sang along too, and he grinned at me.

As the song went on, I loosened up and let myself get into the music with him, tapping my foot to the beat. We jammed on our guitars and grew louder and more ridiculous, not caring if the people in the rooms next to us complained. It was the kind of song you could easily be silly and over the top with, and by the end, we were bouncing around and belting out the words like we were drunk.

When it ended, I fell back on the bed and laughed, my pulse racing. Playing with Jared like this, banging on our guitars and singing at the top of our lungs without caring what we sounded like, it was different from playing alone or with the band or even in front of Julie and Carla. With one song, Jared had reminded me why I loved playing guitar in the first place.

He crashed on the bed next to me, and we stared at the ceiling as we caught our breath. After a minute, he propped himself up on one arm to look at me. “I’m impressed you could sing all the words to that one. Who knew piano player Maddie had this hidden punk rocker inside her?”

“No one. Before I joined the band, guitar was a secret, a guilty pleasure. Something I only did when I was alone in my room.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And yet you picked up my guitar at a party and played one of my songs like you had written it yourself.”

I covered my face with my hands and groaned. “I knew you’d bring that up eventually.”

“Hey, I’m flattered. Besides, it worked out in the end.” He trailed a finger across my arm, his touch soft, making me shiver. “I saw the real you that night, and just now I saw her again. That’s the trick. When you’re on stage, play like you do when you think no one’s watching.”

I dropped my hands to stare up at his face, so close to mine I could smell the shampoo he’d used. I wanted to kiss him so badly my body ached with it. It wasn’t just how his hair was still wet, framing his blue eyes and dark lashes, or the way the tattoos on his arms stood out against his otherwise flawless skin or how his voice made me forget everything but him. It was the Jared I discovered every time we were alone together, the one who somehow found the real me and set her free.

His hand cupped my face and his head dipped lower, lightly brushing his lips across mine. Little warning lights flashed in my head. What was I doing, lying on a bed with Jared, about to kiss him? This couldn’t happen. Not only because of what Dan had said about the producers and the show, but because I knew if I fell for Jared, I might never recover.

I pressed a hand against his chest. “I’m sorry. I have to go, um, to dinner. With my friends. Right now.”

He stared at me while I jumped up and stuffed my guitar back into the case. “Maddie—”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I ran for the door before he could even get up.

Once outside the elevator, I pushed the button a hundred times until it arrived. Only when I stepped inside and the door shut did I allow myself to relax. That had been way too close. Kissing Jared could only lead to heartbreak, and it would ruin everything with the band and with the show. But how was I supposed to resist him for another three weeks?

The crowd screamed as the lights went up and the four mentors walked to their seats, waving at the audience. Ray Carter appeared on stage, his black hair shining, and he flashed a big smile.

“Welcome to The Sound! This is the first live show, and tonight’s theme is ‘Sick of It All.’ Starting now, your votes will determine who stays and who goes, and ultimately, who wins The Sound. We have some amazing performances lined up, so let’s get started! But first, let’s talk to the mentors about their bands and what they’re hoping to see from them.”

I watched from the screens in the lounge and then turned away to get some coffee. After a full day of hair, makeup, wardrobe, and soundchecks, I was already exhausted—and we still had another hour before we went on stage.