The Singles

“Happy?” I breathe, glaring down at him.

He pushes his face close to mine, and his lips carefully curl into a cocky grin. It makes me sick to my stomach that I find the way he’s looking at me so tempting.

“It’s a start. But you’re mine for five more minutes.”

I keep a close eye on the clock hanging on the far side of the room, and as soon as our thirty-minute session is up, I all but race toward the door. I need to get away from him. If I don’t, I’ll end up saying or doing something I regret. His voice stops me before I can stumble out into the hallway, reverberating against my skin.

“To have made such a big deal about it, you’re quick to forget it.”

I spin around to see him approaching me with the beanie. He holds his hands out to me, like he’s presenting me with a peace offering. When I don’t move to take it, he takes it upon himself to return it to the exact place he got it. Closing my eyes, I hold my breath as he tucks my hair beneath the soft fabric.

I know this is wrong. And it’s wrong on more than one level. Not only is Rhys technically my teacher and also the brother of the man who killed my sister, but I also know very little about him besides those two things. They should be enough to send me ru

“So it’s not that I touched you?” he muses, and before I can stop myself, I move my head in a negative motion. “Why do you wear them? What are you hiding from?”

“Myself.” From you. Hats became my thing a few months after Lily died. I open my eyes to see him staring at me thoughtfully. “See you Wednesday.”

I’m in such a hurry to get away from the music building that I nearly run right past Mac. She’s outside on one of the benches, her phone positioned between her ear and the crook of her neck as she jots something down in a little notebook. As soon as she spots me, she waves me down.

“One sec,” she mouths, holding up a finger. I cast a wary glance at the front doors of the building, but I nod and stick around as she says goodbye to whomever she’s talking to.

When she’s done, she bounds over to me, the wide smile that stretches across her face revealing shallow dimples. “Thanks for waiting—my little brother talks my damn ear off. I was going to send you a text, but this is even better.” At the questioning look I give her, she quickly adds, “What are you doing this Thursday night?”

Out the corner of my eye, I see the door to the building begin to open. Not wanting to face Rhys, I gesture for her to walk with me, and I take off. After a few steps, Mac catches up to me.

“Let me guess. Just got out of a lesson with Professor Cameron?” When I don’t confirm or deny, she laughs. “I run the hell away from the building after spending thirty minutes with that woman, too. Of course, I’m usually bleeding by then because her talons have ripped my soul out.”

I almost want to tell her that compared to Rhys, dealing with Professor Cameron is a breeze. I can deal with her scrutiny a lot easier than Rhys’.

“No, I’m just hungry,” I lie. Moving my legs a little faster in the general direction of the main courtyard, I dip my gaze to hers, anxious to change the subject. “What’s going on Thursday?”

“Red Denial is playing at Ippy’s, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me. They’re this little band, but they’re really, really good.” While I’ve yet to go to Ippy’s, a little bar that’s a few miles from campus, I’ve heard from both Nathan and Mac that the entertainment is usually amazing. I must be silent for too long because she tucks a strand of her short golden hair behind her ear and lifts her shoulders in a shrug. “I just remember you saying you’re big on Fuel, so I figured you’d like them. If you don’t have time, I understand, but know that I will definitely kidnap your ass to go to one of their shows at some point this year.”

“No, you’re right. I’d love to go.”

Clapping her hands in excitement, Mac gives me a thumbs up. “Yay! A few of my friends are tagging along, as long as you don’t mind.” When I shake my head, she promises to text me what time the show starts, and we make plans to meet at the bar Thursday night.

“Awesome,” Mac beams at me before taking off. “Trust me, you’re going to love them.”

Chapter Nine

Two nights later, though, I definitely don’t love the fact that Cori

“We never do anything like this together,” she says excitedly as we walk to the freshman parking lot to find my car. “You should come out with me after this is all over with, too.”

Searching my purse for my keys, I shake my head. “Trust me, I’m like the walking dead if I stay out too late on Thursday nights.” When her face crumbles in disappointment, I tell her, “Maybe this weekend, though?”

She seems pleased with this response as she scoots into the passenger seat of my car. All the way to Ippy’s, she talks about nothing but Daniel and the baseball team. I want to roll my eyes, but for some reason, this feels like déjà vu as I make the three-mile drive.

If I close my eyes so I don’t see Cori

The Evie Miller from just a year ago.

And that scares me more than I ever thought imaginable.

I’m biting the inside of my cheek by the time I find a parking spot—about a block up from Ippy’s on the street—and as I search the ashtray for quarters for the meter, I carefully ask Cori

I try to remember the last time I’ve seen him come around our suite, but to be honest, I’ve been so busy with all things music related that I can’t recall seeing him lately.

Shaking her head, she shuts her door and comes around to join me on the sidewalk. “No, we’re just friends.” She produces a water bottle out of her giant purse, and makes a face as she takes a swig of whatever is actually inside it. Oh yes, this is definitely déjà vu. Giving me a suggestive grin, she loops her arm through mine and pulls me in the direction of the bar. “But, God, you should see him without his shirt on.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

We walk to the back of the line formed outside of Ippy’s, Cori

While we wait behind a couple girls who are talking so loud I have to lean in to hear Cori

She must be talking about Nathan. After I assure her that he and I are nothing but friends, and that I have no idea what he looks like without his shirt on, I smile and say, “But thanks. So do you.” Since this is the first time I’ve really gone out since that first night, I put a little extra effort in my appearance. At any moment the weather is going to take a turn for the worse, so tonight I’m taking advantage of a cute fit-and-flare dress I bought during the summer. It’s cream-colored and lacy, hugging my body in all the right places and showcasing my long legs.

I’d fully pla