The Fake Boyfriend Experiment(7)

“No.” Chris held up his hand, a broad grin on his face. “You’re awesome.”

Hot warmth flooded through me. “Really?” I could tell he meant it. Wow. When was the last time someone had listened to my piano playing and then looked at me as if I was worth something? This rocked!

“Oh, yeah. Really good.” Chris turned to the rest of the group. “Let’s go.”

Rafe grunted, hit his sticks together in the air for a few counts, then started a strong beat with his drums. The other guitarist joined in, followed by Angel. Chris pointed at me.

I grinned and started playing.

As soon as Chris started singing, I closed my eyes and let the music wash over me. It pulsed through me as if it were alive, jumping from my heart to my fingers. The music seemed to bounce off the walls and ceiling, filling the room with fire. I’d never felt music like this before! I let my shoulders sway and abandoned the sheet music, letting my fingers fly across the keys.

Chris’s voice was pretty good, sort of melodic and deep, and the rest of the band was decent too. Except Rafe. Rafe was positively brilliant on the drums, and I let my music follow his. I felt his rhythm shift immediately, as if he’d noticed I’d targeted him, and he wanted to test me. I matched his challenge, and then he shifted again. I went with him, my music chasing his and keeping up easily.



Rafe and I never looked at each other, but the connection between us kept building and building, becoming more and more intense. It filled the room with such energy that I felt like the walls were going to explode. It was the most amazing feeling I’d ever experienced.

The song ended, and I added an extra little flourish at the end, complete with a full spin, just like the keyboard player did in the video. I grinned at the band, who were all high fiving each other. “That was great,” Chris said.

“The best we’ve ever played it,” Angel agreed.

The other guitar player nodded at me. “Nice job, Lily.”

I grinned at him. “Sorry I didn’t stay on the music, but—”

“No,” Angel said. “You did way better than the music we had.”

My smile got wider, and I felt like skipping around the room. “Thanks.” I turned to Rafe. “What did you think?”

He met my gaze, his deep green eyes latching onto my face so intensely that I forgot to breathe. The air seemed to go utterly still, frozen by the connection between us. After a moment, he nodded. “You did great.”

Goosebumps shot down my arms at the intensity on his face. I could tell that Rafe didn’t say anything nice unless he meant it, and suddenly I felt better than I had in months. Of all the people in the room, Rafe was the one with the true gift of music. I knew that if he said I was good, he meant it in a way the others didn’t. They couldn’t, because they didn’t connect to the music the way Rafe did. A compliment from Rafe about my music meant something. It was real.

“Lily!”

The smile dropped from my face and I spun around.

Miss Jespersen was standing in the doorway, her hand on her hips and her face all scrunched up like she’d been sucking on lemons for the last fifty years.

The room fell silent, and I knew I was in deep trouble. “Um...”

Rafe started drumming again, a steady beat that seemed to fill me up, chasing away my fear. His drumming made me feel like he was standing right next to me, covering my back. “I asked Lily to help us out since Paige is late,” he said. “Sorry if I screwed up, Aunt Joyce.”

I jerked my gaze toward him, stunned by his willingness to face down his aunt in my defense, but he was watching his aunt, not me.



Miss Jespersen’s face tightened. “Your mother’s looking for you, Lily. If you can drag yourself away, I suggest you let her know that you haven’t been abducted.”

“Yeah, okay.” I stepped away from the keyboard, letting my fingers trail over the keys one last time. I wanted to stay and play more. I wanted to jam with the band until my fingers were so cramped they couldn’t move any more. I wanted to squeeze every last note out of that keyboard and let the music dance with Rafe’s drumming.

But I knew it would never happen. Crusty would cut off my fingers before she’d let me waste my time and talent on an electric keyboard. With a sigh, I picked up my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. “So, um, see you guys.”

Chris touched my arm. “Can you practice with us again? Like tomorrow?”

“No, she can’t.” Miss Jespersen flicked his hand off me. “Lily is a gifted musician and doesn’t have time for this kind of music.”

The welcoming expression vanished from Chris’s face. Angel looked surprised and a little offended, and the other guitarist shot me a look of pity. I felt my cheeks heat up as I tried to explain. “That’s not true, I—”