“Okay, I’m going to show you a few things that will make playing the bass easier. You can’t force the music. It has to become part of you. It must flow out of you naturally like running water.”
She took the guitar. He was sitting so close. Every inch of her body was aware of him, and he wanted her to concentrate on the guitar? Not a chance!
“No, don’t hold it like that.” He put an arm around her and adjusted her right hand so that it was holding the guitar. She became aware of how his muscles moved under his shirt. How his warm breath tickled her neck. “If you’ll hold the guitar in this position, it will be easier to transition between the chords.”
“Okay.” Her heart was pounding, and she wondered if he could hear it. At that moment, she’d never been so grateful that he couldn’t read her thoughts. It was only when he moved his arm away that she was able to regain a measure of concentration. She forced herself to listen to what he was saying as he continued to instruct her. “Play a G. Now F … A.” They went through each chord over and over until he was finally satisfied. He brought his fingers to his chin, making a steeple. “I want you to play ‘Not Enough.’”
She tensed. “By myself?” ‘Not Enough’ was the song they were doing for the tryouts for the formal, and it was also the song that his mother had criticized. She shook her head. “I don’t know it well enough. You said so yourself … I don’t remember how.” She looked pleadingly at him, hating the way her eyes were misting. She looked down so that she wouldn’t have to meet his gaze.
He put a hand on her arm. “There’s no judgment here, Elle. I’m on your side.” He put a finger under her chin and lifted it so that her eyes met his. Time seemed to slow, and she was struck by how stormy blue they were. There was a softness in them that pricked at her heart. She could get lost in those fierce eyes and never make it out again. He gave her a small smile. How incredibly handsome he was with those chiseled features and strong jaw. “You can do it,” he urged. “We just went through all of the chords.” He ran a finger down the curve of her jaw, and then he seemed to realize what he was doing. He dropped his hand to his side.
She blew out a breath. “Okay, I’ll give it a try.” She took the guitar and tried to do as he instructed and let the music flow out of her. Unfortunately, in her case, it tumbled out like boulders falling off a cliff. She cringed inwardly when she stumbled over the intro, but by the time she played the chorus, she was transitioning more smoothly. When she got to the end, she was delighted to discover that she was playing it perfectly.
He rewarded her with a brilliant smile. “Bravo,” he said, clapping his hands.
Warmth settled into her chest, and she basked in the comfort of his smile. It felt good to do something right, albeit small. “I did it!” She punched a fist in the air. “I did it!”
“I knew you would.” A look settled between them, and she could sense that his guard was going up. He scooted back and gave her a tight smile. “Well, I guess my job here is done.”
She hurriedly placed the guitar on the chair. He moved to stand, but she caught him by the arm. “Wait.” She knew she shouldn’t do it, but she couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t let him leave without talking about what had happened the other day. She didn’t want things to be weird between them. She needed Rush in her life, if only as a friend. “I’m sorry about what happened between us.” Her apology bumbled out like straws tipping haphazardly out of a box. They were scattered before she could pick them up, so she kept going. “I don’t know what this thing is between us.”
He lifted an eyebrow in amusement. “Thing?”
Was he going to make her spell it out? She swallowed hard. “I want you to know how much I appreciate you coming over here tonight to help me. You’re always there for me when I need you, and I’m so grateful for that. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come here and—”
He brushed a lock of hair from her face. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured. He traced over her lips with the tip of his finger. She leaned into him. “I shouldn’t be here, and I shouldn’t kiss you. I promised myself I wouldn’t …” The side of his finger went down her neck and along her collarbone, sending tantalizing shivers down her spine that melted into her bones. He leaned in, and her lips parted expectantly. For a fraction of a second, she feared that he would pull away, but then his lips came down hard on hers. She let out a tiny moan as his tongue found hers, and she linked her fingers around his neck. The kiss deepened, and he pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her waist. She felt she would go dizzy as his tongue explored her mouth. Kissing him was everything she’d hoped it would be and more. A whisper of something settled over her, and she felt like they’d been in each other’s arms a million times before. It was a feeling of coming home. Of completeness. She’d never had the strength to resist him. He was the strong one. It felt right to be here with him, like nothing could ever come between them.
“What—is—going—on—here?” They looked up to see Sera standing in the doorway. That dark shadow of misery that was always blocking out the sun.
Elle let out a cry of dismay and jumped back from Rush.
Josselyn stepped up beside her, a cynical smile on her face. She giggled. “From the looks of things, Mother, I’d say it’s pretty obvious what they’re doing.”
Humiliation burned through Elle. She glanced at Rush who looked as angry as she felt. They were both still breathing hard. “You have no right to be in here,” Elle said stiffly, trying to hold onto whatever shred of dignity she had left.
Sera raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” She pointed at Rush. “You have no right to be here.” She turned on Elle. “And you … ” condemnation dripped from her lips “ … now I know why you didn’t want to go to the game. You planned this whole thing so you could be alone with him in your bedroom.”
Rush stood and faced Sera. “This isn’t her fault. I came over to help her with some chords, that’s all.”
“Oh, is that what you were doing?” Sera let out a derisive chuckle. “Obviously.”
Rush’s eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you give Elle some credit? She’s a good person, and you would see that if you would open your beady eyes.”
Elle stood and grabbed his arm. “Don’t.” She knew from personal experience that going head to head with Sera would only make things worse.
He looked at Elle and then back at Sera. “I won’t apologize for what I’ve done,” he said, squaring his jaw.
Sera smirked. “Well, we’ll see about that … once your mother finds out.”
Rush’s face fell a notch, and he jerked it back into place, but not before Elle saw it. Sera had gone for the jugular vein and it worked. Ms. Porter already disliked her, and now she would hate her. Everything was crumbling, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
“Just wait until Edward finds out. Your devoted boyfriend was so worried about you tonight. He even came over after the game and asked about you.” Josselyn frowned. “Imagine what he’ll do when he finds out that you were here … with him.” She shook her head. “Poor Edward,” she purred.
A furious expression twisted over Rush’s face, and he looked like he was going to say something else. “Just go,” Elle urged. Her eyes met his. “Please.”
He shook his head and stormed out.
When he left, Elle sat down on the bed. She felt empty and cold. “Nothing happened.” She hated how dirty she felt. It was just like Sera and Josselyn to twist something good around, turning it ugly. “He just kissed me … that’s all.”
Sera scoffed. “You were alone in the house with that boy, and you expect me to believe that all you did was kiss?”
Elle hugged herself. “Yes, that’s all we did.” Tears welled, and she started blinking them back. “You saw us, all we were doing was kissing.”
“That was some kiss,” Josselyn hooted.
“Oh, why don’t you just shut up? You couldn’t get a boyfriend if your life depended on it, that’s why you slink aro
und, trying to destroy my relationships.”
Josselyn’s eyes went wide. “How dare you!” She clenched her fists to her side and wailed, “Mother! Make her stop!”
Sera looked like she could spit fire. She pointed at Elle. “As of right now, you are grounded, young lady. You are going to keep your smart butt in this room all weekend. Now what do you have to say about that?”
“I have to go to work tomorrow.” Her eyes met Sera’s in a challenge. “And you and I both know that my dad will be furious with you if you cause me to lose my job.”
Sera’s jaw started working and her eyes went wild. Elle halfway feared that she would slap her, but Sera managed to gain control of herself. “You don’t want to tangle with me,” she said, her voice menacing. “Out of respect for your father, you will go to work and nowhere else.”
“Fine.”
“Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I will have that little talk with Rush’s mother.” She shot Elle a triumphant look. “And you and I both know that’s not going to end well.”
Elle just glared at her. How she hated that horrible woman! After they left, she lay back on the bed and reached for the box of chocolate, clutching it to her chest. She pressed her eyes together tightly and let the hot tears fall. She shouldn’t have kissed Rush, she knew that. Even so, for one tiny moment everything had felt right. Her skin had burned under his touch. He’d awoken feelings within her that she didn’t know existed. And no one, not even Sera, could take that away from her.
Chapter Nineteen
A Damsel in Distress
Cinderella clutched her gown in her fists and began pacing back and forth in front of the stable outside of Rushton’s modest home—a home that looked like a peasant’s cruck house in comparison to her own lavish home that was located a mere a stone’s throw from the castle walls. There was a time when she’d thought that Rushton and the Lady Wisteria were wealthy in comparison to her own humble circumstances, but life within the palace was quickly making her tastes more discriminating. “Why are ye being so unreasonable about this? Prince Edward chose me as his maiden to fight for during the tournament. You were there. You saw the whole thing. I did nothing to entice him.” She clenched and unclenched her fists. “To refuse him would’ve been …” she shuddered and went pale “… unthinkable.” She stopped and looked at him, a pained expression on her heart-shaped face. “Rushton, I prithee, what else could I have done?”
She looked like a vision in her pink, satin gown with the tiny flowers embroidered around the waist. He hated himself for causing her pain, but the hot poker of jealousy was wedged deep in his heart, burning him alive. After what he had seen the night before, he had to be sure that he could trust her.
Rushton shook his head and sat down on a bale of hay. “I don’t know,” he admitted, rubbing a hand across his forehead. “I saw how you looked at him during the victory dance.” He gave her an accusing look. “Thou were enjoying it too much, I think. Do not try and deny it, for I know thee too well.”
She let out an incredulous laugh. “Well, of course I enjoyed the dance. Ye know I love to dance, but that didn’t have anything to do with Edward.”
His head shot up. “Edward? So, now you’re on a first-name basis?”
She gave him a stricken look. “Rushton, this is madness! Surely, thou art not jealous.” She stopped. “You are.”
His eyes met hers. “Tell me, fair lady, do I have a reason to be jealous?” He’d managed to speak the words lightly enough, but there was no masking the dark emotions that were churning within.
She got a peculiar look on her face and then walked over to where a cluster of daisies was growing beside the stable. She bent down and plucked one and went to his side, holding it out to him. “Please accept this daisy as a token of my undying affection for thee.”
He blew out a breath and then reluctantly took it. “That’s not fair,” he muttered. He’d given her the daisy when they first met, and now it had become the symbol of their love. She clasped her hands over his. “I came to the castle for one reason—you!” Her hand went to his head, and she started twirling a dark curl around her finger. “You know me, Rushton.” She cupped her hands around his face and lifted it to hers. “I love you, Squire Rushton Porter—and only you.”
She looked so sincere. How easy it would be to take her into his arms. To believe the words that were coming out of her mouth, but his mother—curse her—had put suspicion into his heart, and try as he might, he could not root it out. He reluctantly pulled away from her touch. “But the Prince can give thee so much more than I can. You could be a princess, living in the castle …” His eyes met hers. “Is that not what you want?”
She shook her head. “Of course I like nice things, but not at the expense of us.” She gave him a look of reproof. “Dost thou know me so little?”
He put down the daisy and caught hold of her arms and shook her. “You want to know what is wrong? I’ll tell thee! Last night, I saw you strolling with Edward in the courtyard!”
She rocked back. “Y-you were spying on me?”
“I was watching out for you! There’s a difference.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Rushton, I can explain … Edward had asked me repeatedly to take a stroll with him. I had refused him twice already and dared not risk refusing him a third time. And Seraphina … ”
His eyes went hard. “What about Seraphina?”
“She insisted that I go. She thinks that if I will form an alliance with Edward then perhaps Josselyn may have a chance to win his favor. I was only paving the way for Josselyn, you see.”
“Art thou really so daft?”
Blotches of red started rising up her neck through the delicate lace of her collar. “What do you mean?”
“Josselyn has no more chance of winning Edward’s affection than a goat! Seraphina is no fool. She is not trying to capture Edward for Josselyn! She is trying to capture him for you, so that she can worm her way into the castle. She is using you, Cinderella, the way she always has.”
“Nay.” Cinderella shook her head. “Thou art mistaken, Rushton. I know Seraphina and I have had our differences, but she has changed. Things are better now. My father left us penniless and heavily in debt. She did the best that she could under the circumstances, she clothed and fed me … gave me a roof over my head.” Her voice broke. “She is the only family that I have.”
He could hardly believe his ears. Why was Cinderella defending the very woman that had treated her so abominably? He had to make her understand what was happening. “You are talking to me, remember? I was there, Cinderella. I saw how she treated you. The lowliest of servants were treated better than you. Do not insult me by trying to rewrite history!”
“Do not insult me by insulting my family!” she countered hotly.
“Would you listen to yourself? Thou canst not possibly believe that Seraphina has thy good interest at heart.” He stopped as a terrible thought struck him. It sliced through his gut, nearly leaving him breathless. Perhaps this wasn’t about Seraphina. Perhaps Cinderella was using Seraphina as an excuse. “Is this your way of rationalizing your association with Edward?”
Her face fell. “That’s not fair!” There was a panicked look in her eyes.
Anguish twisted his gut. He could see the guilt written on her face. His mother was right! She was an opportunist that had used him to better her situation, and now that she’d turned the head of the prince, she was leaving him in the dust. He stood. “I was a fool to ever trust you!” The anger welling inside him was ripping him to shreds. He had to get away from her so that he could sort this thing out. He needed to be alone to think. Besides that, there was something he needed to do—something that would permanently remove Cinderella from Edward’s reach.
Tears started flowing down her cheeks. “You don’t mean that, Rushton.”
He started walking away.
“Rushton!” she called after him. “Don’t walk away from me! Rushton!” she screamed. He kept walking unti
l he couldn’t hear her anymore.
* * *
Cinderella let out a sob and crumpled onto the bail of hay. Why was he being so unreasonable? Surely he could see that she loved him. Admittedly, it had been nice to have the attention of the Prince, but Rushton had her heart. A lifetime of experiences couldn’t be erased by a single dance or stroll in the courtyard. If only she could make him understand.
“There, there, it cannot be as bad as all of that.”
Cinderella’s breath caught as she looked up to see Wisteria standing over her. Embarrassed to have been caught weeping, she pulled her handkerchief from out of her bodice and began dabbing the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry, Mi’ Lady. I’m afraid thou hast caught me unaware.”
Wisteria sat down beside her. “I’m afraid my son can be as stubborn as that old mule in the fence over there.”
Cinderella just shook her head as the tears started again. “You heard all of that?”
Wisteria nodded. She put a hand on Cinderella’s arm. “One thing you have to know about Rushton is that he’s a warrior. He’s hot-tempered and impetuous. And often says things that he does not mean.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“His father died when he was a baby, and he has grown up having to fight for everything that matters. Fighting is all that he knows.”
“He thinks I don’t love him.”
Wisteria searched her face. “Do you?”
“Yes, I love him. I love him with all of my heart. I’ve loved him since I was a little girl—since that first day he rescued me from those horrid boys and offered me a daisy.” She looked at Wisteria, her eyes glistening with tears. “He is my best friend, and I don’t want to lose him. The only reason I even came to the castle was because Rushton wanted me to. I never asked for Edward’s affection. Thou must believe me … please.”
Wisteria eyed her skeptically. “Many a maiden would give anything to gain the attention of a prince. And not only is Edward a prince but he is also handsome, brave, charming … rich. It would only be natural for a beautiful young maiden like thee to be flattered by his attentions.”
Banished: Book 1 of The Grimm Laws Page 21