My fingers brush hers as I take the scrap of paper, sending a jolt skittering up my arm. My eyes meet hers, and she sucks in a breath.
She shakes it off faster than I do, her eyes dropping to her homework again. She picks up her phone and pushes a button to glance at the time. “Oh, crap. I have a class soon. I guess I’ll have to finish my homework later.” Meeting my eyes again, she offers me a quick smile. “It was nice talking to you. Sorry if I bored you by going on and on about music stuff. But, well … you asked.”
Standing, she sets her backpack on her seat and gathers her papers and textbook, stuffing them inside. I stand too, not ready for this to end. “You didn’t write your number down.”
She slows as she puts the straps on her shoulders, a crooked smile on her face. “I’m sorry?”
Nodding, I pull out a pen of my own. “How else will I have someone to discuss the wonder that is the,” I stop to read the name of the piece she talked about, “Sonatas and Partitas for Unaccompanied Violin if I don’t have your number?”
The other half of her mouth has lifted, and she’s giving me a wide smile now. My answering smile is just as genuine. She takes the pen, bending to write her name and number on the scrap of paper.
As she’s handing it back to me, a voice interrupts us. “Well, lookie here. If it isn’t our favorite little freshman and our favorite former boyband star. They look cozy, don’t you think, Julia?”
I have to stifle my groan of irritation. I know these two girls. We’ve had classes together and have a few friends in common. And unfortunately, they know about my days as the guitarist for Brash, the band I was in with my brothers that had a brief moment of fame several years ago.
Gabby looks at them, her brows pulled together in confusion. “Oh, hey, Emma. Hey, Julia.”
I look between Gabby and the other two. “You guys know each other?”
Julia nods. “She sits next to us in Anthropology. We were just on our way over there. Wanna walk with us, Gabby?”
“Uh, sure.” Gabby gives me one more look, her eyes studying my face. I give her a quick smile back.
I see the moment she puts it together. Her lips part on a gasp, “Oh my God.”
Reverb (Songs and Sonatas Book 7) Page 27