Diving Deep (UK Crush #2)

Chapter 26

I reflected that I had really changed in the last three months. Three months ago hearing a comment like that would have sent me scurrying upstairs to change. Of course, three months ago, I wouldn't have just stripped off my sweater in front of four boys like that, no matter how well I knew them. And if you really wanted to pull at that thread, three months ago, I never would have put that T-shirt on in the first place after Ben had accidentally shrunk it in the wash.

I sat down at the Steinway and turned on the metronome, once again letting everything else fall away.

An hour later I was up at my fastest ever, with everything completely even, no weakness to be heard, even to my practiced ear. Now it was just a matter of maintenance and strength while I rebuilt my piece.

I opened the piano lid to it's lowest aperture, hoping it wouldn't be too loud for the boys, and played through my piece, once slowly, once at medium pace, and once at performance tempo, and it sounded pretty good to me all three times.

Then, just for fun, I played the Pathètique, and it sounded fine, too, bringing back memories of when I played it for Teddy in Japan, with his hands on my shoulders, when we rode the piece together.

I jumped when I heard applause at the end of the piece, and I turned to see all four boys, who had been joined by a lovely redheaded girl whom I recognized from photographs as Janelle, Gethin's younger sister.

I rose from the bench and quickly walked to them. "You guys! Why didn't you tell me she'd arrived?" I chastised them. "How long did you make her stand there?"

"When she got here I told her to come in through the back so she wouldn't interrupt you; she just got here a few minutes ago, don't worry," Geth explained. "Anyway, Tinker Bell, this is my little sister Janelle. Janelle, this is my great friend and Theo's girlfriend Tinker Bell."

"Hullo, Tinker Bell," Janelle said, in the same, lovely, sing-song accent that Gethin had. "I've so been looking forward to meeting you. I've heard so many wonderful things about you, I feel like I already know you. And let me say first that you play beautifully. Geth said so, and he wasn't exaggerating. May I hug you?"

"Of course," I said, touched. "I'm from California, anyway, we hug everyone." And I enveloped her in a hug. She was taller than me, as everyone on this continent seemed to be, though not nearly as tall as her brother. And she was beautiful, just like him, with the same jade green eyes and chiseled jaw.

"So let me take her upstairs and get her settled, then we can all have a chat, okay?" Geth grabbed her overnight case and led her up the stairs, asking her about her drive down.

I grabbed my sweater back from Teddy, who was still holding it, and pulled it over my head.

"You looked better without it," he whispered to me, smiling.

"Yeah, I heard you guys talking about it when I was leaving the kitchen," I answered, smiling back. "I can't walk around like that, it's not decent. Besides, it's too cold if I'm not practicing."

"Hey," I said as something occurred to me. "Does Geth have enough rooms in this house for all of us? I mean, I know it's a big house, but with his sister here he's going to need, what, five bedrooms? Even for a large house five seems excessive, don't you think?"

Teddy considered. "I dunno, I never thought about it. It does sound like a lot."

"Maybe we should offer to double up," I suggested.

"Are you mental?" He stared at me. "You want to share a room? With who?"

"Whom," I automatically corrected. "I don't know. Ronan, maybe? We should at least offer, don't you think?"