Free Breathe into Me by Sara Fawkes Page B

carrying his paper plate and leftover pizza. The silence that fell was uncomfortable, at least on my part. I took a moment to survey the living room, which was much more modern and livable. In typical male fashion, clothing was strewn across random pieces of furniture and beer bottles dotted the tabletops, but it looked more homey and less like a movie set.
    “Want to see the back?”
    I looked over at Everett and, tamping down my sudden nervousness, smiled. “Sure.”
    The house sat on a huge plot of land, at least two acres by my estimation. I’d never been able to see the rear of the house; it butted up against the back of another smaller house that hid everything from view. Thick oak trees dotted the open area at the back, but it was the large two-story white building that captured my attention. I had always wondered what exactly was inside; it looked like servants’ quarters, or a guesthouse, something along the lines of a mini hotel.
    I heard the pop as the old door unstuck itself from the doorjamb, and knew this place hadn’t been used in a while. The interior was nice, although not quite as ostentatious as the main house. The main area was a big open room with sparse furniture in comparison to the house. A pool table sat against the side wall, and a covered couch in front of a big flat-screen TV sat across from it.
    “Trent said the first floor of this place was razed by Hurricane Katrina, so everything down here is fairly new.” He pulled off a sheet covering some of the chairs. “There’s water and electricity out here as well as cable, but if you’re hungry you’d have to come to the house for food.”
    My eyes moved to the far end of the room, toward a large piece of covered furniture in the corner. Lips parting, I stepped lightly over the tile floor and pulled at the thin cloth. It slid easily off the smooth surface, piling to the floor around my feet.
    Everett moved in beside me. “Well, damn, I didn’t know that was here or I would’ve invited you sooner.”
    I ran my fingertips over the smooth wood surface of the baby grand piano, moving around to the front. My lessons as a child had been on an instrument just like this; a different make, but the exact same size. The brocade bench seat wobbled when my knee brushed it, and I left it alone as I lifted the lid for the keys.
    Unfortunately, I knew the instant I hit middle C that the tuning was off. Disappointed, I ran a quick scale and listened to the discordant notes fill the air. Sighing, I put the lid back down. “Oh well, that would have been too much luck for my life lately.”
    “I
will
hear you play one of these days.”
    The conviction in Everett’s voice made me look at him. He stared back, and I could see my own disappointment mirrored in his eyes. Despite my frustration, I smiled at him. “I know exactly what I’d play for you, too.”
    I could see it in his eyes that I’d sparked his interest, but before he could reply I held up my hand. “Find me a piano first.”
    He grinned. “Deal. Now let’s see if we can find you someplace to sleep.”
    Two more sheets later we came across an old maroon couch that didn’t quite match the decor, along with some pillows and an old quilt. “This’ll be great,” I said, arranging things on the couch. There were a few lumps in the cushions but I’d slept on worse.
    “Are you sure you don’t want to stay in the house? We’ve got more rooms than we know what to do with.”
    I shook my head. Everett didn’t seem to like my answer. “Is it that you don’t trust me?” he asked in a curiously hesitant voice.
    “No,” I said quickly, and to my surprise I realized it was the truth. I looked away. “I don’t trust myself.”
    I didn’t see what he thought about that information, and honestly I didn’t want to. “Thank you for the bed,” I said, sitting down on the couch.
    “If you need anything, just come up to the house. I’ll leave the back door open for you.”
    I nodded mutely,