shit.
“Yes,” he said, stiffening his shoulders. His suit wasn’t tailored like Mr. Freeman’s but he still wore it as nicely as you could wear an off-the-rack suit.
“So you get to leave and all that good stuff?” My eyes darted between Apollo and Navy. They obviously liked each other and it was fucking adorable.
“Yes.”
“Good. Then you can take Navy out for lunch.” When I smiled at him, I saw a crack in his guard. I had that effect on men.
“She wants your company. Not mine, ma’am.”
“Oh, she wants your company, Apollo. Trust me. I know her. I grew up with her. I know all about how she acts when she wants something and…”
“Xari!” Navy hissed then grabbed my arm and tugged me over to her desk. “Can you not?”
“What? I’m trying to hook you up. He’s cute in a gruff kind of way. Like he’d defend your honor and shit.”
“Stop it.” Her cheeks turned a soft shade of crimson that made my smile blossom even more. “Oh god, you’re doing the dimples thing. I hate the dimples thing, Xari.”
“Go out with him, Navy. Just for lunch. You can even make me out to be the pushy, bratty sister who forced you to.”
“And that’s different from reality, how?”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. You’re not going to deflect from the fact that you like this man and I totally get why.”
“You don’t know anything, Xari. Cut it out.”
“You like the take-charge kind of guy, right?” I sat on her desk and crossed my legs. “Because you’re the oldest sibling and god knows you had your hands full with me as your sister. So you want to be the one who’s controlled sometimes.” The revelation made me burst with excitement.
“Okay, Xari. You can stop psychoanalyzing me now.”
“Why? It’s fun. I feel like I cracked a code. Navy likes being controlled. Ooh.” I wiggled my fingers at her and she sighed, staring up at the ceiling like she needed a personal meeting with God.
“Why don’t you go play your harp?”
“I’m leaving just give me a minute.” I hopped off her desk and made my way back to Apollo. “Ask her out,” I said, poking his chest. “At least for lunch. If you don’t, I’m going to bother you every chance I get, and trust me, I can be super annoying.”
“I’ve gathered.” He stood up fully and tilted his head down to look at me. “Don’t make it a habit of bothering me with civilian problems when I’m on duty.”
“I’ll make my habits as I please, Apollo. Now, go ask my sister out. Go.” I shooed him in her direction and he ambled over begrudgingly while trying not to glare at me.
“Would you like to grab lunch, Navy?” I wondered if she could tell his voice thawed about a half-degree when he spoke to her? I heard it.
“Um, sure, Apollo. I’m sorry my sister is crazy.”
Good. She used me as the common ground.
“Understatement.”
“I know a restaurant down the block if you like Chinese food.” Navy’s smile was so gorgeous. Seemed like Apollo noticed too.
“Sure.” His conversational skills needed work. Bad.
I made a mental note to help him out when he wasn’t on duty.
…
When I got back to my apartment, I lit candles and pulled in a deeply relaxing breath before sitting in front of my harp. My hands tingled and throbbed from my proximity to Sunshine. I sank my fingers into the strings and plucked out the scales going up then back down over and over until my body hummed and the fine hairs on my arm stood on end.
Beethoven threaded through the muscles in my shoulders, wrapping around my arms and flowing through my fingers. The music was haunting and gorgeous. My feet moved up and down on the pedals while my hands worked to spin notes into the air from nothing.
The feeling of passion coursing through me was unmatched by anything else. Nobody understood my love for the harp. The way it made me feel inside, the way it cleared my mind and turned it into a blank page. The way I could lose myself between the gorgeous sounds.
Nobody understood what that felt like. It was lonely but I was used to it. Most people didn’t experience passion the way I did. Not until it tingled gave you a high that rivaled cocaine hitting your bloodstream. Most people experienced passion in a romanticized sense. They thought about passion as something to be loved that enriched your life for the better. Something you could do forever without