The Deal (Off-Campus, #1)(26)

“Anything. I don’t care.” I’m startled by the intensity in his voice, the emotion now glittering in his gray eyes. “I just need to hear you sing again.”

Wow. Okay. My entire life people have been telling me I’m talented, but other than my parents, nobody has ever pleaded with me to sing to them.

“Please,” he says softly.

So I sing. An original piece this time, but it’s still rough so I end up switching to another song. I play “Stand By Me.” It’s my mom’s favorite song, the one I sing to her every year for her birthday, and the memory carries me away to that peaceful place again.

Halfway through the song, Garrett’s eyes flutter shut. I watch the steady rise and fall of his chest, my voice cracking from the emotion behind the lyrics. Then my gaze travels to his face, and I notice a small white scar on his chin, bisecting the stubble shadowing his jaw. I wonder how he got it. Hockey? An accident when he was a kid?

His eyes stay closed for the duration of the song, and as I strum the last chord, I’ve decided he must be asleep. I let the last note trail off, then set down the guitar.

Garrett’s eyes pop open before I can rise from the bed.

“Oh. You’re awake.” I swallow. “I thought you were sleeping.”

He slides up into a sitting position, his tone laced with sheer awe. “Where did you learn to sing like that?”

I shrug awkwardly. Unlike Cass, I’m far too modest to sing my own praises. “I don’t know. It’s just something I’ve always been able to do.”

“Did you take lessons?”

I shake my head.

“So you just opened your mouth one day and that came out?”

A laugh slips out. “You sound like my parents. They used to say there must have been a mix-up at the hospital nursery and they got the wrong kid. Everyone in my family is tone deaf. They still can’t figure out who I got the music gene from.”

“I need to get you to sign an autograph for me. That way when you’re cleaning up at the Grammys, I can sell it on eBay and make a killing.”

I let out a sigh. “The music business is tough, dude. For all I know, I’ll crash and burn if I try to make a go at it.”

“You won’t.” Conviction rings in his voice. “And by the way? I think you’re making a mistake singing a duet for the showcase. You should be on that stage alone. Seriously, if you sit there with a single spotlight on you and sing like you just did now? You’ll give everyone in the audience chills.”

I think Garrett might be right. Not about the chills thing, but that I made a mistake teaming up with Cass. “Well, it’s too late. I’m already committed.”

“You could always back out,” he suggests.

“No way. That’s a dick move.”

“I’m just saying, if you back out now, you still have time to come up with a solo. If you wait too long, you’ll be screwed.”

“I can’t do that.” I eye him in challenge. “Would you let your teammates down if they were counting on you?”

He answers without hesitation. “Never.”

“Then what makes you think I’d do that?”

“Because Cass isn’t your teammate,” Garrett says quietly. “From the sound of it, he’s been working exclusively against you from the start.”

Again, I’m afraid he’s right, but it really is too late to make a change. I committed to the duet, and now I have to follow through on it.

“I agreed to sing with him,” I say firmly. “And my word means something.” I glance at Garrett’s alarm clock and curse when I notice the time. “I have to go. My cab’s probably waiting outside.” I quickly slide off the bed. “Just have to pee first.”

He snickers. “TMI.”

“People pee, Garrett. Deal with it.”

When I come out of the bathroom a few minutes later, Garrett wears the most innocent expression on the planet. So of course, I’m instantly mistrustful. I stare at the books strewn on the mattress, then at the messenger bag I left on the floor, but nothing seems out of place.

“What did you do?” I demand.

“Nothing,” he says nonchalantly. “Anyway, I have a game tomorrow night, so our next session will have to be Sunday. Is that cool? Late afternoon-ish?”

“Sure,” I answer, but I still can’t fight the sneaking suspicion he’s up to something.

It isn’t until I walk into my dorm room fifteen minutes later that I discover my suspicions were warranted. My jaw drops in outrage when a text from Garrett comes in.

Him: Confession: I deleted all the 1 Direction from your iPod when u were in the can. You’re welcome.

Me: WHAT?? I’m going to kiss u!

Him: With tongue?

It takes me a second to realize what happened, at which point I’m completely mortified.

Me: Kill u! I meant KILL u. Damn autocorrect.

Him: Surrrrrre. Let’s blame it on autocorrect.

Me: Shut it.

Him: I think someone wants to kiss me…

Me: Goodnight, Graham.

Him: U sure you don’t want to come back here? Give our tongues some exercise?

Me: Ew. Never.

Him: Uh-huh. PS—check your email. I sent u a zip file of music. Actual music.