the door. Mr. Christian stopped when he saw me. The roses in his right hand lowered an inch. His mother only stopped when she saw us both standing like statues, staring at each other.
“Eden.”
“Hey.”
“Mom, this is Eden. She’s one of my students.”
Mrs. Christian smiled and came toward me, her delicate hand covered with jewels outstretched. “Yes, I recognize the dress. Concert choir?”
I met her in the middle of the room. “Yes. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Christian.”
“Thank you.”
“You stayed after.” James started toward us.
“I just cleaned up a little.” I took a deep breath, admiring him up close for the first time in thirty-two hours. Just looking into his eyes filled that ache I had inside with warmth. “And I wanted to congratulate you. The concert went really well, don’t you think?”
He nodded. “Yeah, it did. Everybody was great.”
I noticed his mother inching backwards toward the door. She laid a hand on his arm. “I’ll wait in the car, James.
Eden, a pleasure my dear.”
“You too,” I said. I couldn’t believe she was being nice enough to leave us alone. I wanted to jump up and down. I clasped my bag tight instead. “She’s so talented, coming in and playing like that. Wow.”
He nodded. His face looked relaxed for the first time that night. He let out a sigh and pushed a hand through his hair. “So, you really think it went well?”
“It went great. I heard all the numbers on the monitor, and I stood in the back for Renaissance. Everybody was great. Seriously.”
“Maybe I can stop sweating now.” He laughed. I wanted to roll around in the sound of it. The image brought a smile to my lips. He looked at my mouth and his laugh slowly filtered away. He glanced around. “So, where are your parents?”
“Oh, they didn’t come.”
His brows shot up. “Why not? They out of town?”
“They don’t come to stuff like this.”
“They don’t like the arts?”
I shifted feet and looked down at my bag. “They don’t know I’m in the group.”
“Why not?” I liked that he took a step and it brought him closer to me. “You sang tonight, and very well. Why wouldn’t you want to share that?”
I shrugged. I didn’t want to ruin the night or the moment talking about Stacey and Dad. “Sorry, I didn’t think to get you something. I can’t believe I didn’t think about it.
Leesa is into the drama thing and knows the etiquette—”
“Forget it.” He looked at the roses in his hand. Then he looked around the room. “Thanks for cleaning up. That’s an even more appreciated gesture, believe me.”
“Good. I did something then.”
“You did great tonight,” his voice was soft. “And that dress.” His gaze traveled down my body and back to my face. “You probably drove the guys crazy tonight.”
“Really?”
He tilted his head at me. “Don’t you have a boyfriend?”
I shook my head, fingering my bag. “That surprises me,” he said.
“Because I seem like a girl that would have a guy around?” I fished.
“No.” He started toward the light switch and I followed. “In my experience, the beautiful girls are always taken.”
Beautiful? The word startled, surprised and pleased me.
He flicked off one of the overhead lights, leaving us in near darkness that stretched shadows across half of his face. “High school guys don’t know anything.”
Then he turned off the last light and the only light was what shined in from the hall out the open door. He stood holding the door open, waiting for me to exit and I did.
I watched him juggle the roses while he locked up the room.
Then he gestured to the parking lot. “I’ll walk you to your car,” he said.
“That would be nice, but I don’t have a car here. I walked.”
His brows shot up. “This time of night?”
“It
“Eden.”
“Hey.”
“Mom, this is Eden. She’s one of my students.”
Mrs. Christian smiled and came toward me, her delicate hand covered with jewels outstretched. “Yes, I recognize the dress. Concert choir?”
I met her in the middle of the room. “Yes. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Christian.”
“Thank you.”
“You stayed after.” James started toward us.
“I just cleaned up a little.” I took a deep breath, admiring him up close for the first time in thirty-two hours. Just looking into his eyes filled that ache I had inside with warmth. “And I wanted to congratulate you. The concert went really well, don’t you think?”
He nodded. “Yeah, it did. Everybody was great.”
I noticed his mother inching backwards toward the door. She laid a hand on his arm. “I’ll wait in the car, James.
Eden, a pleasure my dear.”
“You too,” I said. I couldn’t believe she was being nice enough to leave us alone. I wanted to jump up and down. I clasped my bag tight instead. “She’s so talented, coming in and playing like that. Wow.”
He nodded. His face looked relaxed for the first time that night. He let out a sigh and pushed a hand through his hair. “So, you really think it went well?”
“It went great. I heard all the numbers on the monitor, and I stood in the back for Renaissance. Everybody was great. Seriously.”
“Maybe I can stop sweating now.” He laughed. I wanted to roll around in the sound of it. The image brought a smile to my lips. He looked at my mouth and his laugh slowly filtered away. He glanced around. “So, where are your parents?”
“Oh, they didn’t come.”
His brows shot up. “Why not? They out of town?”
“They don’t come to stuff like this.”
“They don’t like the arts?”
I shifted feet and looked down at my bag. “They don’t know I’m in the group.”
“Why not?” I liked that he took a step and it brought him closer to me. “You sang tonight, and very well. Why wouldn’t you want to share that?”
I shrugged. I didn’t want to ruin the night or the moment talking about Stacey and Dad. “Sorry, I didn’t think to get you something. I can’t believe I didn’t think about it.
Leesa is into the drama thing and knows the etiquette—”
“Forget it.” He looked at the roses in his hand. Then he looked around the room. “Thanks for cleaning up. That’s an even more appreciated gesture, believe me.”
“Good. I did something then.”
“You did great tonight,” his voice was soft. “And that dress.” His gaze traveled down my body and back to my face. “You probably drove the guys crazy tonight.”
“Really?”
He tilted his head at me. “Don’t you have a boyfriend?”
I shook my head, fingering my bag. “That surprises me,” he said.
“Because I seem like a girl that would have a guy around?” I fished.
“No.” He started toward the light switch and I followed. “In my experience, the beautiful girls are always taken.”
Beautiful? The word startled, surprised and pleased me.
He flicked off one of the overhead lights, leaving us in near darkness that stretched shadows across half of his face. “High school guys don’t know anything.”
Then he turned off the last light and the only light was what shined in from the hall out the open door. He stood holding the door open, waiting for me to exit and I did.
I watched him juggle the roses while he locked up the room.
Then he gestured to the parking lot. “I’ll walk you to your car,” he said.
“That would be nice, but I don’t have a car here. I walked.”
His brows shot up. “This time of night?”
“It
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