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“Ew.” Jo looked as though she had just tasted something foul as she glared at Bea. “You hate that song. It’s horrible.”

“I’ve changed the lyrics. There will be no dubious consent in it.”

“Oh,” Jo and Piper said in unison. They looked at each other, smiled and then returned their gazes back to Bunny.

“So do we get to listen? Your voices are a brilliant combination. The perfect couple to end the night.”

Bunny’s breath caught in her chest.

“We haven’t tried it together yet,” Bea answered quickly. “Maybe after we’ve had some run-throughs alone first.”

Bunny furrowed her brow. From the beginning, Bea had been willing to dive into the rehearsals as though her life depended on it.

The thought stopped Bunny.

Because her livelihood, her plans and hopes, did rely on this event.

So why was Bea hesitating now?

“All right. Well, I’m done with this rehearsal then. Are we good to leave, Bunny?” Piper jumped to her feet as she asked

“Yeah, we’ve done enough for today.” Bunny nodded and shoved her hands in her pockets. She couldn’t tear her gaze from Bea, still trying to figure out what the hesitation was for. She couldn’t be embarrassed. They’d both fucked up enough songs by that point to know they weren’t perfect when it came to singing. So what else could it be?

“Excellent.” Piper spun on the balls of her feet until she faced Jo and offered her hands. Jo took them without words and let Piper pull her up.

“Jo, can I talk to you for a second?” Bea said, and after a strange look between the sisters, the two left the room together, Piper calling out that she would catch up in a moment.

“What are you doing, Piper?” Bunny asked as soon as the door closed.

“What do you mean?” Piper furrowed her brow.

Bunny looked Piper directly in the eye. They both knew exactly what she was talking about, but Bunny didn’t have the heart to say it. She’d already held Piper back enough when it came to her personal life, and she didn’t want to add more grievances to Piper’s list.

“Fine. Don’t tell me. But be careful, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Piper winked. “And just whathaveyou been doing?”

“None of your damn business,” Bunny growled. She’d walked right into that one, hadn’t she? Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. But she’d never been one to kiss and tell. And she certainly wasn’t going to do that if Piper and Jo even had a chance at becoming something.

Piper laughed, knowing full well that Bunny would keep her mouth shut. She shook her head as she headed for the door. “You’re so easy sometimes.”

“Me?”

“Oh yeah.” Piper’s laugh echoed through the room as she left. Her departure left a hollow feeling in Bunny’s stomach.

“Hey.” Bea returned on her own. She stood still as the door closed behind her.

Bunny ground her molars, her entire being trying to convince her feet to move and plant her body against Bea’s. But she held back, remembering the firm look that Bea had given her. The one that Bunny couldn’t read. They needed to resolve that.

“Why don’t you want to practice the song?” Bunny asked.

“You looked horrified, Bunny. I did it for your sake.” Bea spoke with her cool calmness. Did she not have any conflicting feelings about the song, about the two of them at all? She hadn’t seemed this icy since the first time they met. Bea reached forward and picked up the sheet music. “Are we going to practice it now?”

“Yes.” Bunny could be professional. She could be stoic. She could brush off Bea with the best of them. She’d had decades of practice already. And Bea wouldn’t be any different from any other woman she’d been with, right?

They ran through the song several times. Each time their voices leaned more into each other, and Bunny felt that free lightness that music gave her.

“That was beautiful,” Bea spoke softly, as though she worried talking too loudly might steal the beauty of the music that seemed to linger and hum around them. Bea leaned in closer on the piano bench where she’d eventually sat. It had been such a long day, and Bunny couldn’t blame her.