Page 123 of The Ruthless Note

I hang up.

Dutch has been quiet through the whole conversation. He’s still watching me, but my gaze is on Breeze who’s taking off toward the street to catch a cab.

I’m sorry for lying to you, Breeze.

“Why are you here?” I ask Dutch, my face still turned to the window. “I thought The Kings didn’t have a set tonight.”

He doesn’t answer the question.

For a moment, silence reigns.

“If you’d played even once at school, I would have recognized you,” Dutch says finally. “You can lie to everyone, Brahms, but your music? It’s too honest. It’s worth more than words.”

“It’s just music.”

“I wish it was.” The words are rough. Coarse. He feels dangerous tonight. Like he’s unravelling. Running from his own demons.

I shouldn’t be alone with a guy who’s spiraling.

Not when I’m spiraling too.

Sweat is still dripping down my face. I feel hot and sticky.

A steamy video…

“I don’t want to talk about that,” I say.

He arches a brow and studies me warily. “What do you want to do then?”

“Can you teach me how to swim?” I blurt.

The words bang around the lobby, echoing back to me before falling flat. Dutch maintains that assessing gaze. The control he has over his expressions is almost nightmarish. There’s not so much as a flick of an eyebrow or a twitch of his lips.

I wait, holding my breath. My heart thunders in my chest, anticipating.

What will I do if he says no?

What will I do if he says yes?

I scrape my tongue against my bottom lip, noting the way his eyes lock there and hold fast.

“Now that everyone knows I can’t swim, it’ll be easy to hurt me again. I don’t want to be defenseless.” I tilt my chin up. “I want to learn.”

“Tonight?” He juts a finger down.

“There’s a pool right there.”

His eyes slide over me again, this time lingering on my chest and the short hem of my purple skirt.

I step closer to him, dropping my voice. “If you don’t want to, I can ask Sol—”

His arm immediately shoots up and latches onto my wrist. “What do you really want, Brahms?”

I shake him off. “Forget it.”

Jinx didn’t state who had to be in the steamy video, only that it had to be steamy enough to post to her app. I could be with someone other than Dutch tonight.

The knots in my chest start to loosen. The idea of kissing Sol seems, oddly, like the safer option. He’s a friend, and it wouldn’t be weird if I explained to him why I need his help.