Rock Prodigy

Chapter 8

Dedicated to nabstar because she loves music as much as I do!

Chapter 8

Mac blinked down at me as understanding dawned in his eyes. “Your mother…?”

I nodded looking away from his piercing gaze, regretting my words but knowing it was too late to take them back.

“So you were raised by your dad?”

I looked up at him, seeing the sympathy in his gaze. “They’re both dead.”

“Rose,” he said, reaching a hand out towards my shoulder but I stepped back, avoiding the contact.

“It was a long time ago,” I said, avoiding his gaze as I packed my guitar into its bag. I straightened and before I could react, a strong pair of arms wrapped around me and Mac was tugging me close.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled as his arms tightened even more, making it hard for me to breathe but for some reason I didn’t mind.

My heart fluttered and unconsciously, I raised my arms to loop around his waist taking a deep breath of his clean scent as my cheek rested against his chest. I kept telling myself to push him away, to step back but my arms tightened a little and I clenched my eyes shut tight as I soaked in the feel of him, wanting to remember it forever. I hadn’t received many hugs in my life but I couldn’t remember any of them feeling this good. Finally, I managed to persuade my arms to release and I stepped back, putting some distance between us. He didn’t entirely let me go, but he didn’t stop me from moving. I looked up at him and saw a fleeting reluctance in his gaze when I took another step back, making his arms drop to his sides.

I quirked my lips up in a small smile and said softly, “Thank you, Mac but you don’t have to be sorry.” My eyes connected with his firmly. “Maybe your mother is no angel but she’s still your mother.” I shrugged feeling uncomfortable as doubt, anger, and sympathy flickered across his eyes. “You don’t have to be best friends but would it be so horrible to give her a chance?”

He looked down at me, frowning. “I don’t know. I’m going to have to think about it.” I nodded, grabbing my guitar case and slinging it over my back.

“Thanks for the lesson, Mac,” I smiled, feeling exhausted all of a sudden. I felt like I hadn’t slept in a week and actually, that was kind of true. I had replaced sleep with music and I didn’t regret a moment of it. “See you later,” I mumbled, heading to the door. My eyes felt dry and I had to struggle just to keep them open as I made my way out of his house and onto the street.

I jumped when I heard footsteps beside me and my shock doubled when I turned my head to see Mac strolling along next to me. “What are you doing?” I asked, my voice sounding groggy to my own ears.

He shrugged, and kept his gaze ahead of him as we moved down his street. “Walking you home.” I stumbled on a crack in the sidewalk and he reached out a hand to grip my arm, steadying me.

“Thanks,” I muttered as I regained my footing. My legs felt like they weighed a million pounds and my worn out converse high tops were barely leaving the ground with each step.

He gripped my arm as I stumbled again and this time he didn’t let go. “What’s up with you?” he asked. I could hear the frown in his voice but I was too tired to move my head to look him in the eye.

“Tired,” I mumbled, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. We turned onto High street which was still two blocks from my house. I groaned acutely aware of just how long two blocks was at the moment.