Boys and Girls, Part IV: Why I Love to Hate You

A/N: Warning...Tristan's about to become more irresistible for some of you!

Chapter 9 – Angel of Music

“Once more, Jacy.”

Jacy took a deep breath. She was tired, but now that the March recital was soon approaching, she had been putting extra time into practicing. She couldn’t completely dislike her music teacher, Mrs. Fuller, though; Mrs. Fuller was putting in extra time to make sure that Jacy sounded even better.

Jacy began her arpeggios again to warm up for her final performance of “Unexpected Song” from Andrew Lloyd Weber’s musical, Song and Dance. Mrs. Fuller pointed her finger up to signify that she wanted to hear Jacy’s voice go higher. Jacy was so tired. She didn’t know if she had it in her.

But Jacy never backed down from a challenge. She hit the high note and lowered to conclude her arpeggio exercise. Mrs. Fuller cut Jacy off and began going into the opening bars of the song.

“I have never felt like this. For once I’m lost for words. Your smile has really thrown me…

****

“Like an expected song…an unexpected song…that only you are…hearing!”

Jacy’s lovely voice echoed within the walls of the large practice room as she hit the final note of her song with resounding force. Tristan leaned against the wall and watched her sing. He had snuck in as quietly as possible and oriented himself so that Jacy couldn’t see him.

He had never known that Jacy possessed such a beautiful voice…probably because she always complained or grumbled whenever she was around him. Hearing her sing was a bit of a surreal experience. She was completely exposed to the world – utterly vulnerable. She was unable to put her guard up with witty remarks or sarcastic comments, and that drove Tristan insane.

In fact, that was the precise reason that Tristan had caved after two weeks of freezing Jacy out. Frankly, he was surprised that he had survived this far. The truth was…he had missed her. She had spoken her heart out, and in the process, knocked Tristan down a peg. But in the end…he just didn’t care. He still wanted her. Badly.

“Just let me know if you would like to practice again this week, Jacy.”

“Thanks Mrs. Fuller.”

As the teacher walked toward the opposite exit, Jacy remained seated at the piano. She tinkered around on the keys, consequently proving that she wasn’t much of a pianist. Jacy gave up after a few tries and began singing the opening bars of her song without accompaniment.

She was still good a cappella, but Tristan didn’t believe that singing without background music did justice to Jacy’s talents. He peeled himself from the wall and walked towards her.

****

“I don’t know what’s going on. Can’t work it out at all…whatever made you choose me?”

Jacy wanted to concentrate on her song, but it was difficult all by herself. When she was alone, she was left thinking about Tristan and how he had so cruelly left her on the brink of ecstasy some two weeks prior. He hadn’t been joking. Jacy didn’t receive one visit or phone call from Tristan in that time. When he had told her that she would have to come to him, he apparently hadn’t been kidding.

After the first week, Jacy had been relieved, but now that it was becoming clearer that Tristan had lost interest in her, something within her died. As much as she disdained the blonde Adonis and everything he stood for, she couldn’t help but feel as if she had let the opportunity of a lifetime slip past her. A hot, confident guy who was also on the fast track to fame and fortune had lusted after her, and she had let her pride get in the way. And for what? Hadn’t he gotten the final word in anyway?

“I just can’t believe my eyes. You look at me as though…you couldn’t bear to lose me.”

Ewan had left the week after Tristan’s proposed freeze-out. Jacy missed Ewan because he had been a great friend first and foremost, but she missed him even more because there was no one who could distract her from thoughts of Tristan Carter now. Jacy was still pretty sure she hated Tristan, but now, she wasn’t certain that she didn’t want him. When Valentine’s Day had come and gone, Jacy could do nothing but regard the couples around her with the utmost envy. And as much as Jacy hated believing in true love and all that crap, she knew that her feelings for Tristan went deeper than just lust. He chipped away at Jacy’s pseudo armor with his sexual prowess, and for once in her life…it had felt good to be exposed. Jacy didn’t want to be vulnerable to anyone, but somehow, when Tristan was the one undressing her and exploring her – both physically and metaphorically – it didn’t feel...all…that…bad.

“Now, no matter where I am…no matter what I do…I see your face appearing…”

Jacy took the time to twist around. Her back ached. Standing for two whole hours, supporting D-cup breasts was not exactly paradise for her lumbar region. She first twisted to her left. Then, she turned to her right…

“Like an unexpected song…

Tristan was standing directly next to her, looking down at her with an amused expression on his face. Jacy abruptly stopped her singing and jumped up. Tristan regarded her with mock disappointment on his face.

“Aww, don’t stop. You’ve got a beautiful voice, darlin’.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked accusingly.

“Just visiting,” he answered casually. He looked around the practice room absentmindedly before bringing his gaze back toward Jacy. “You never told me how talented you were.”

She averted her eyes. “It didn’t seem particularly important to point out.”

“You got a concert coming up or something?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

Jacy didn’t like where this conversation was going. If Tristan showed up at her recital, then she definitely wouldn’t be able to concentrate.

“Not until May,” she lied.

“Why are you staying after class to practice now, then?” he asked suspiciously.

“I’m a devoted student of the song,” she answered haughtily.

“Yeah,” Tristan began skeptically, “or you’re lying your ass off.” He took a seat on the piano bench and studied the music in front of him. “Your concert’s the first week of March. Admit it.”

Jacy rolled her eyes. “What, are you reading my planner or something?”

“Nope,” he answered, as he flipped to the second page of the sheet music. “Just the flier hanging outside this room.”

Jacy shifted. Duh. She had to stop believing that Tristan was a complete idiot. He wasn’t. As she opened her mouth to offer a smart comment, Tristan flipped back to the first page of the song and began playing the opening bars to Jacy’s recital piece with little effort.

Her jaw dropped. Holy shit, he knew how to play the piano? As Tristan approached the vocal bars of music, he looked over at Jacy.

She stood there, her mouth agape, looking like a total idiot. Tristan gave her an encouraging look to begin singing, but she just couldn’t move her lips. Tristan smiled and shook his head before beginning the opening bars again.

“Sing,” he ordered her.

She wanted to blatantly disobey him, but this new revelation of Tristan’s piano-playing abilities stirred something within Jacy. This time, her lips moved of their own accord.

“I have never felt like this. For once I’m lost for words. Your smile has really thrown me.”

Tristan smiled at her, and turned back to the music. He continued to study it even as Jacy continued.

“This is not like me at all. I’d never thought I’d know…the kind of l-love you’ve shown me.”

Even though Tristan was carefully reading the sheet music, he couldn’t suppress a smile at Jacy’s stumbling over the “L” word.

“Now, no matter where I am…no matter what I do…I see your face appearing…”

Jacy straightened her slightly slouched posture and willed herself to raise her head so that her voice would carry over.

“Like an unexpected song…an unexpected song…that only you are hearing…

****

“Keep your fingers loose, baby. You’re too stiff.”

After Tristan had continued to help Jacy rehearse for a full hour, both of them had grown restless. He had humored her by playing some pop songs on the piano – all of which Jacy knew the words to – and they had lost their focus. Every so often, Jacy looked as if she wanted to go – not just leave, but leave him. Tristan had extended their chats as much as he could, but in the end, he resorted to offering Jacy how to play the keyboard.

Tristan leaned over to readjust Jacy’s fingers as she attempted to play the piano. In doing so, he couldn’t ignore the feeling of stiffness that was overcoming him at that moment. Even in a simple pair of jeans and a gray NMU t-shirt, Jacy was too much to resist. She had left her long, brown hair down, and as he reached across, he snuck a quick sniff of her hair. Today, she smelled like cinnamon.

Jacy pressed on the keys after Tristan rearranged her fingers and played the first chord of her song. She looked over at Tristan, beaming. “See?”

“See what?” he scolded. “You played one note, Jacy.”

She frowned. “Lighten up, Billy Joel.”

Tristan let that one pass and pointed to the sheet music. “Try these four bars.”

Jacy studied the music carefully. She located the proper keys and very slowly pounded out the opening chords. It was pretty obvious that she had never had a piano lesson in her life. Even so, Tristan just nodded supportively as Jacy continued playing.

When Jacy could no longer stand to hear her butchered rendition of Mr. Weber’s classic, she pounded on a bunch of random keys, resulting in a ear-shattering dissonance. She scoffed in frustration. “I suck!” Jacy quickly rose to her feet and began walking toward her belongings, which lay on the ground next to the piano.

“Where are you going?” Tristan asked tensely.

Jacy’s eyes shot up. “Where do you think I’m going? Home.”

Tristan began to rise. “I’ll walk you home.”

“No you won’t,” Jacy responded with a shake of her head.

“Why not?” he demanded.

Jacy shot up, hooking her backpack over her right shoulder. “Because I said so.”

Tristan scowled. “What the hell kind of reason is that?”

“Why are you even here, Tristan? Weren’t you all like ‘we’ll continue when you come back to me’?” she asked in a mocking tone.

Tristan’s scowl deepened. “You’re being a baby, Jacinda.”

“And you’re avoiding the question,” she retorted. “What, are you afraid to admit that you missed me?”

Tristan didn’t answer, and Jacy mistook his silence for indifference.

“Right,” she sighed. “Of course that’s not it.” She regarded Tristan with a look of disappointment in her eyes. Jacy readjusted the backpack over her right shoulder and began walking past Tristan.

Just as she brushed past him, Tristan caught a whiff of her cinnamon scent, and he caved. He grabbed her left arm and pulled.

“Yeah, fine – I missed you, okay?” he admitted angrily. “I spent two weeks thinking about how much longer I’d have to wait to get you back into bed. Happy?”

Jacy did not looked pleased with Tristan’s response. If anything, she looked angrier than before.

“Excuse me?” she demanded. “You were waiting to ‘get me back into bed’?”

Tristan had erroneously assumed that Jacy would be pleased to know that she was the only girl he thought about when he was having thoughts of a sexual nature. In hindsight, Tristan understood how that particular phrase might sound a little…sleazy.

“Baby, I know that sounded real bad –

“And stop calling me that!” she yelled.

“Calling you what?” he demanded indignantly.

“Calling me ‘baby!’” she responded hotly. “It implies that we are in some kind of a relationship, and I assure you…we…are…not.”

“So than we just had hot, passionate sex for the hell of it?” Tristan asked angrily.

Jacy didn’t answer right away, but she aimed her hazel eyes straight at Tristan. “It was non-consensual, Tristan and you know it.”

Tristan shook his head in disbelief. “You were into it, Jacy! I’ve never been with a woman who’s come harder than you did that night!”

“What you did was disgusting,” she answered back. “It was disrespectful and demeaning.”

“It was fucking hot,” Tristan asserted. He pulled Jacy in hard so that her body collided with his. He lowered his blue eyes down to her face. “And you’d do it again in a heartbeat given the opportunity.”

Jacy gulped at Tristan’s cockiness, but her face remained expressionless. “Stay the hell away from me.”

Tristan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He’d never thought he’d live to see the day where a woman said ‘no’ to him. All he could do in response…was smirk.

Jacy looked as if she didn’t like that one bit. “I’m not kidding, Tristan, so get that stupid grin off of your face.”

The smirk remained. “Every real man loves a challenge, Jacinda.”

“Oh, so that excludes you then,” she answered smartly.

Tristan’s smirk finally faded. He pulled Jacy’s backpack off of her shoulder and let it land on the floor with a hard thud. Then, he lowered his head so that his mouth was right next to her ear.

“You listen to me, little girl,” he commanded in a threatening whisper. “I don’t give a fuck what nasty things you might say to me in order to drive me away.” He pulled back and stared daggers at her with his icy blue eyes. “It’s not gonna work.”

Jacy turned her head, but Tristan grabbed her chin and turned it back. He forced his mouth over hers in a hard, possessive kiss. His tongue pushed through her lips, and Jacy moaned in protest. She batted at him to get off of her, but Tristan was so consumed by his own emotions that he simply couldn’t care less. He wanted this girl badly. His breathing grew heavier and faster, and the stiffness in his pants was growing by the second.

When he felt he had gotten his point across, Tristan pulled back abruptly from the kiss. He couldn’t hide his satisfaction as Jacy leaned forward a little – reluctant to end their make-out session. Tristan needed to make sure that the ball was in his court, however.

Tristan leaned over to retrieve Jacy’s backpack. He picked it up and hooked it back over Jacy’s right shoulder. She remained planted in her spot, a stunned expression still crossing her feminine features. Tristan loved that he could cut off all powers of speech from someone like Jacy. He gave a quick wink, wordlessly walking away from Jacy…again.

****