I’ve only been at the house a few days, but it’s surreal waking up in a bed other than the same one I’ve slept in my entire life. I thought maybe by now I’d be homesick, or even let fear run me back to Destin, but with each day I’m more assured in my decision to leave.

I may not have a home, or even family, but I’m determined to find my place in the world, even if the journey leads me through a mistake or two. Since Grams passed, I haven’t been living, and now that I’m willing to take the risk, there’s an energy deep in my soul begging to be let loose. I’m not sure what’s on the horizon, but I’m eager to find out.

I head downstairs and eat breakfast before anyone else is awake, then shower and get dressed. Lexi’s leaving today and while I want to say good-bye, I also don’t want to interrupt her time with Trent before she catches her flight.

I’m glad we’ll be hitting the road, too. As much as it makes me nervous—touring with a band of rock stars is nothing short of intimidating for a country mouse like me—I’m ready for an adventure. The idle time here at the house is making me restless. I’m not accustomed to so much down time. I’ve always had school, or work, or house chores. Here, I don’t even know whether it’s okay to go for a walk, or where to go if I did venture outside the gates. Padding over to the large windows, I pull open the shutters and gaze out at the hilltop neighborhood.

A knock on the door startles me from my thoughts. “Come in.”

“Hey.” Lexi pushes open the door and walks inside.

“Hey.” I raise my hand in a wave, but then shove it behind my back, aware of how awkward a greeting it is.

She takes a few steps forward, glancing around the room without meeting my stare. “I’m sorry we haven’t had much time.”

“Oh, it’s fine.” I don’t expect her undivided attention. Especially not when she and the band are grieving the loss of a friend.

She lifts her gaze and in the depths of her eyes I find worry. Apprehension. “I . . . um . . . I don’t know how to ask this without being insensitive. Or making things weird.”

My heart races with fear. She wouldn’t send me away. Not now?

She pulls an envelope from behind her back, along with a cell phone and holds them out. “I don’t know exactly what your financial situation is, but I want you to have these.”

I drop my gaze to the plush carpet floor. “You don’t have to do that. I didn’t come here for money.” I have nothing but two hundred dollars to my name, and not much in the way of material possessions, but I would never ask her for cash.

“Take it. It’s more for me than you. I don’t want you to get stuck in a situation where you don’t have money, and I want us to be able to call each other. It’ll make me feel better.”

“Okay.” My hands shake as I take the gifts.

“There’s some cash and a debit card. I wrote down the PIN. There’s only a few hundred in the account, but I can add more. Just let me know.”

“Thank you.” My well-ingrained manners push forward the sentiment, but my pride will keep me from using this as long as I can. I won’t ask for more.

“You’ll be okay,” she says, and I don’t know whether that’s more for her assurance or mine. “Call me if you need anything. Anytime. I mean it.”

“Don’t worry about me.” I don’t want to be a burden but I can tell by the lines that etch against the normally smooth skin of her forehead, it’s exactly what I am. “You’ve done so much, and you don’t owe me anything.”

“I feel I haven’t done enough, but I’m excited we’ll get to spend time together. I only have another three weeks of my tour.” Her lips press into a line. “You sure this is okay? If you’d rather go back to Destin, I’d understand.”

“I can’t go back.” I shake my head.

Her lips tick up with the trace of a smile and she reaches out her hand, giving mine a slight squeeze. “I understand. When you’re ready to talk about it, I’m here.”

Emotion clogs in my throat, more from the possibility of growing a real friendship with my half-sister than rehashing my fight with Gramps. “Thanks, Lexi.”

Trent raps at the door and steps inside. “You ready to go?”

“Yep. All packed.” She smiles at her boyfriend before meeting my gaze. “See you soon.” She wraps her arms around me in an embrace that feels as if she really cares. “I’ll call you.”

“I’ll be fine.” I smile and step out of her arms.

Trent winks and flashes a brilliant smile. “That’s right. She’s in the safety of Three Ugly Guys.”

Lexi rolls her eyes and walks toward the door. “That doesn’t ease my fears.”

“Come on, babe.” Trent slings his arm around her shoulders. “We aren’t that bad.”

“Mmm hmm.” Her wariness is clear, but laughter escapes her lips at his insistence.

Their voices continue down the hall and I’m struck once again with a pang of loneliness. I glance around my temporary bedroom, half cluttered with Lexi’s extra guitars and the other half cleared out for me. I never unpacked, not with leaving again in two days, and my bags at the foot of the bed only make me feel more displaced than I already do. Life could be worse. I mean, I’m in a mansion for now and soon hitting the road with one of the hottest rock bands. Millions of women my age would die for this opportunity. But I’m not like other women. At least, not here in Los Angeles. I don’t fit in, and I feel like an imposter. Lexi and I share the same father, but she’s a rock star through and through and I can’t even play the guitar.

With lazy strides I cross the room, kneel on the soft rug of carpet, and reach for the fasteners to one of my sister’s guitar cases. I shouldn’t touch her things. They might be in the room, but I never asked permission. However, there’s a piece of me, a tiny curiosity and maybe a tamped down devious nature that unclicks the locks and pops open the case. There’s something forbidden about picking up the instrument and holding it in my hands.

That’s not God’s music. That’s straight from the devil. Hear me, child?

My grandfather’s warning sounds in my ears but my fingers tingle with a buzz of excitement as they wrap around the neck, the nylon strings pressing into my fingertips. I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s silly to even try, but still I settle the guitar in my arms and run my hand down to strum across the strings. I wince at the horrible sound.

“Wrong hand.”

I glance up. My first instinct is to throw the guitar, hide it, and pretend I wasn’t just making music worse than a toddler, but it’s pointless. Austin caught me red-handed and I feel even more a fool. Serves me right for touching something that isn’t mine.

“You’re right-handed?” He tips his head, eyeing the guitar in my hands.

My gaze drops to my lap, and before I can reply or nod yes he’s on the floor before me, reaching out and situating the guitar the opposite way.

I’m such an idiot. I wasn’t even holding it right.

“There.” He nods, dipping his chin to catch my gaze with a gentle grin. “Now, here.” He moves each of the fingers of my left hand, pressing them into place. “That’s C. Now strum.”

I don’t move, partly from embarrassment and mostly so I don’t make more a fool of myself.

“It takes a few tries to get it right. Don’t be shy. Go for it.” He settles back, his long legs extending across the space between us as he props the weight of his body on one arm. His face is expectant and encouraging.

It must be the non-judgment in his eyes that emboldens me to do as he asks and not put the instrument down. The next strum isn’t much better than my first, but I try again and it’s not half bad. I glance up, a smile stretching across my face when I meet Austin’s stare. “Like that?”

“Yeah, again. Up, down, down, up.” He mimes the motion, nods when I get the rhythm right, and there’s an encouraging kick to his words. “Yeah, you’re getting it.”

“Here, you’re gonna tear up those fingers.” He pulls out a guitar pick—I don’t even know from where—and positions it between my thumb and index finger. The touch of his skin on mine sends a charge throughout my body.

My lips part and I hold my breath, unable to speak.

“Innocent.” His lips spread with a full smile and he breaks the connection of our stare, running his hands through his hair in what seems to be frustration.

“Pardon?” I ask, not knowing what he’s talking about or why he’s mad, other than maybe I’m worse at playing than I thought.

“You are so goddamn sweet. You can’t help it, and that only makes it worse. Or better.” He laughs, a chuckle that rumbles from his mouth and the sound of it scatters goosebumps across my skin. That, and the open, hungry gaze of his stare.

“Sorry.” I don’t really know why I apologize, other than it’s the polite response.

He laughs again, this time with a hint of wickedness. It should be enough warning for me to ask him to leave, but I find myself drawn to the sound. I’ve always played it safe. Obeyed the rules. But this new me, the Opal who lives in LA with her rock star sister, she’s allowed to be anyone she wants and I want to have fun. There’s something in Austin’s stare that promises just that.

“Will you teach me to play?” My question is bold and I’m proud that my voice holds strong.

“Oh, yes.” He laughs and scoots a little closer, which closes the space between our bodies. His leg, covered in ripped jeans, brushes against the bare skin of my calf and I try not to fixate on how good it feels. “I’ve always wanted to play teacher-student.”

My face heats and I’m certain my cheeks are ten shades redder than my hair as I glance down.

“Sorry.” He laughs. “I can’t help myself, but that wasn’t fair. I’m only joking. Of course, I’ll teach you to play.”

Right. He’s teasing. I’m so gosh darn gullible and probably a big joke. “You don’t have to. I’m sure you’ll be busy. You won’t have time.”

“Hey.” He waits until I meet his stare, which isn’t full of laughter and could possibly be considered sincere. “You’d be surprised at how much down time we have, at least on the bus. I’d love to teach you to play. You’re a natural.”

My pulse quickens with his words. The hope he might be right. “You really think?”

“I do.” His lips kick up with a boyish smile, and if it weren’t for his full-sleeve tattoos he’d pass for one of the all-American football captains back home. “It’ll be pretty cool to surprise Lex when she joins up with us next month.”

I hadn’t thought of that, but now that the idea’s there, it brings a genuine smile to my lips. We’ve never had much in common besides a father I never knew. Music is what ties us together, so the thought of being able to play, even on a novice level, brings excitement to my otherwise uneventful life. “She’ll like that, won’t she?”

“Yeah, she will.”

For the next half hour Austin teaches me what he calls the basics, and I do my best to keep up. I’m good at remembering things, so the chord placement comes easily, but strumming has me fumbling more than not. It’s a rhythm that doesn’t come naturally, and I’m gonna have to practice to get it right. It’ll take time. But that’s okay because time I’ve got.

“Enough for one day.” Austin tips his chin to the guitar case, and covers my hand to stop me from strumming. “Let’s get out of here. You must be feeling like Rapunzel the way you’ve been locked up the past few days.”

“Oh, I was just . . . I didn’t want to be in the way.” I glance down and fiddle with the guitar pick in my fingers, remembering back to those difficult first few days after Grams passed. “I know how it is to lose someone. Sometimes it’s nice to be left alone.”

“Yeah.” Austin’s smile holds pain and it’s a hurt I recognize. He loved Iz. “You’re sweet. Too sweet.”

I don’t know what to do or how to reply, so instead of meeting his gaze, I will my cheeks not to heat again and return Lexi’s guitar to her case.

Austin clears his throat. “Let’s go grab lunch. You’ve done good, first lesson and all. And Trent probably won’t kill me if I steal you away for a few hours.” He jumps up from the floor and pulls up his skintight jeans from where they’ve settled low on his hips.

“Probably? Living dangerously.” I lift one eyebrow and try my hand at teasing him back.

“Always.” He grins like a boy and I swear that look alone could be used to start engines, by the way it sends my pulse flying. “Meet me downstairs in ten? Or do you need longer to get ready?”

I accept his outstretched hand to help me off the floor. I glance down at the simple fabric of my sundress. It’s about the nicest outfit I own and I hope it’ll do, otherwise I have nothing to wear. “This okay? Or should I change?”

“Beautiful.” He appraises my dress with a sweeping look that sends awareness over my entire body. He’s talking about the dress. He must be. That or he’s teasing again. I try not to squirm under his gaze.

“Ten minutes?” My voice brings his stare back to my face.

“My kinda girl.” He winks and struts out of the room.

I don’t take a full breath until the door shuts behind him. Austin isn’t like the boys back home. He’s exactly how I imagined a rock star. Larger than life. Devastatingly good looking. I am way out of my league with him. Not that I’m with him, or want to be. I can’t even handle a man like Hunter Anderson. There’s no way in hell I can handle Austin Jones.

But maybe we can be friends. Lord knows I could use one of those about now.