Chapter 58 A Different Vibe

Chapter 58 A Different Vibe

Rebecca's POV

I used to think I played pretty well, until I heard Alfonso perform. That's when I realized how far I still had to go to reach professional level.

Every time I heard him play, I'd unconsciously close my eyes and get completely absorbed in the melody. The sounds around me seemed to fade away, leaving only the piano filling the space, pulling me deeper.

He sat at the piano, calm and focused, every note under his fingers precise and deliberate. Sunlight fell across him, and he looked like he owned the rhythm here, as if the moment he sat down, this place became his concert hall.

When the last note faded, I opened my eyes. "Alfonso, you're incredible."

He just smiled. "Rebecca, you can do it too."

Heat crept up my neck. Even my best work would barely reach the level he was talking about.

Alfonso was perceptive. He saw my hesitation, so he took my hand and placed it on the piano.

"Rebecca, you need to think of the piano as someone you trust completely. Listen to what it's telling you."

I closed my eyes and slowly ran my fingers along the piano's edge and keys. When my fingertips rested on the keyboard again, I could actually pick up on its subtle resonance.

"Alfonso, I think I'm getting it."

I opened my eyes and sat down at the piano, a flutter of excitement in my chest. My fingers hovered over the keys first. I didn't rush to press down, but let myself settle into the right headspace, feeling how this piano responded to me.

Time passed slowly. Alfonso stood quietly beside me the whole time, never rushing me.

I carefully adjusted my breathing until my fingers naturally fell on the keys. A simple piece, played with this kind of focus, came out sounding different from before.

When the piece ended, I looked up at Alfonso. His expression was calm, but his eyes showed approval. "Rebecca, you're really doing great."

Building on that, I tried a few more different pieces. Each one felt more solid than before.

Just as I was turning the page to continue, Alfonso pressed down on my hand.

"Rebecca, take a break. Practice isn't just about clocking time."

I nodded and walked to the wall to grab my water bottle and take a few sips. That's when my phone buzzed.

A message popped up: [Rebecca, Jeffrey and his fiancée invited us to dinner at their place tonight. Do you want to go?]

I stared at the screen, my mind blank for a second. Who was Jeffrey?

I quickly remembered—he was one of Steven's friends from the military, one of the guys who came back on forced leave last time.

My finger hovered over the screen. I couldn't make up my mind.

I thought it over. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I should go. But Steven had helped me out plenty before, so going with him to his friend's place for dinner seemed fair enough.

Alfonso was already calling me back. I knew I had to decide.

In the end, I typed out "okay," then closed my phone.

The rest of the practice went more smoothly than expected. Alfonso was patient with everything and gave me tons of specific pointers. I picked up a lot that afternoon.

When we finished, he waved to me. "Rebecca, I believe this next stretch will be crucial for you."

He was gentle the whole time, never once snapping at me. He always used questions to guide me toward my own answers, rather than just telling me what to do.

He looked out the window, a slight smile on his face. "Looks like your boyfriend's here. I won't keep you."

From where I stood, I couldn't see who was outside. I could only smile awkwardly and head out.

I picked up my pace without thinking. He'd probably been waiting for a while. I hadn't expected practice to run this late today.

I hoped the person outside was Steven. After all, he'd mentioned he'd pick me up and take me to his friend's place for dinner.

But when I pushed open the door, Everett was standing there.

He rarely picked me up after class. Today he seemed different somehow.

Everett saw me and walked over, handing me a coffee. "Rebecca, this is from that shop you always said you wanted to try. I went out of my way to get it."

I took the cold cup, something uncomfortable stirring in my chest. This coffee was indeed from a place I'd mentioned, but that was back in summer.

Now it was winter, and the wind outside was freezing. Holding an iced coffee, I felt off.

I didn't know what to make of Everett. If I said he wasn't thoughtful, he did remember the shop I'd mentioned. But if I said he was thoughtful, he bought me an iced drink on a day like this.

He followed beside me, his eyes bright. "Aren't you going to try it?"

I held the bag and managed a smile. "Not right now. I'll have it when I get home."

Speaking of home, I suddenly remembered the message on my phone. I opened it and saw my reply to Steven was still sitting in the draft box, never sent.

It was already getting dark outside. Steven hadn't received my response at all, which meant he probably had no idea I'd actually agreed.

This was bad.

I let out a breath. Since the message didn't go through, I'd just act like I never agreed. Besides, I was pretty tired anyway. Going home to rest wasn't the worst idea.

Everett was talking slowly beside me. "Rebecca, do you have plans tonight? There's something I want to tell you."

Before I could turn to look at him, I saw a familiar car parked at the school gate. Steven was standing next to it.

He actually came.

My chest squeezed. He came even without getting a response.

I turned to look at Everett. "Everett." My expression was complicated—I didn't know if it was guilt or something else. My voice dropped without meaning to.

"Everett, I promised Steven earlier that I'd go to his friend's place for dinner tonight, so you..."

Everett's previously tense brow relaxed, and his tone lightened. "That's great."

He seemed to realize that didn't sound quite right and quickly added, "I mean, it's really nice that you and my brother get along so well."

"I actually have something to do tonight anyway, so you go ahead and have fun." He kissed me lightly on the head and watched me leave.

As I walked toward Steven, he even waved at Steven.

When I stood in front of Steven again, I still felt awkward. In contrast, he looked completely at ease and politely returned Everett's gesture.

He leaned slightly closer to my ear, his voice very low. "You already told him about tonight?"

When his breath brushed past my ear, I went rigid for a second, then quickly pulled myself together.

Before I could speak, a voice came from the other side of the car.

"What are you two doing?"