Chapter 29

Sophie appeared from the attaching hallway, looking nothing like the girl I had seen that day in that warehouse. Her raven hair piled up in a messy bun at the top of her head, tendrils falling haphazardly out of it. Large black-rimmed eyeglasses sitting solemnly at her small pointy nose. Her face is makeup-free, except for some lip-gloss on her big pouty lips.

"Hii," she said meekly with a timid smile on her face.

And just like that there was no doubt left inside of me that, 'that' girl was Lisa and she is Sophie. She was a close look-alike of her that I get duped with thinking that she was her.

Because the girl standing in front of me can never in a thousand years do something like that. Have a threesome with a room full of spectators. Hell, I am sure she is still a virgin. And now I am feeling grateful that I didn't say anything to Drake earlier.

"Hey," I said, proceeding towards her. "I'm Grace." I raised my hand for her to take.

"I'm Sophie and I know you," she said with a shy smile, "Drake talks about you a lot."

I turned to look at Drake and he was scratching his neck as his gaze roamed on anything but me.

"I guess, I'm flattered," I said to Sophie.

"You're so beautiful. Now I can see why Drake likes you so much." Her words stunned me and a shocked laugh escaped my lips. I turned to him but again he was not looking at me. Drake talks about me to his sister? That is...…not something everyone does.

Or maybe they do.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Sophie's squeal brought my attention back to her. "You've come to our house for the first time and I'm keeping you standing. Please come sit, I'll bring some coffee for you. Holy crapola! I didn't even ask you what you'll like to drink and just ordered to bring coffee for you. I'm sorry, my hospitality is not at its best. Swipe it under the rug, please. Let's start from the beginning. You just came in and gave me your name. Now I'll say, 'Come sit. What would you like to drink?'"

I looked at Drake with amusement brimming in my eyes and just as our eyes collide, we both broke into a fit of laughter.

Oh, god. Sophie is cute. There is no other word to describe this little girl, who is just a year younger than me at the most.

When I saw Sophie's cheeks turning beet-red, I controlled my amusement.

"You don't have to do anything and your hospitable skills are great. Come I'll join you in the kitchen."

She immediately smiled and bounced to the kitchen. I followed her with Drake hot on my heels.

Like every other place in this apartment, their kitchen is also very simple. Other than a microwave, coffee maker, and a fridge there isn't a single appliance. Bare countertops, old wooden cupboards with loose latches, and not a single table or chair.

I leaned against one of the countertops. Drake leaned against the one just opposite of me. I can feel his eyes on me but I refused to acknowledge it as I started talking with Sophie.

The girl is so sweet. She told me all about the local high school she is going to and also about this cute guy she has recently developed a crush on, that I might add was not something Drake liked to hear. If the sudden murdering look on his face was any sign.

But we both ignored him as she told more about this Evan guy. And after almost an hour we had moved into the living room and I had to admit that I was having a good time. Apparently like me, Sophie is also a big fan of One Direction and Kendrick. That earned another grunt from Drake.

According to him, One Direction can never know what a piece of good music is. Let alone make one. Safe to say that I and Sophie chewed his ear out for that one. You know what they say, never mess with a Directioner.

The atmosphere inside of the house was still cold, but I was not feeling it anymore. Lack of furniture or warmth doesn't bother me for the next hour as we sat on the living room couch together.

Until mother nature forced me to get up and go to the washroom.

As I came out of the washroom, something caught my eye from the ajar door of the room opposite to it. An acoustic guitar was idling next to the wall.

'Who plays guitar here?', was the first thought that came to my mind.

I looked down the hallway, Sophie and Drake were still sitting in the living room seeming to be in a very deep conversation.

Curiosity got the best of me and even though I know snooping is just a plane ticket to hell, not to mention unethical, I could not help but just do that. I will just take a look at it for a second and then come out. Or at least, that's what I said to myself.

I opened the door of what seems to be like Drake's room, if the boy shorts strewn around the room are any indication. His room is also bland with bare walls and citrusy paint. A medium-sized bed pushed in the middle of the room with a nightstand on its side and a wall closet. But the clothes thrown around the room were giving it some more life.

More than any other place in this apartment.

I took the acoustic in my hand. It is old with a few strings lose, just like the one mama had. But why does Drake have one?

From the state of the guitar, I can tell that it has not been used for a while now and it made me wonder, why keep it in the open then?

I shrugged the thought and started fixing the chords. Years of seeing mama doing that have taught me a lot about guitars. It didn't take me more than two minutes to get them all in place. I strummed the chords and an instant smile spread on my face.

"You're so full of surprises," Drake's voice made me jump a little, "You know this too?" His face was a mixture of awe and bewilderment.

"Uh, no," I said keeping the guitar back in place, "I don't know how to play this. My mom has one like this back at home. I was just passing and my eyes fell on this so I came inside in a bout of nostalgia." I smiled sheepishly at accepting that I was snooping. "My mom is a very good singer."

"And you do too?"

I scrunched my nose at that. "No. I mean, I can. I have a three-octave vocal range in lows but I don't love doing it. My mom thought," I rolled my eyes, "She has a four-octave vocal range. Highs and lows both. Her skills are insane."

Drake crossed the distance and stood next to me. "Then why didn't she approached any producer or whatever they have in the music industry."

I sighed as I said, "It's complicated."

Drake just nodded at that and I secretly felt relieved that he didn't ask any further. He picked up the acoustic in his hand as he regarded me with a mischievous gaze. "Want me to teach you how to play this?"

"You know?"

He shrugged, "Not like your mom, probably. But enough to teach you." He had a playful grin playing on his lips and maybe it was a bad time to notice. But I did, that Drake smiles a lot. Rarely, he doesn't have a smile on his face. Not like me.

"Thanks, but I'm afraid I'll have to say no to that," I said with a smile. So that he knows that it has nothing to do with him teaching me. I just don't want to do this.

Something flashed in his eyes, but it was gone as soon as it came. "Come on. You know you want to," he said, grabbing my hand and dragging me to him. "You just want me to force you a little to do that."

Say what?!

"What did you say?"

"I said, you know you want to," he repeated, "You just want me to force you a little, don't you?"

I pulled my hand from his grip and took two steps back. Anger, as I had never felt before, started rising inside me. "No, Drake. I said no because I don't want to and not because I want you to do jack shit."

My voice came out hard than I had intended it to come because something about the way he said that and the look in his eyes was making my skin crawl. I took two steps back again. My back hitting the wall.

Shit.

Drake started laughing as he threw the guitar in his hand out of his room. I gasped in surprise as I covered my mouth with one of my hands. What the hell is happening?

Drake was still laughing as I plastered myself to the wall. The same laugh that I had felt warm and soothing almost a month ago was like a bucket of water right now. My heart pounding hard and I was confused.

What was Drake doing?