Ruin Me

26. Impress me

"So this is where you disappear to all those times when the boys are swimming or at football?" I asked Sawyer as we walked side by side out of the piano room. Even though the sound of the piano had stopped I still felt like I was bouncing on air, a weightless quality to me. 

"Yeah," Sawyer nodded, "this or running training, I'm on the cross country team."

"Don't you ever feel left out?" I tilted my head towards him peering through my hair, I felt so much closer to him now that I understood this part of his life, "you know because Mitch, Nico and Grey all do swimming and Mitch has football but you don't do either."

"Grey's on the running team too," Sawyer said too quickly so I just gave him a pointed look and waited for him to continue, "I never really get lonely I guess, I mean the piano is big enough to count for a few people."

"Seriously," I rolled my eyes with a slight laugh, even though Sawyer didn't say a lot when he did it would always keep me guessing.

"I am being serious," Sawyer returned to his usual sincere tone, "I don't get lonely, I like the quiet time to think, it clears my mind."

"Me too," I nodded quickly, "I mean when I used to play a little it would always help me think straight and destress."

"You should keep playing then," Sawyer insisted seriously.

"No," I swatted away the idea, "I was never serious about it or any good."

"So, it's not about how good you are but how much enjoyment you get out of it, isn't that what you were telling me?" Sawyer encouraged.

"I guess," I was hesitant, playing the piano was putting myself it there, possibly to fail. Did I want to risk that?

"I'll teach you, how about that?" Sawyer posed excitedly, he looked so enthused by the idea I knew I couldn't possibly turn him down.

"Are you sure, I don't want to be a pain?"

"Absolutely, it will mean that I'm not alone while they're all at practise," Sawyer was decided, "it's a win win situation."

"Okay," I agreed, "if you insist."

"I do," Sawyer stated firmly.

"Then I guess I'm your student now," I grinned, "I want to hear more about your piano skills though so I know I've hired the right teacher, when did you start playing?"

"When I was eight," Sawyer considered, "just after I was adopted, my mom plays the piano, her whole family plays and she taught me."

"That's kind of her," I wanted to ask more about his adoption story but I didn't want to push him into saying something he wasn't ready to.

"You're thinking about something," Sawyer observed, "I can see it in your eyes."

"I guess I just liked the way you called her mom," I smiled faintly, "you seem really close with her."

"I am," Sawyer agreed, "I call her mom because she is my mom, she couldn't be a better mom."

"That's wonderful," I tilted my head back to get a better look at his content smile.