Before the Fall

“Tomorrow I’ve got class,” Nace said to Faye as they got ready to go to sleep. Faye felt her heart sink. She would never admit it to him, but she’d been counting on him for something to do. She didn’t have any other allies here.

“Oh, that’s alright. I’ll just do a little exploring. That library of yours is so impressive. I can hardly believe all of the books! And of course, there’s your pool. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” she assured herself.

“I don’t want you swimming without telling someone, though. Just be sure to let Susan, our maid know. She’ll check on you every few minutes to make sure you’re alright. If you drown…” Faye snorted.

“Come on, be serious. I’ll be fine, Nace.”

‘Faye, promise me,” he demanded.

“Fine. I promise,” she grumbled, and rolled over so she couldn’t see him. He took that as a sign that it was time to actually get some sleep.

That morning, Faye woke up to find herself alone, which made her sadder than it should have. In those two days, she’d grown used to his companionship. But she smiled when she found a note on his pillow, which read, ‘Don’t forget your promise, Faye. I’ll know. I‘ll be back around two. - Nace.’

She glanced at the clock and frowned again. It was only ten. What to do? She thought about swimming, but she really didn’t want to bother Susan. That would just be embarrassing and unnecessary. If the promise had been extracted by any other teenage boy, she would have thought that it was with a mind to make sure she didn't swim without him there so that he wouldn't miss seeing her in a bikini. But this was Nace. He cared.

Knowing that made her glow a little.

She got dressed in a spring green summer dress, brushing her hair forty nine times and taking her normal seven minutes to apply subtle makeup. She tied a white bow in her hair as a headband and went exploring.

She stumbled on a music studio that she vaguely remembered from her tour two days ago. In it were a piano, a guitar, drums, expensive equipment, and a perfectly aged, perfectly restored violin. While Faye could play any of these, it was the violin that called to her.

She picked it up and started playing the first melody that came to mind, a haunting one she’d composed herself. The violin’s sound better than she had imagined, but the song itself made her sad. She finished it, and moved on to the piano. At first, she just picked through a couple of simple songs, but then she started seriously playing.

Music had been an indulgence of hers in high school. It was just another thing that her parents might be impressed by. They never were, of course, but she didn’t mind, for once. In music, she’d found something that she’d never had before. Complete inner peace, free expression. She normally held so much of her emotion in, it was wonderful to have a release.

This was where Nace found her three hours later when he got home. He never would have thought to look for her there, except he could here her playing and her lovely voice singing along. He stood wordlessly in the doorway, not wanting to disturb her and especially not wanting her to stop playing.

When the song finished, as it was bound to, Nace applauded. Faye looked at him, shock dancing across her pretty features. And, though he couldn’t tell, her heart raced in her chest. “I didn’t realize you were there.”

He walked into the room, putting his hands on her shoulders when she tried to get up. “Play another. Please,” he whispered. She looked up at him, studying his eyes to make sure that he was serious, and slowly nodded.

But she stood up and went over to the violin and played for him the same melody she’d warmed up with. She didn’t know why- Faye had never even shown this one to Logan, for all he was her best friend. It was the most private thing she had, more so even than her diary. There were tears in her eyes when she finished, and she didn’t bother to hide them.

“I’ve never heard that one before,” Nace whispered, crouching in front of her and wiping the tears off of her cheeks. “You wrote it,” he said- a statement, not a question. She nodded, anyway. “It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.” He meant it, too. It spoke of a deep pain and it made him wonder even more about her. What could make someone hurt like that?

“You want to tell me about it?” Nace offered. She studied his face, and took comfort in the fact that he was genuinely offering. That would have to be enough for now.

“No, I’m alright. And getting better every day. Let’s do something.” Faye stood and he stood with her.

“What did you have in mind?” Nace asked.

“I was thinking that I’d like to go swimming, seeing as I couldn’t earlier,” Faye said, shooting him a look that was half amused, half serious.

“You could have! Just not without telling Susan.”

“No, thank you,” Faye said decisively. She headed towards their bedroom- she could comfortably think of it that way now- and raced him to the bathroom. When Faye slammed it shut, she heard him complaining through the door.

“But girls take forever to change!” She would have swatted at him for that, if she wasn’t already stripping out of her clothes. Faye would just have to settle for proving him wrong.

When she stepped out of the bathroom less than a minute later, Nace was floored- and not just because he’d been proven wrong. If Nace had been taken with her appearance before, it was nothing compared to now. She was slim and lovely and… radiant.

And looking at her made him want things that were out of the question.

She stuck out her tongue at him, and shoved him into the bathroom. “Come on! I want to swim!”