Trust Me by Melanie Walker Page B

telling me that you play as well and that you can sing. Why don’t you ever join in?”
    I actually liked Ramey as opposed to all the other chicks my brother would bring around, with the exception of Candy. Ramey was a clinger, no doubt, but she had good intentions. No matter, I hated being put on the spot almost as much as I hated knowing my brother talked to her about me. Where was the code?
    “Really, Noah? Trust!” I said angrily and turned to follow Chad who came walking back and grabbed me around the waist.
    “Oh no you don’t, I wanna hear you jam.” He got in close and spoke into my neck in a whisper. “Nothing is sexier than a woman with a guitar and a tune. Play me something, Carrie girl.”
    Jeeze! I was almost panting! Who could say no to a request like that? Besides, he didn’t need to know that I was suddenly fantasizing about playing the guitar naked while sitting in his lap… not like it would ever happen, but still.
    Noah looked pissed as he pulled away from Ramey and I caught the end of his scolding her. “… never told you shit about my baby sis, so how the fuck do you know this shit? Are you a fucking stalker?”
    I felt bad for Ramey because Noah was drawing attention to them and I really don’t think she meant anything by it. “Noah, calm down, I’m sure she heard it in passing or something. It’s not like it’s a secret.” I brushed off the creep factor of yet another fangirl of Noah’s getting a little too nosey and strapped on the guitar. Might as well get this over with already.
    I started strumming the first few chords to ‘ Nutshell ’ by Alice in Chains and saw Noah soften immediately. Chad groaned, and Shamus and Cal both cursed.
    “Jesus, Carrie, you too?” Shamus asked with a laugh, and I knew they were referring to Noah’s die hard obsession with Alice in Chains . They had even an AIC cover band before they realized they had real raw talent.
    I laughed. “Who do you think taught me? Of course I know Alice tunes.”
    Everyone was laughing and I continued to strum the chords as all eyes fell to me. I wanted to hide under a rock, but Noah had a request. “Play some ‘ Name’ , sissy. You do it best.”
    I started strumming immediately when my eyes locked with my brother’s. I remembered the chords easily as I played through the first few bars when Shame started laughing. “You’re fucking kidding me… she looks just like him.”
    The ‘ him’ in question was Noah, and I did look like him. I had mimicked every aspect of his skills when he’d taught me to play.
    “Who chose this song, Carrie?” Chad asked me, just as captivated as Noah was when I played; only from Noah I saw pride and sentiment… from Chad I saw heat, serious heat, and it made me want to play all night.
    “Noah did.” I said and let the intro play again since everyone was talking. I just kept playing, hoping to get out of singing.
    “Noah chose a Goo Goo Dolls song?” Shame and Chad asked in unison.
    “Bullshit.” Cal yelled from back by the coolers.
    “Carrie demanded a song choice of her own when I was teaching her. I, of course, was molding the rhythm guitarist in my AIC cover band, so that was everything we were playing then. She was so sick of playing Alice, so I told her to pick a song and not bitch about it.” He laughed and chugged his beer.
    “She’s fuckin’ awesome.” Chad spoke reverently and it made my hands tremble. He took a seat behind me so that I was now sitting between his legs, his hands resting on the sides of my thighs. I could smell his cologne as it mingled perfectly with the fire smell, his beer and the rain. I could feel his breath on my neck and his closeness sent goose bumps down my arms.
    “You have no idea. Sing it, girl.” Noah said.
    I knew if I sang it I would cry. I always did. This song was a reminder of our childhood and emotionally personal for the both of us. I looked at Chad beside me. I had stopped playing when Noah was telling the story,