Happy Monday, everyone! ... if there is such a thing ... but now it is because I have an extra long chapter for you! Enjoy and please review! :)

"He asked you out? And you said no?" asked Alicia incredulously, talking on the phone with Carra that evening.

"Lish, I had to say no. You know that," Carra said dejectedly. She had wanted desperately to say yes, to have the opportunity to talk with Josh one-on-one.

"I would have helped if you asked!"

Carra sighed in exasperation. "I've told you, I can't do that. You know I'm not going to, so stop suggesting it!"

"I just think you're scared. You think every man is going to treat you like Richie did."

"Well … what if I am? You know how wonderful he was in the beginning. I can't make that mistake again!"

"Carra, let me go on the record as saying that I think Josh and Richie are horses of a different color. Don't ask me how I know, I just know. Keep that in mind the next time he asks you out."

"Oh, now, just how do you know there will be a next time? Nobody likes hearing the word no!"

"Like I said, I just know."

"So now you're a psychic? Are you going to change your name to Miss Cleo?"

"Scoff all you want, but I'm telling you! It's getting late, we'd better get to bed. See you in the morning!"

"See you. Don't forget my cappuccino!"

Alicia's prophesy turned out to be true. Josh did indeed ask Carra out again – to be precise, several times during the next couple of weeks, and again and again she said no. She felt guilty for seeming to blow him off, but she just couldn't bring herself to tell him her whole sordid story. He doesn't need my baggage dumped on him, she told herself.

"Well, did you explain why?" Alicia asked as the two took their lunch hour in a private practice room in a secluded hallway of the music building.

Carra looked at her friend as if she'd gone mad. "Of course not! Why would I do that?"

"Well, don't you think the poor guy deserves some explanation?" Alicia looked at Carra sternly, and Carra felt like her mother was sitting in front of her instead of her best friend. "You can't keep a secret this big forever. Eventually he'll find out one way or another. He'll probably just come out and demand to know why you've been blowing him off time after time after time."

"Well then, I'll cross that bridge if I come to it," Carra answered stubbornly.

Friday afternoon. Evening rehearsals had been cancelled for the day because of a dinner all the faculty had to attend. Josh had left when everyone else did, going back to his hotel room to shower and change clothes.

"Josh! We're headed to dinner, you coming?" Rob poked his head around the corner into Josh's room.

"Uh … no, I don't think so. I'm not hungry now, I'll just grab something later," Josh said, barely looking up. He was sprawled out on the bed, leafing through a magazine.

"Okay, if you're sure." Josh heard the door close and, finally, he was alone. After a minute, he jumped up, tossing the magazine away, too restless to lounge around the room but not interested in finding something to eat. He knew exactly what was bothering him: Carra. Specifically, why she kept refusing to go out with him. He felt like a fool every time he asked, because every time she said no. Yet when they talked, he was sure it wasn't that she didn't like him. He felt an undeniable chemistry between them. She's hiding something, he thought, not for the first time. But what in the world … He would soon go insane if he kept thinking about this, thinking about her. What I really want to do is work on my new song, he thought, wishing the hotel room was equipped with a piano. He laughed. A piano in a hotel room? That would be some hotel!

"Wait, what am I thinking?" he murmured, going to the table where he'd dropped his keys earlier. Putting on his glasses and grabbing a hoodie, he made sure he had his room key and left. He was sure of finding a piano in the recital hall where they'd been rehearsing!

It took all of about three minutes to get from the hotel to the college. Josh parked his Porsche in the closest spot he could find to the music building and got out, hoping the door would be open. He was in luck; the door swung open and he headed down the hallway toward the stage door of the recital hall. Just inside he stopped short, hearing someone playing softly. Someone beat me to it, he thought with a touch of disappointment. He turned to leave, but decided instead to wait a minute and listen. He didn't know who was playing, but their song sounded familiar. The piano stopped suddenly, and he decided to go in and see who was playing. As he crept quietly through the maze of the backstage area, the mysterious pianist began again. It was in a higher key, but after a moment he was sure it was his song 'To Where You Are.' As if on cue, a woman began to sing – he was right. He continued edging around the curtain to see who was playing, moving slowly to keep from startling her. He caught his foot on something and nearly fell – he looked down in the semidarkness to see Carra's messenger bag lying as if it had been thrown on the floor. A pair of sandals had been discarded nearby. He peeked around the corner. It was Carra, pounding away at the piano, her head tilted to one side and eyes closed, singing as if her heart was broken. Her curls were clipped haphazardly atop her head, her long white skirt spread across the piano bench out of the way of her bare feet, working the pedals. Josh looked closer – she was crying, nearly sobbing, the tears streaming down her pale cheeks as she sang and dripping puddles on her blue shirt. Josh stepped back behind the curtain, not wanting to embarrass her by catching what he was sure was meant to be a private moment. What do I do, he asked himself silently. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and have her tell him what made her so sad, why she cried and sang as if she was all alone in the world. As the song neared its end, he formed a plan. He quickly went back to the stage door, quietly opening it and letting it shut with a bang. Just as he figured, Carra abruptly stopped playing and singing. He came around the curtain, trying to act nonchalant as he said, "Oh, hey Carra! I didn't know anyone was here."

"Josh! Hey … you scared me," she said shakily, trying to dry her eyes discreetly. She looked around, wondering where she'd kicked off her sandals when she came storming in.

"Sorry," he murmured, coming to stand on the other side of the piano, facing her. "I heard you singing," he offered gently, trying not to notice her tearstained cheeks.

"Oh, you heard me?" she responded, blushing. The sight of her red face made Josh go weak in the knees. He put one hand on the piano and leaned on it casually. "That's a little embarrassing," Carra said with a laugh. "I hope I didn't butcher your song!"

"No, you were great! Where did you find it in that key?" Josh asked, coming around to sit next to her on the bench. She scooted over a bit to make room for him.

"I did it myself," she answered matter-of-factly. "I found the sheet music on the Internet, printed it off, and transposed it to a key I could sing. Well, Dr. Smallwood helped me a little."

Josh was impressed, and said so. "You sang it with so much feeling," he said carefully, not wanting to embarrass her further. "Anyone listening could have felt your pain."

She looked at him sharply. "You heard more than I thought, then. How long were you back there?"

He couldn't keep up the fib. "I heard the whole thing. I didn't want you to think I was spying on you or something."

"No … that's okay, I guess. I suppose if anyone would understand, you would."

"I would try, anyway," he said, hoping she would open up to him.

She sighed, running one hand along the bright white piano keys. "That song is really special to me. Just a couple months ago I lost my grandfather. We were very close, and he'd been there for me through … a rough time just before." She paused. "That song always makes me think of him now."

"So you sang it for him," Josh said quietly, covering her hand with his.

Carra nodded silently, looking at their hands resting atop the piano. "I knew you'd understand," she whispered, tears in her voice. Josh gently put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. They sat like that for a moment, then Carra raised her head abruptly and pulled a tissue out of her skirt pocket. Mopping her eyes, she laughed a little self-consciously.

"Sorry I used your shirt as a handkerchief," she said with a smile.

Josh smiled back. "You're welcome to cry on my shoulder anytime," he said, meaning it wholeheartedly. "Sometimes you need someone to talk to."

Carra nodded, giving him a grateful look.

"Hey, I have a question," Josh said suddenly.

"What?"

"Do you happen to know the song 'The Prayer'?"

"Yes."

"Well, I'm supposed to pick someone to sing it with me in the concert, and I was wondering if you'd like to," Josh asked almost shyly.

"Oh! Why … I'd love to!" Carra exclaimed. "I sang it in church with a friend not long ago, actually. I don't know the Italian, though," she said apologetically.

"I'll help you learn it, it's not hard," Josh offered. Suddenly his stomach growled and he realized he was starving. "Have you eaten anything yet?" he asked, sticking his neck out yet again and feeling like an idiot as he did so.

"No," Carra answered, her back to him as she put her sandals back on and gathered her bag and its contents.

"Well … would you like to go get something with me? If you don't have anything else to do, of course. I just thought since you were still here, instead of rushing off like you usually do …" Josh stopped, realizing he was rambling and giving himself a swift mental kick for it.

Carra smiled at him. "I guess I do usually rush out of here like I'm on fire," she said thoughtfully. "I have to be somewhere right at five every day, but today I didn't. I haven't had much private practice time lately, so I thought I'd stay and play a bit."

"That was my thought too. It's why I came here, actually, but I'd rather take you to dinner," he said, getting braver when she didn't immediately refuse him.

Carra paused thoughtfully. What could it hurt? she thought to herself. "Sure, dinner sounds great!"

Delighted, Josh led her out to his car and opened the door for her. She was impressed, but tried not to act stupid about it. She didn't want him thinking she was just a country bumpkin, after all. For a moment she considered why she even cared what he thought about her, but quickly pushed that thought away, determined to enjoy this, her first night out in much too long.

Over dinner, they talked like old friends, mostly about music. They shared stories about their childhood, laughing and generally enjoying each other's company very much. When they were done and Josh had insisted on paying, they headed back to the school so Carra could pick up her car. They stood together between their cars, both reluctant to end what had turned out to be the most enjoyable evening either of them had had in quite a while.

"I really should be getting home, I guess," Carra said hesitantly.

"Rehearsal's early, and I don't like getting up early!" Josh agreed with a laugh.

"Neither do I! But I, for one, will get a bad grade if I don't show up," Carra said.

"Well we can't have that, Miss James, so get yourself home and get a good night's sleep," said Josh playfully.

"Yes sir!" Carra said, saluting like a soldier. She climbed in her car, Josh holding the door for her. Before he had time to think better of it, he leaned in and brushed her lips with his in the gentlest of kisses. He straightened and smiled into her eyes.

"Good night, Carra."

"Good night," she murmured as he closed her door. She headed out of the parking lot in stunned silence, wondering if she'd dreamed that kiss. But no, she could still feel the light touch of his lips on hers. And, try as she might, she couldn't wipe the silly grin off her face.