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“Whatever Thorne, lie to yourself.” Josh huffs.

I look at my phone for the time, anything to get me out of this situation.

“I have practice in twenty minutes, and I have to get this damn book first, or Mathias will be on my ass again.”

“Ahhh practice with your partner… oh no, your bookstore business partner.” Marco mocks.

“With my music duet partner,” I correct him. “Who happens to be Vance. Who I am also helping with her bookstore. Because I can..”

“Right.” Josh nods slowly. “And is your duet partner also the reason you have not been to Stave in over a week and the reason you turned down Nancy?”

I say nothing.

As well as my directness, Josh also knows what my silence means. Which right now is the more inconvenient part.

“Julian.” His voice drops, low enough so that it doesn’t echo in the corridor. “Are you actually… is this actually a thing? With Vance?”

“It is not a ‘thing.’ It is a duet for the showcase,” I reply. Again, technicalities. “That is the entire context.”

“The entire context,” Marco replies drily, shaking his head. “What the fuck are you on about, man?”

He breaks out into a laugh, thoroughly enjoying my inability to speak like a normal human being.

“So you have not—” Josh starts, narrowing his eyes.

“No.” I shut him down before he can finish.

“But you want to—” Josh searches my face.

“I did not say that,” I declare, speeding up my stride towards the library doors.

“You didn't say no, either.” Marco shrugs.

“I—” Nothing. I don't have a response.

“You’re a terrible liar, Thorne. You’ve got it bad when it comes to her.” Marco chuckles. “Why can’t you admit it?”

I stare straight ahead at the library doors. For once I am desperate to get inside the unbearable tomb, and shut myself away from all of the interrogations.

“I’m going to get my book,” I mutter.

“He’s definitely slept with her,” Marco whispers loudly to Josh.

“She is my duet partner,” I declare. “We have a good working relationship. I am also helping her family with something because I can. That is all it is.”

“A good working relationship? Why the fuck are you talking like this?” Josh sneers. “Six weeks ago you would have rather walked into traffic than share a practice room with her.”

“People change.”

“I don’t buy it. Not like this.” Josh crosses his arms. “Julian. I have known you for over five years. Whatever this is—you saying you are only duet partners, and that you have a good working relationship with the girl you spent a year calling Bow-Peep in the most aggressively patronising tone. You expect me to believe that?”

“Julian Thorne doesn’t change that quickly,” Marco declares.

“Yeah, people don’t change that fast. Especially you.” Josh backs the statement.

“The Nocturne is coming together,” I repeat. “We are on track. That is all. Any other questions?”

Marco grins. “About a hundred.”