Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 60750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60750 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
“Please tell me you’re listening to that,” I whisper to Alyssa.
And she whispers right back, “I hear it…but I don’t think…I don’t know what to make of it—”
“It’s a break-up anthem,” I reply. “It’s a pop song with a driving beat, the kind of thing people would blast in the car after having their hearts totally obliterated but they still think it was for the best.”
“You’re really able to get all of that from a couple fighting on the street?”
As the couple continue their argument, I raise my fingers in the air between us, pretending to stroke invisible keys on an imaginary piano. As another pot clangs against the pavement, I subtly start to hum a melody, one that matches the tone of the heated conversation playing out. A few seconds later, and I hum the melody a little bit louder.
And when I look up from the keys that aren’t there, I watch as Alyssa begins to sway to the melody, every so often adding in a note or two of her own, even ad-libbing a few lyrics to match the song I’m making up on the spot.
♫ There’s no coming back from this ♫
♫ You pushed me off the edge of a cliff ♫
♫ So, take all of your shit ♫
♫ Because I’m done with taking it ♫
As the argument ends, I move my hands away from the imaginary keyboard, now smiling over at her. I can’t help but be impressed by her, her willingness to go along with my off-kilter methods of song construction, her ability to create something out of nothing like it’s second nature to her.
“Shit! That was going so good!” Alyssa whines, before she chuckles. “I mean, it was going good for us, not so much for Clarita and Raymond. I’m pretty sure she’s going to murder him by the end of the night.”
Alyssa then stares back at me, and there’s a subtle magic that passes between us, the same kind that was in the air after the night of our first concert as a band. We don’t say a word to each other, Alyssa gazing into my eyes, her lips parted like she wants to say something.
Or like she’s waiting for me to kiss her.
“We should probably head back to the studio.” I purposely interrupt the moment, even though every part of me wants to give her exactly what she wants. “Just to jot everything down.”
“Right. Of course.” She nods, her gaze still lingering on my own. “Let’s head back.”
Chapter 14
Alyssa
“You’re not going to leave me, right?” I ask from the other side of the black SUV. I’m all decked out in a silver, shimmering dress, one that features the lowest chest cut-out I’ve ever worn. The outfit is made even more glamorous by the diamond necklace that’s resting against my skin, and the uber-expensive makeup decorating my face.
Typically, if I were dressed up like this, I would’ve borrowed every ounce of it from Marina’s closet. But this time, everything came to me courtesy of the record label, with Gregory stating that Hollywood designers love being the one to dress the next big thing. And since the label’s been promoting me as the next big thing, that means that I’m going to be a walking, talking billboard for other people’s designs for however long this adventure lasts.
Thankfully, Gregory seems to have some respect for my general aesthetic, which is the only reason I’m wearing custom-made sneakers tonight instead of another pair of uncomfortable heels.
“I’m not going to leave you, babe,” Marina says matter-of-factly from the other side of the car, a wide grin on her face. It’s not reassuring at all. “What do you think is going to happen? We’re going to show up at this party and I’m going to run off to the bathroom with the first rock star who asks?”
I quietly groan at the mention of the party. It’s been messing with my nerves all week, thinking about showing up to this event, knowing that there’s going to be cameras flashing and more famous musicians in one room than I can probably count. I didn’t even know label-sponsored parties were going to be part of my schedule as an artist, but when Gregory announced it to the band while we were mid-recording, I realized that my attendance was less of an invitation and more of a requirement.
Rhys and Van didn’t seem as thrown off by the invitation though, which sort of helped with my own anxiety. Both of them were talking it down, as if they were trying to get me to see it more like I was showing up to a party with potential friends instead of sharks circling in the water. Next big thing? All I can picture is people looking for the next big story, waiting to see if the new girl is going to fall on her face or say something that goes viral the next day for all the wrong reasons.