Chapter Fifteen
LYRIC
Three hours, two wines, four tequilas, and a J?ger bomb later—I like Dax.
In fact, I like everyone at the bar. The four of us are having the best time.
We’re laughing, talking about the flaws in our favorite television shows, and generally discussing the things we want to do in our lives but would never have the guts to actually do.
“I want to bungee jump in New Zealand,” Dax admits.
I widen my eyes in shock. “I’m surprised you haven’t bungee jumped already. You really look the type.”
He scoffs. “There’s a type?”
I roll my shoulders in a shrug. “I mean, the long hair, the surfer necklace, the rock ‘n’ roll nothing-can-touch-me vibe… yeah, you seem like a daredevil.”
He chuckles, and so does Chase. “I think you read him completely wrong, Starlight.”
I’m confused. “What? Why?”
“Dax is scared of heights.”
I gasp, turning to face him as he dips his head in agreement while Rory snickers. “No fucking way! Why the hell would you wanna bungee jump, then?”
Dax exhales. “To push my limits.” He grins. “I like living on the edge.”
Rory holds onto Dax’s arm. “I wanna get on a stage and perform a pole dancing routine,” she yells out, just as the people doing karaoke finish their song, and the room goes quiet.
Everyone turns around. Her cheeks flush crimson as the crowd bursts out cheering.
Dax dips his head, seeming impressed by her.
Rory might dress and appear innocent, but I know from spending a lot of alone time with her that the saying of ‘you have to watch out for the quiet ones’ is one hundred percent true.
Another terrible singer starts, and I cringe as Chase watches me intently. So, I turn to him. “What do you wanna do, Chase?”
He sits back in his chair, taking another drink of his soda water. “I want to get out from under my father’s grip.”
We all focus our attention on him, especially Dax, who looks like he had no idea that little tidbit was coming. “Shit, bro… that’s heavy.”
Chase clears his throat, then throws back the remnants of his soda water. Then his eyes meet mine. “Starlight, what do you want?” he asks as the drunk guy on stage completely butchers a Shawn Mendes ballad.
I glance at the stage in my drunken state. “I want to get up on stage and show these drunken fools how to really sing karaoke.”
Chase’s face lights up like I’ve said the best thing in the world. He leans in, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Well, c’mon then, let’s get you on stage. Where you’re meant to be.”
My stomach flutters. I don’t know whether it’s nerves or knowing I shouldn’t be getting up there, but I’m drunk, I don’t care, and it’s only karaoke.
What harm can one song do?
No one knows who I am.
No one besides Rory and Chase knows who my family is.
Nothing’s going to happen.
Chase drags me to the side of the stage as my stomach twists and turns. I haven’t sung in public for so long.
Crap! I think the tequila’s wearing off.
You’re just doing this for fun, Lyri.
It’s just fun.
Chase steps up with the brightest expression on his face, which relaxes me instantly as he places his hands on my shoulders. “I’m so proud of you right now, Lyri. Do you have a particular song you want to sing?”
I delve deep into his gorgeous eyes, and I know exactly what I want to sing. The words of the song will tell Chase everything I want to say to him. Everything about what I’m about to do, and also the life I want to make with him.
It’s a song that explains two things at the same time. Letting go of my past, a past where singing was my life, and holding onto Zane and what he did. But secondly, it’s all about moving forward with Chase. He’s my new home, and I need him to know that.
“ “Walking Away” by Unspoken.”
He seems to understand what I’m telling him.
That my life is with him now.
I choose him.
And I’m walking into a brighter life with him.
His hands come out, cupping either side of my face before he leans in.
His lips touch mine softly, and that spark, the same one I felt the first time he kissed me, is still there.
I moan into his mouth as his tongue dances with mine, the hint of lime from his soda is refreshing, while his hand tightens around my waist.
I want him.
I need him.
Kissing Chase is the only thing that makes me feel like the world is on its right axis.
I love my life right now.
Me… Chase… our life together, it’s so damn perfect.
Kissing him with a little buzz is even more intoxicating than I could have ever imagined.
I can’t wait to fuck him when we get home.
We haven’t had drunk sex before, so that will be something new.
I pull Chase closer, kissing him deeper, when the karaoke guy clears his throat, gaining our attention.
My damn clit is throbbing with need as I groan out my disapproval.
Chase chuckles, slowly pulling back, making us part lips.
The karaoke dude tilts his head toward the stage. “It’s your turn, love.”
I beam at Chase, then turn to leave, but he pulls me back, and our eyes lock. He stares at me. There’s something passing between us—a moment, a connection. The room vibrates with the energy surrounding us. I love you, Chase mouths.
My heart leaps into my throat, and I blink a few times.
It’s the first time either of us has mentioned the L-word.
I don’t know if it’s the buzz from the alcohol or the complete high I’m on right now, but I feel like I’m on top of the world. I love you, I mouth back.
His entire face shines so damn brightly it’s like a neon light.
Chase grips my shoulders and spins me to face the stage, pushing me toward it.
I take a deep breath. My eyes follow Chase walking to the back of the room to sit with Rory and Dax.
It’s as if my entire body’s floating above my head.
Like I’m drunk all over again just from his three little words.
The music starts, and I reach out for the microphone. My heart thumps as the bright lights make me swelter. The moment’s bittersweet, and I know in my heart this will be the very last time I perform on a stage.
My big finale.
Chase told me he loves me.
I know my life is with him now.
I’m a florist.
A girlfriend.
I have no need even to think about the performing kind of life anymore.
It’s time to say goodbye.
Just like in the song, I’m walking away from the past and into my new life.
Singing, performing—it’s all in the background.
And as I open my mouth, the words come out with so much passion, so much meaning and emotion that I know I’m doing the right thing, so I sing my little heart out.
I glance at the back of the room, seeing the pride on Chase’s face.
It fills me with warmth that I can make him look at me this way.
I’m singing the best I can for him because I know this will be the only time he sees me on stage.
The lights are glaring, and the smoke machine blasts candy-smelling smoke into the crowd, who are swaying to and fro with the music.
I’m giving it my all. The entire bar watches me with awe colored eyes.
I don’t like the attention, but I’m singing this for Chase, and the way he’s looking at me right now makes me feel like a queen.
I sing the notes with ease, and belt the lyrics out like I wrote them. The song’s perfect for me, for this moment, for my life at this point in time. I take it up a notch, putting everything I have into it while the crowd starts to cheer and react.
But then, out of the corner of my eye, I notice a man storming into the bar like he’s on a mission.
He’s pushing through everyone, causing some people to fall forward and spill their drinks.
I can’t see who he is, only that he’s definitely heading toward Chase, Dax, and Rory.
I tense but continue as I stand taller, watching while Chase tries to pull the man to the back of the room, but it doesn’t work, and the mystery man turns to face me.
It’s dark. I can’t make out his face as I sing the final verse, but I feel his presence like a pressure in the air, solid, unmoving, watching.
His arms are crossed, and his posture loosens just slightly, but mine does the exact opposite.
My spine locks up, tension creeping into my shoulders, into my throat, into every note I push out.
My voice trembles at the edges, but I force the song to its completion.
The bar erupts in applause, loud and chaotic, but all I hear is the high-pitched ringing in my ears. My heart thunders, fast and uneven, drowning out everything else. I blink hard, trying to clear the blurry edge creeping into my vision.
Who the hell is he?
My palms are damp. My breath becomes short. I stumble off the stage faster than I probably should, my legs unsteady and stiff.
Rory suddenly appears at my side like she’s been waiting for this exact moment.
“C’mon, sweets, we gotta go.” Her hand grabs mine, tugging with urgency.
But my gaze snags on the back of the room, on Chase, on Dax, and that man I still can’t see clearly.
The three of them are arguing, voices sharp and intense, bodies tight with confrontation.
Panic clutches my chest like a fist.
Nope.
Not walking away from this.
Not when something feels so off, my skin is practically crawling.
I shake Rory off, my pulse rocketing as I charge toward the back of the room. I don’t know what I’m doing. I just know I need to get closer. I need to know who that man is. And why my body is reacting like it remembers something my mind hasn’t caught up with yet.
“Lyric, please, don’t go over there,” Rory begs, her grip tightening around my arm.
But it’s too late. Something in her voice has already sunk sharp needles into my spine, turning my limbs to ice. My ears ring with phantom warning bells as I look into her eyes, wide, fearful, pleading, and suddenly I’m terrified too.
Terrified of what I’ll find.
Of what I already know.
Still, I pull away.