Chapter 28
“WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK?!” I shouted, stomping toward the stage. The music cut out with a horrendous screech, and I heard both Nova and Ava snicker. They were sitting in some chairs at the base of the stage, watching the guys rehearse.
Asher and Kieron shared a glance as Drake and Jaxon merely grinned. “Cosette, please…” Asher began and stepped away from the microphone.
“No.” I put my finger up and crashed up the stairs. Marching straight up to him, I stopped directly in front of his chest. Looking up, I glared at him. “You idiots could’ve gotten me fired, do you not understand that?”
The other three guys slowly began walking my way.
“You still might’ve gotten me fired! How do you expect to host a family night concert if you can’t filter your language and drop the ‘f bomb’ every other sentence?” I snarled. “I can’t even wear pants unless it’s Friday, do you really think my boss would let even one swear word slide?”
“Sorry, Cosi,” Three of them whispered. However, Asher stood silently in front of me.
“What do you have to say for yourself?” I hissed and threw my hands on my hips.
He bit down on his lip for a moment and then looked over my shoulder, sheepishly. “Sorry, Princess. However, in our defense, you yourself did just yell at us using the very word you—”
“I’m not teaching at the moment, now, am I?”
“True…”
“Asher, seriously.”
His eyes snapped toward me, innocent-looking. And for whatever reason, all frustration and anger slowly slipped away.
Laughter bubbled up in my stomach as I stared at these four men, who were normally larger than life, watching me like little children who had just been scolded.
Closing my eyes, I shook my head and snorted.
“The fuck?” Kieron whispered, and my eyes snapped open as Asher shrugged his shoulders in response.
“It was kind of funny, though,” I mumbled, and the shame immediately fled their bodies.
“Seriously? You yell at us, but thought it was funny?” Drake asked, his mouth open.
I grimaced. “I mean, you still could’ve gotten me fired.”
“It’s a good thing we like you,” Jaxon grumbled, and slowly they all filtered back to their spots on stage.
Asher began to smile, his eyes locked onto me. “You mind helping Drake?” he quietly asked and lifted a hand. Placing it gently against my cheek, he pulled me forward and quickly pecked my lips.
“Not at all,” I replied with a smile.
“Missed you, Princess,” he whispered, slowly brushing some hair from my face. He slid his thumb along the rim of my glasses and then stepped completely away. Honestly, I missed him too. I missed feeling this free and like I could be whoever I wanted to be. Asher gave me that freedom.
Walking toward Drake, I spent the next hour or two helping him with the notes. His whining and complaining didn’t cease, even after he finally was able to master the part he was continually flat on.
“Come on, Cosi. Just for this one song,” he begged again.
I shook my head. “No, you’ve got this. Just don’t get too heavy on the vowel before you hit the high note. We don’t need me up there ruining the show.”
“Cosi, believe it or not—”
“No. I appreciate whatever you were going to say, but no,” I cut him off and stepped back. Drake followed me as I walked to the front of the stage, where Asher and Jaxon were laughing about something, sitting on the edge.
Setting my hand against Asher’s waist, he lifted a brow and smiled. “What’s up, Princess?”
“Try the song. Drake should be good now,” I replied, and he nodded.
“Ooorrrrrrr….” He grinned wickedly and stood up. I furrowed my brows and watched as he quickly jogged toward the row of instruments they had sitting against the back. Picking up a guitar, he snagged the microphone and walked back to me.
“Your turn,” he stated and shoved the microphone against my chest.
I shook my head, rolling my eyes. Pushing his hand away, I chuckled. “Right. You know exactly the type of music—”
He cut me off, quickly stuffing the microphone between my breasts. “Come on, you’ve got to know at least a Paramore song. Or Avril Lavigne? Maybe some Evanescence? I can imagine Sydney listening to that kind of stuff when you guys were growing up.”
I narrowed my gaze and slowly pulled the microphone out from my dress. “I don’t know, Asher. It’s been a long time, and my style isn’t exactly cohesive with that.”
He rolled his eyes as Drake strummed his guitar. The sound reverberated around the stadium, Kieron’s drums echoing with it. They paused as Asher turned his electric guitar on and Jaxon adjusted his bass.
“Just remember some of the things I taught you, and you’ll be fine. You’re talented,” Asher said, stepping away from me. I took a deep breath and placed the microphone in the stand.
“No,” I whispered. “Thank you, though.”
I walked around the microphone stand, ready to jump down from the stage.
“Cosi,” Kieron shouted.
“We need a break from our stuff, and you deserve to have a little spotlight fun too!” Drake added, and I knew that his comment was because I already turned him down on everything else he’d asked.
“Come on, Princess,” Asher seductively said, lowering his voice. I slowly turned around and lifted my gaze to meet his. My heart raced in my chest as I glanced at the lone microphone, waiting. It had been such a long time since I’d sung front and center. And the last time wasn’t something for fun.
Honestly, other than playing the piano the night of my birthday, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d played music just to play music. It was always about the next composition, the next paycheck for my parents. The next major hit from Duvaldi that was supposed to rock the classical world.
The last time I’d sung just to sing was probably around the time I’d met Sydney. And even then, I’d always remained fairly quiet to try and make sure she never noticed. Though I wondered now if it wouldn’t have mattered because she probably wouldn’t have noticed regardless.
One song, completely different from my classical stuff, wouldn’t hurt.
I honestly wanted to put my new skills to the test. And in what better way than singing a classic that Sydney had forced me to listen to all during junior high.
I’d never bothered to learn artist names or song titles, but I couldn’t lie that the change of melody was often refreshing.
“Okay, one song,” I finally said and walked back to the microphone.
“If you don’t know the lyrics, Ava and Nova got you.
” Asher nodded toward the two girls sitting directly below me.
They were holding up an iPad together, lyrics ready on their screen for Paramore’s “Misery Business”.
I had no idea what song that was, but I hoped I’d recognize it once the guys started playing.
And they began. (12) The moment the first strum came on the guitar, I knew exactly what the song was. It had been years and years since I’d heard it, but it was like muscle memory, and the words began coming from my mouth. The notes sliding off my tongue with perfection. Almost.
I let go. Instead of forcing myself to be exact with everything, I simply let myself feel the music.
Asher danced up beside me, strumming on his guitar. It was unusual to see him not singing, but I quite enjoyed it. He headbanged beside me while I belted the words. Every fiber in my being transported to a different world.
It felt so good. And he leaned up against the side of me as we hit the bridge and then flew away with the solo. The way his fingers worked across the guitar strings, I desperately watched, wanting them back on my body.
He was exactly what I needed. What I wanted. Coming at the perfect time. Coming out of nowhere, and I was a little upset that I’d fought it for so long.
Singing the last word, I gripped the microphone tightly as my breathing came in sporadic bursts.
My eyes remained fixed on the empty seats in the back, adrenaline coursing through my veins.
I wondered if this was what they felt, times ten, when there was a crowd supporting them.
I’d never had this kind of rush before, the anonymity of my choices causing that.
I didn’t regret it, but at the same time, maybe there was an upside to concerts that I’d missed.
A hand slipped around my waist, and a body pressed against my back. I closed my eyes as Asher pulled me into his embrace. Fingers traced across my chest, holding me tightly as tears slid down my cheeks.
Not tears of anger or frustration, but from everything I’d been holding onto. Everything over the past fifteen years that I’d bottled up. It was a release of every ounce of grief, stress, and even happiness that I’d experienced in the shadows of the world.
It was almost as if I were mourning a life that I no longer wanted to live.
It was time to move forward, step in a new direction.
It was time to finally let myself have the life I had never dared to admit I wanted.
A life free of being responsible for something an eleven-year-old should’ve never been burdened with.
While I knew I’d continued to compose my music, I didn’t feel the same pressure to be exactly what everyone else wanted. I could make art my way again.
As I opened my eyes, Asher pressed his lips against my neck and then whispered, “One more?”
I nodded, and he patted my bum before stepping away.
Swinging the guitar back around to the front of his body, he nodded at the guys and strummed the first chord to Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi”.
(13) This one I knew as well; Sydney had been obsessed with it at the time while she’d also been into a skater boy.
Kieron trilled on his drums, and they were off. I belted out into the microphone, grinning. Even joining in on the jamming on stage. Drake and Jaxon both came and danced beside me, leaning back against each other as Asher flipped them off and then continued to strum.
This was amazing. Absolutely perfect. Ava and Nova were no longer holding the lyrics up; they’d abandoned that long ago and rushed up on stage. Pulling my hair from the bun, I let the locks drape around my shoulders and continued to sing. Nova and Ava jumped up and down beside me.
As my eyes drifted to meet Asher’s, he winked, stuck his tongue out, and continued to rock out on his guitar. Maybe for him, it was fun to have a moment not singing as well. It definitely would give his voice a break after all the rehearsing.
The last few notes played, all too soon, and then the stadium became silent.
Only for a moment before Nova and Ava squealed.
They crashed into me, gushing about how fun and incredible that was.
I looked at both of them in a little bit of awe.
They’d only just met me, yet here they were, asking nothing of me but supporting me.
Even telling me how amazing my voice was.
Asking when we could have a girls’ night. Making sure it fit my schedule, too, since they knew I taught school.
They genuinely seemed to care about me without needing anything but my presence.
I glanced over Ava’s shoulder and found Asher with the guys talking. He lifted his gaze and smiled. It was a simple smile, but one that told me I’d found home. I’d found the place that I was meant to be, with the people that I was truly meant to be with.
“I’m hungry,” Ava said, pulling away to whine to her boyfriend. Jaxon chuckled, lifting a brow at the rest of the boys.
“What time is it?” I asked, and Nova glanced at her watch.
“Almost six.”
“Shit, I should probably get home.” I quickly rushed around the girls.
I could only imagine what Sydney was going to say when I got home.
Not only had I told her I wouldn’t be picking her up last night, now it was nearly six in the evening, and I still wasn’t home.
The butt chewing I was about to receive was something that even with my creative mind, I couldn’t fathom.
And the excuses I would have to come up with.
Asher pulled the guitar strap over his head and quickly handed it to Drake, jogging to meet me at the stairs. “You’re not staying tonight with me?” he asked, cutting me off.
I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth. “I want to, but Sydney. After last night…” My voice trailed off, and he took a deep breath. Running his tattooed fingers through his hair, he nodded.
“I get it,” he muttered, clearly disappointed.
“I’m sorry.” I threw my gaze to the ground.
“Really, Princess. I understand. Even if it fucking sucks.” He kissed my forehead. “Let me walk you to your car.”
Stepping forward, I threw my arms around his waist. He stiffened beneath my blatantly open gesture of affection and then melted around me.
Holding me tightly, he rested his chin against the top of my head as I buried my face against his chest. I wanted just one more minute with him.
One more blissful second spent where I was totally me.