Chapter 8
8
MALACHI
Three and a Half Years Later – Present Day
The intrusive sun pierced through the crack in my drapes that I’d failed to close correctly. The guys and I were spending long hours in the studio as we recorded our new album “Neon Nights,” which was due to be released the first of the year, after which we would go on tour in the spring to promote it. I was used to staying up all night and sleeping all day, but not when the sun and drapes were working against me.
Groaning, I rolled over and checked the time. I thought I still had a few hours until my alarm was set to go off, but to my surprise, I only had a few more minutes until it was time to get up. My only motivation to get out of bed was knowing Savannah Sky was coming into the studio to record a duet our label had set up for the new album.
Life had been a rollercoaster ride since winning The Band Showdown . We went from performing for small crowds in bars near our hometown, to signing with Stellar Records, recording our first single, and hearing it on the radio! The track was a hit, and that led to our first album. It had been a whirlwind of appearances on talk shows, photoshoots for magazines, and performing for thousands at events and festivals. A year after we won the competition, we were the opening act for another band, which gave us a small taste of life on the road. Now we were going to be the headliners for a tour that would take us to more than thirty cities across the US and Canada.
It was going to be epic.
And exhausting.
But so, so worth it.
The studio buzzed with activity as I stepped inside.
“Finally, you arrive, Sleeping Beauty,” Jesse greeted with a grin.
I flipped him the bird. “Not all of us have a wife who nags us to make sure we’re on time.”
Jesse and Olivia weren’t married, but they might as well have been. They’d been together for over six years, and she pretty much kept us all alive.
“Don’t be mad because you wake up alone every morning,” Jesse teased.
“That’s how I like it, thank you very much.”
“Yeah, none of us want to be tied down like you,” Silas stated, giving me a bro hug.
“Trust me, when you fuckers fall in love, you’ll understand,” Jesse retorted.
Elliott walked into the room with Savannah Sky on his heels. I’d never met Savannah before, but Stellar Records wanted us to collaborate, so here we were, recording the final song for Surrender’s album together.
“Why are we talking about love?” Silas asked.
I ignored my friends and stuck out my hand for Savannah. “Hey. I’m?—”
“Malachi Danvers,” she finished for me with a smile.
I grinned back as we shook. “Yep.”
“Are we ready to do this?” Jesse probed.
“I’m ready,” Savannah replied.
“Me too.”
We walked into the adjacent room, which was separated from where the producers sat by a large window. Our mics were already set up with the lyrics printed and placed in front of us. As the guys got ready, I took a swig of water and read the words one last time.
“Which one of you wrote this song?” Savannah asked.
All eyes were on me as I lifted my hand. “That would be me.”
“Oh wow. I love it.”
“Thanks.”
“Who’s it about?”
Him. Always him.
“No one. The words just came to me one night,” I lied.
With a nod, I indicated I was ready, and then Jesse got the signal from the producers and started to strum the melody. Silas and Elliott joined in, and when it was time, I began to sing …
“In the darkness of the night, I feel your touch
Though you’re far away, my heart hasn’t had enough
Every whisper, every sigh, I keep dreaming of being by your side
Wishing there was a way for us not to hide”
Even though I was singing about someone else, I locked eyes with Savannah. Her voice was like velvet, weaving effortlessly with mine as I poured my soul into the words. She would smile at me, and I would grin back, and at some point, I felt as though we were singing to one another. I supposed that was what was meant to happen, but I wanted it to be him .
The music faded out, and even though we’d only done one take on the song, I felt as though we’d nailed it.
“Wow, Malachi,” she breathed as she leaned in. “That was incredible.”
I could feel the heat of her breath against my skin, which sent shivers down my spine. “Thanks, Savannah,” I replied. “You were amazing too.”
She chuckled. “You flatter me. But really, your lyrics speak to something deep inside. It’s like you’re singing straight from the soul.”
I couldn’t help but be drawn to her, the way her eyes sparkled. “Well, I guess I just write what I feel,” I admitted.
Her gaze lingered on mine, her lips curving into a playful smile. “And what do you feel right now?”
I swallowed, suddenly feeling like I was caught in a whirlwind. I may have been thinking about someone else while singing, but I was still a man with needs. “Right now? I feel ... inspired. Inspired by your talent, your voice.”
Her smile widened. “Well then, I’ll take that as a compliment,” she said, leaning in closer and running her finger down my chest. “But I must admit, there’s something about you, Malachi Danvers. Something I want to get to know better.”
I looked down at her finger and then back up to her eyes. “Maybe it’s just the music bringing us together.”
Savannah laughed softly and whispered, “Or maybe it’s something more.”
“All right. If you two are done,” Jesse interrupted. “We need to re-record it.”
Once we were done, the guys and I plus Savannah decided to go out for drinks to celebrate. Savannah hadn’t stopped flirting with me all day, and if things kept going the way they were, I wasn’t going home alone after the club.
The city lights blurred as we sped toward West Hollywood. Jesse was behind the wheel of his Audi Q7 as he navigated through the streets of LA. We all decided to ride with Jesse and leave our cars at the studio for a few hours. Sandwiched between Elliott and me, Savannah’s heat pressed against me. Silas was riding shotgun.
“You guys ready to dance?” Savannah asked over the music in the car.
“Absolutely,” Elliott replied.
“And to hook up,” Silas stated.
“I’ll probably bail early and head home,” Jesse said. “Can everyone find a ride later?”
“Sure.” I waved him off. We were used to it since he tended not to spend much time away from Olivia.
Savannah leaned closer to me, her scent of jasmine and something sweet enveloping me. “I still can’t believe we nailed that song. It was amazing.”
“Yeah, it’s always incredible hearing my songs come to life.”
She flashed me a dazzling smile. “You know, I think we make a pretty good team.”
“Definitely,” I agreed, though I didn’t want to add her to Surrender any time soon. She was a solo artist, and we had our own stuff. Plus, her vibe wasn’t what we were about. She was more pop than rock.
When the car stopped outside the club, we could feel the bass pulsating through the air. Jesse turned off the engine and handed his keys to the valet. As we all stepped out onto the sidewalk, Savannah looped her arm through mine. I felt every eye on us as we walked toward the club’s entrance and inside. I also wondered if the shadows hid any paparazzi just waiting to make a buck with a photo of me with yet another woman. It seemed to be all the news outlets talked about when my picture was taken out in public. Hell, I didn’t blame them.
The dance floor was a sea of bodies, each person moving to the thumping beat. Jesse, Elliott, and Silas headed straight for the VIP section, leaving Savannah and me alone. She turned to me, her gaze locking with mine.
“Care to dance?” she asked, her voice barely audible over the music.
When I took her hand in mine, the connection sparked like wildfire. “I thought you’d never ask,” I replied, pulling her closer until our bodies were pressed together.
We danced song after song, and I leaned down and kissed her a time or two. She kissed me back, and after we were out of breath, we headed to the VIP area to join my friends.
“Got a bottle of vodka for the table,” Jesse stated. “But I need to head out.”
“We know.” I laughed.
After he said his goodbyes, Silas headed to the restroom, and I poured Savannah, Elliott, and myself a round of shots.
“You two ever have a threesome?”
I choked at Savannah’s question.
“Not with each other,” Elliott answered with a chuckle.
“Would you ever?” she pressed.
While I was into guys, no one knew still—except the ones I hooked up with who signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement and him . It was better that way because of the band. I had an image to uphold, and I wasn’t sure what would happen if someone saw me with a guy.
“I don’t need to share,” Elliott said. “A night with me, and you’ll think I have more than two hands.”
We were all laughing when Silas came back from the bathroom. He sniffed a few times, wiped his nose, and poured a shot. Elliott and I shared a look; we knew exactly what our bandmate was doing in the restroom.
“Oh my god!” Savannah shrieked before I could even think twice about what my friend had been up to.
She was holding her phone. “What?” I asked.
“Stellar Records wants me to go on tour with you guys.”
“No way,” I replied, unsure how I felt about it. However, we had cut a song together, so I supposed she could come out on stage for that one song.
“Yeah. They heard our song and loved it.”
Our song. That song will never be mine and hers.
Every song I wrote was about him .