Chapter Ten #2
“Annie,” he says, looking straight at me. “Your guitar solo clearly caught the rest of the band off guard. It was obvious by the way they reacted that you extended it longer than expected.”
My chest tightens instantly, and I glance at Ella, who squeezes my hand harder, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip.
Yeah. I’ve screwed this.
“But,” Rob continues, and my head snaps back to him.
“What you did was electric.” I blink. “The standard of that solo? That’s up there with some of the best rock guitarists out there.
Your father’s taught you well.” Relief crashes into me so hard I almost feel dizzy.
“However,” he adds, holding up a finger.
“You need to communicate with your band before changing things up like that. It could’ve completely thrown the others off and stopped them from knowing where to come back in.
Luckily, you all know each other so well that you managed to recover seamlessly, and that’s one of the things that makes Staked special. ”
I nod quickly. “Yes, sir.”
“That said…” He glances around at all of us. “The way you work together is what makes this band special. You read each other. You move as one.”
His gaze flicks between Aston and me. “Especially you two. The connection you have on stage… it’s rare. You feed off each other in a way you can’t teach.”
My heart stutters.
I still don’t look at Aston.
“You need to lean into that,” Rob continues. “Because that chemistry? That’s what people connect to.” He pauses, glancing briefly at Dad, who gives him a small nod. And then… “Well,” Rob says, clapping his hands together lightly. “I’ve made my decision.”
The room goes completely still.
“I’m going to sign you.”
For a second…
No one moves.
No one breathes.
And then everything explodes.
Ella and I both jump to our feet, squealing as we bounce around like idiots. The rest of the band joins in, high-fiving and cheering while the room fills with laughter.
“We’re going start with a small promotional campaign,” Rob says over the noise.
“We’ll work on refining your demo so we can turn it into a full album for release.
After that, we can start talking about a tour of England…
if your parents agree. Well, except for you, Caleb.
I think you’re past parental permission. ”
Everyone laughs.
“God, I hope so,” Caleb replies, grinning as Rob pats him on the shoulder.
“Leave the logistics to me,” Rob says. “I’ll organize everything with Colt and Hux, and we’ll figure out how to get this moving properly.
This could be the start of something massive for all of you.
You’re young, talented, and you’ve got real chemistry together.
The biggest thing now is making sure you can handle the pressure that comes with this lifestyle.
That’s why we’ll start small and build from there.
” He points at us all. “I’ll be in touch soon. ” Then he holds his hand out to Caleb.
“Thank you so much, Rob,” Caleb says, stepping forward. “We won’t let you down. Right, guys?”
“No fucking way,” I say instantly. “We’re all in. One hundred percent.”
Ella, Chad, and Aston all nod in agreement.
“That’s what I like to hear,” Rob says. “Right, I’d better head home. Looks like I’ve got a lot more work coming my way now.”
“Thanks, Rob,” Dad says. “I’ll walk you out.”
They leave the room, and the second the door shuts behind them… it’s chaos.
We erupt, everyone’s talking at once, laughing, celebrating, the energy bouncing off the walls. It’s everything we’ve ever wanted, everything we’ve worked for.
Aston comes straight toward me, his face lit up, pure happiness written all over him. He wraps his arms around me without hesitation.
And for a split second… I let myself feel it.
Then reality crashes in, and I stiffen and push against his chest, breaking the hug.
Can’t he see?
Now more than ever, the band has to come first.
“Lennox, I’m just trying to be a friend,” he says, hurt flashing across his face. “What’s wrong with a simple hug?”
Before I can answer, Mum steps in, wrapping her arms around me and turning me slightly away from him. “I’m so proud of you, honey. You and Ella,” she says. I hug her tightly, maybe a little too tightly. She probably thinks it’s excitement.
It’s not.
I feel… lost.
Part of me wants to run after Aston, grab him, and tell him how much he means to me. But the other part—louder, stronger—keeps reminding me what this means.
The band.
Our future.
Everything we’ve just been given.
I don’t know how to balance it.
I don’t know how to feel both things at once.
And I hate that I pushed Aston away like that.
Friends hug—that’s normal—and it didn’t have to mean anything more.
God, I’m an idiot.
“Annie,” Mum says softly, pulling back. “There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Yeah?”
“You did amazing tonight,” she says. “But you can’t go against the band the way you did. You’re a team. You have to work together, not try to outshine each other. Do you understand?”
My shoulders drop. “Yeah… I do. I just got caught up in the moment. It felt right. I needed to get it out, and the only way I could was through my guitar.”
She smiles gently and pulls me into another hug. “You are incredibly talented,” she says. “And when you’re in that zone, it’s beautiful to watch. But if you have an idea like that, you hold onto it. You talk it through with the band after. Then you decide together if it works.”
“Okay,” I murmur. “I get it.”
She tilts my chin up slightly. “And stop overthinking yourself. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re young. Your emotions are all over the place, and things feel bigger than they are. That’s normal. It settles with time.”
I huff softly. “You know I hate waiting.”
She laughs. “I know. But this one? You don’t get a choice.”
“Great.”
She kisses my forehead. “Now go celebrate.” She heads off toward Ella, and I linger for a moment before moving over to where Caleb, Chad, Aston, Dingo, and Uncle Hux are talking.
My eyes go straight to Aston.
I need to fix this.
I need him to know I didn’t mean it like that.
I step closer—close enough that our arms brush.
Close enough that he has to feel it.
He looks down at me, confusion still sitting in his eyes.
I don’t think.
I just move.
My hand grazes his, my pinky brushing lightly against his skin. The contact sparks instantly, heat rushing through me, setting every nerve alight.
He holds my gaze for a second, then his expression hardens, and he shakes his head.
Then he pulls his hand away.
The space between us feels instant.
Sharp.
Final.
He turns and walks off without saying a word, and it is like all the air is ripped from my lungs.
And just like that…
I know.
He’s the one pulling away now.
I’ve pushed too far.
I’ve messed this up.
And somehow, in what should be the happiest moment of my life…
Is now clearly the worst.
Because this might be the end of us.
The end of Annie and Aston.