Page 14 of Lyric & the Heartbeats

“It’s my job.”

“Oh, hush,” she called out from the kitchen. “I know you loved listening to them too.”

When she entered the living room again, Andi was standing with her tote resting in the couch cushion, a weepy smile on her lips.

“No,” Lyric scolded. “No crying.”

“Aw, but I am anyway.” She sniffed. “You’re going on your first tour. I’m so proud of you.”

Lyric tried to run, but the beta grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into a hug. “You’re gonna do awesome, and don’t worry about the bassists. If none of them fit, we’ll scour the country if we have to. We’ll find someone.”

Lyric returned the hug gently. “Okay. Okay, you’re right. Thank you.”

“Love you, girl. I’ll pick you up for the second round, but I know I’ll talk to you before then.”

Andi gave her another rib crushing squeeze before releasing her and grabbing her bag. “Toodles!”

Lyric couldn’t help but laugh as she finger waved over her shoulder. “Toodles, bitch,” she called out as she opened the door.

After locking up behind her, Lyric collapsed on the couch and stacked the applications into a neat pile before sliding them into a folder and throwing them back in her tote bag.

She tried to listen to Andi, tried not to focus on the empty position of the bassist, but she couldn’t help it.

When she envisioned herself on stage, lights gleaming down and warming her skin as she stared out into the crowd, it was easy to imagine those beside her.

She tried not to be biased, but Nohen was there to her right, guitar clutched in hand with a friendly, open smile on his face as he played along. Behind her, lifted up on a raised stage, was Desi, bashing the drums to pieces with her passion. And on the keys, shrouded in mystery and hiding from the limelight, was Adra.

She’d only seen them perform once, and heard their voices a handful of times, but she just had this hunch. In her gut, in her chest. That they were… right.

But to her left, when she looked over, she couldn’t imagine any of the applicants who she’d chosen to see again.

“That’s what the second round is for,” she reminded herself, blinking her eyes open.

The stage disappeared, and with it, her mismatched band. She sighed. Hopefully, she’d click with someone on the second round. To fill the last empty space. The missing piece.

Because if not?

She didn’t know where else to look.

“There he is,” Adra announced, grabbing another mug and directing the mouth of the carafe into the empty porcelain. “Have fun?”

“Hey, Odd,” Emerson greeted, wiping at his eyes as he locked the door behind him. “Long couple of nights. After the set, I ended up playing at Damon’s house really late, crashed there. Then we jammed all day yesterday. Didn’t realize what time it was and didn’t want to wake you up.”

The thoughtfulness of his roommate would never cease to amaze him. He slid the steaming mug of black coffee across their chipped counter to his roomie. “I appreciate that. I’ve been stressing about—”

“The audition. I know. Speaking of, you won’t believe who was at the club for my set.” He gripped the mug with both hands and brought it to his lips. Adra waited patiently. Emerson didn’t usually remember that many words of the English language before his kickstart of caffeine.

“Who?” he prompted, glancing at the clock as he sipped his own doctored coffee.

“Miss Lyric Ceran herself.”

Adra’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”

I knew I should’ve gone to see him play.

But he’d been too busy practicing his own music, preparing for the second round of auditions.

“Nope. She was there with some girl. Purple hair, lots of piercings.”