Page 59 of Fame & Rhythm

I shake my head. “Fine! I’m sorry. But you have to admit the new solo is better than the old one. Right?”

He rolls his eyes but agrees. “Yeah, but you should run it by us first. We’re a band. We work as a unit. Don’t pull that shit again live.”

I slump slightly. “Okay… fine, Dad.”

“Call me whatever you want. Just be smart about this—”

“You calling me dumb?”

“No. We’ve had this conversation before. You’re not dumb. You just let your impulses take over. Stop acting like nothing matters and start thinking about the bigger picture. What you do affects everyone.”

I don’t need to look far to know he’s right.

Aston’s still sitting there, quiet and distant.

I could get defensive, snap back, make this a whole thing, but that’s exactly what Caleb’s talking about.

“Okay… I’ll do better,” I murmur.

The excitement from earlier fades, replaced by a heavy knot in my chest. All I can think about is Aston, and how badly I’ve messed this up. When I brushed my pinky against his hand before, I thought he might hold it.

Instead, he pulled away.

“Okay, now that’s out of the way,” Caleb says, clapping his hands lightly. “If we go on tour, we can’t let the fame go to our heads. We’re family. That comes first. If anything’s wrong, talk to me, or someone who can talk to me. I’ve got your back. Always.”

Even when he’s being a pain, Caleb means well.

“Thanks, Caleb,” Ella says.

“Yeah, thanks, man,” Chad adds.

Aston and I stay silent. I glance at him again, and he looks as miserable as I feel. I just don’t know how to fix this.

Caleb and Chad start talking again, laughing, the mood lifting around them, but I feel stuck outside of it, watching from a distance. Even from a few feet away, I feel Aston. That familiar pull, like something under my skin reacting every time he shifts.

I stand and walk over to my phone, scrolling through Instagram to give myself something else to focus on. Anything other than the mess I’ve made.

“Hey, are you okay?” Ella asks softly, stepping up beside me.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I reply.

She rests a hand on my shoulder, but I barely register it. My eyes drift straight back to Aston.

He’s with the guys, but not really there.

And he won’t look at me.

A sharp panic hits.

What if he never talks to me again?

What if I’ve completely ruined this?

I bite my lip, trying to steady myself, but it doesn’t help.

Ella pulls me into a hug, but I don’t respond because I can’t stop staring at him.

A sob slips out before I can catch it.