AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sure.” She pushed herself up from the floor but never took her eyes off the paper.
“What are you working on?”
“New idea,” she answered. “Not for this album. It’s not ready yet.”
“Want to share? You’ve been a little close to the vest lately.”
Lauren knew he meant she was withdrawing, like she had when her affair with Danny ended. He wasn’t wrong. After that last night, Lauren had pulled back from the band a little. But it wasn’t the dark morass of pain it had been before. It was a mixture of guilt and sadness, and of finality. She’d felt the band’s attention, but they gave her space.
She only answered Augie’s overt question. “It needs work, but this is what I’m messing with: I wander the halls of this broken old house, looking for a ghost I have to set free. Cold winds blow and sweep clean my heart as the love we shared falls, leaves to the ground. One last time, I had to know, I said I loved you years ago, but now it slips away.” She stopped, made a face, and passed judgment. “There’s something there, but I haven’t quite caught it yet. What do you think?”
“Good start. I like the concept,” Augie said. “So did you?”
“Did I what?”
“Set the ghost free?”
Lauren stopped, her words catching in her throat. She swallowed hard. “I did. I had to say one final goodbye, but I did.”
That was as close as Lauren was going to come to confessing her sins to Augie. What she and Danny had done that summer—and that last night in October—were her memories and her regrets. No one else could carry them for her.
“You okay with that?” He leaned against the doorframe, thumbs hooked in the pockets of his jeans.
Lauren searched her cousin’s face. She saw nothing but care and concern. “I am. Once upon a time it worked, and I’ll always have that. It’s part of who I am, and I’m grateful for that. But I need to write a different happy ending for myself. And it’s not with Danny.” She gave Augie’s shoulder a squeeze as she slipped past him.
The next day was another busy day for the band. Lauren excused herself from the studio to take a call, and when she came back, DJ was at the piano. Fitz was recording whatever it was, so she hung back, closed her eyes, and just listened. DJ leaned into a distinct, melancholic instrumental melody and then began to sing. His soft, warm voice had a full timbre, and his lyrics gave her chills. He sang about saying things he regretted, about leaving when he should have stayed.
“… with all we’ve been through, I just think of how empty my life would be without you…”
When he got to the end of the first chorus, Ox let out a low whistle. Next to him, Augie was nodding in agreement—he also knew great when he heard it.
“Well? What do you think?” DJ grabbed a bottle of water, cracked the cap, and took a drink. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Amazing,” Lauren said. “When did you come up with that?”
“Not long after the day we all showed up at your place,” he answered.
“Ah. Well, it needs to be on the album.”
DJ looked genuinely surprised as the others echoed Lauren’s comments.
Fitz grinned. “Tha lot of you are killin’ me. First you get shite done for months and almost give me a bloody coronary. Now? There’s no end in sight. Not tha I’m complainin’, mind you. But tha record company is screaming for tha masters. Tha production house is screaming for tha masters. We’ll get the digital files done, but at this rate, the CDs won’t ship before the holiday. Now you want to add this one?”
“Can we make it happen?” Augie asked.
Fitz answered with a nod and a hearty, humor-filled laugh. “It’s a damn good song, and with DJ singing? Tha’s a bonus. But no more. We’re out o’ time—and out o’ room on the album. And I need you ta get this one recorded right when we get back from Thanksgiving. Otherwise, we won’t make tha deadline, and I’ve already pushed it out twice. Do no’ make a liar out of me!”
They spent the rest of the day finishing up two of the other songs, and by the time dinner rolled around, Fitz was able to check them both off as complete. Lauren glanced at the wall as they gathered up their things. It was where Fitz had stuck the article about the band being washed up. Lauren had put a second one up, one that also claimed The Kingmakers were finished and out of original ideas. For a while, both had made her feel defeated and sad. Lately, they just made her angry, and she made a silent promise to herself that they’d eat their words.
But there was still a lot of work to do before they could deliver the album, and not much time left to do it. They were starting the tour in the middle of January with a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. Then it would be off to Boston and then to California. The rest of the U.S. and Canada would follow, and then they’d hit Europe, Asia, and South America.
“And you.” Fitz pointed at Lauren. “Brilliant bloody work, but any new ideas go on tha next album. You’ve got ta promise me that. Goes for you, too, DJ. Great surprise today but save any others for tha next act. Now, go enjoy your holiday.”
Lauren dawdled while the others left. DJ and Ox had planes to catch, and Stevie was headed to meet up with Gabby’s family in Maryland. Out in the Velocity parking lot, Augie was fussing with his car, and she knew he was waiting for her.
“Haven’t changed your mind?” he asked.
“No.”
