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Story: Ember

“‘Echoes in Stone,’” I said. “Or ‘Breathe Beneath the Earth,’ that got a lot of radio play. Also ‘Dust and Desire.’”

“I love those songs.” Alejandro looked at Rian, impressed. “Very talented.”

Rian gave me a sheepish look. “You know my discography better than me.”

“Of course I do.From Asheswas my entire life.”

“It was,” West said. “She played the entire thing over and over, for months.”

“Sorry, friend.” Rian clapped him on the shoulder. “I could have done better.”

“It’s a flawless album,” West said. “I just like variety once in a while.”

“Not when the part that hurts me didn’t hurt me enough the first time,” I said. “Then we have to listen to it again.”

“You put ‘Roses and Ruin’ in every single playlist you make,” West pointed out. “Even the ones that are supposed to be bubblegum pop for cleaning the house.”

“Sometimes you need something to bring the mood down a bit,” Ben said.

“Exactly,” I said, brushing my hand down his arm. “Thank you. Listen to the sound producer; it’s his literal job.”

“He plays around with mixes. Don’t be too impressed.” Rian came over to give Ben a quick kiss. “It’s like a kid in the candy store, if the candy store had faders.”

“Guilty.” Ben put his arm around my waist. My omega instincts wanted to clap and sing at having them so nearby.Fucking finally.

The conversation switched over to music, and I was glad we managed to share personal info without being forced to open up about all the horrible crap we’d been through. Rian obviously had issues with music, and I wished I knew what it was, but he would tell me in time.

Or not. I wasn’t exactly eager to tell them all my parents died in a plane crash I’d barely survived. They wouldn’t judge me, but they would look at me differently.

Alejandro put the chicken and veggies into a frying pan.

“We’re having chicken fajitas.” I raised my hand like I was on a game show. Being in the kitchen cooking with these men was making me happier than I’d been in a chocolate store. Like everything inside me was champagne and starlight, bubbly and bright.

“So close, mi vida.” Alejandro pulled some mirin and soy sauce out. “So close.”

“Stir fry,” West said, pumping his fist in the air.

“Oh, sure, now you guess,” I grumbled. “Waited until the sauces came out. That’s cheating.”

Juliet Vale’s “Half of a Heartbeat” came on over the speakers and I squealed. “Oh my god, yes, this is my jam.”

“You have a lot of jams,” Rian said. His hair was falling out of its manbun and I wanted to play with it so badly. I resisted, valiantly.

“Lucky for you,” I snarked back. I turned to Ben. “Let’s dance.”

“You get to lead,” he said, looking delighted.

I started singing along. “Half of a Heartbeat”was on a ton of my playlists, and it was the perfect sing-along song. It was bawdy and loud, with a thumping beat and lyrics about love being her drug.

I scooted in close to Ben, not quite touching him except for my arms around him, rocking my hips back and forth. I wasn’t trying to be sultry, but the beat and the lyrics made me want to shimmy.

“We’re going to be doing more than dancing if you keep that up,” Ben said, his hands on my waist. He moved with me.

I shivered, singing along, emotion welling up inside me. I was so happy, so content. Everything was perfect, and the best way to express this was through song.

I wanted their scents on me, and as I sang, I shuffled us closer to Rian. “Passing you to your omega,” I told Ben, putting Rian’s hands on Ben.

I switched to West, who immediately matched my movements. We’d had a dance party that turned into a fuck party more times than not and he knew each movement I was about to make. He sang along with the chorus when the song repeated, “Drunk on the rush, high on the pain.”