Page 47

Fuck.

I’m already gone for Laney.

I run a hand down my face, exhaling sharply. Lucas chuckles, shaking his head. “Yeah, you’re screwed, man.”

I groan and finish off my beer. “Yeah. No shit.”

Lucas claps me on the shoulder, his grip firm. “Then don’t fuck it up.”

I nod, the determination settling in my gut. “I don’t plan to.”

I watch the condensation bead down the side of my empty beer bottle, trying to gather my thoughts, when Lucas breaks the silence again.

“Does Laney know it’s real for you?”

The question hits harder than it should. I look up, meet his eyes, and slowly shake my head. “No.”

Lucas smirks, a knowing tilt to his mouth. “You should tell her.”

I sigh, leaning back in my chair. “I don’t want to rush her. She just got out of that mess with that prick, Randy.”

Lucas’s expression shifts instantly—his jaw tightens, and there’s pure disdain in his voice. “That wasn’t a relationship, Eddie. That was a goddamn joke. That asshole didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as her.”

I nod, my jaw clenched. “Trust me, I agree.”

Lucas sets his bottle down a little too hard. “Did you know he made her change her degree? From music to PR? Told hershe wasn’t good enough to make it.” He scoffs, anger thick in his voice. “Made her give up the thing she loved most.”

I go still. A cold, furious still. My hands clench the neck of my beer bottle and, for a second, I genuinely have to breathe through the violent surge of rage rolling through me.

“I swear to God,” I grit out, “if I ever see that prick again...”

Lucas nods grimly. “Yeah. You and me both.”

I shake my head slowly. “She has a fucking amazing voice, man.”

Lucas raises his brows. “You heard her sing?”

I glance at him, my expression softening at the memory. “Yeah. She was busking downtown. Singing one of my songs. Midnight Dune. I didn’t even recognize it at first—she made it her own. It stopped me in my tracks, man. I stood there like some starstruck idiot, just listening.”

“Why the fuck was she busking?”

I shrug. “Not sure but I have a feeling she’s broke. She was staying with her friend, Christie, after he had her fired too, so money would be my guess.”

Lucas stares at me for a second, then shakes his head. “And she never told us Randy threw her out. Got her fired. But... I guess I’m not surprised. That man was poison.”

I look out toward the horizon, the quiet of the yard wrapping around us like a blanket. “She sings to the kids on the peds ward, you know that? Sits with them, holds their hands, sings whatever they want.”

Lucas nods. “Joey talks about her all the time. Says her voice makes the pain go away.”

A soft smile tugs at my lips, something warm blooming in my chest. “She’s... she’s different, man. She’s got this light. Not just talent—heart. Soul. She’s kind in a way that feels rare. Like... she’s never been jaded, even after all the shit she’s been through.Like she’s a brand new soul. She should be selling out fucking stadiums, man.”

Lucas watches me for a long moment. Then he nods slowly. “Yeah. Sounds like you’re not just falling, man. You already did.”

I run a hand down my face and exhale. He’s right. I’ve already fallen.

And now I just have to make sure I don’t lose her before she realizes she’s mine too.

18.Laney