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At the sound of Liam’s voice, Asher nodded. Then he turned and found his friend standing near the trash can, hands in the pockets of his expensive shorts.

Asher balled up the paper towel and tossed it into the trash. It banked off the lip and bounced onto the floor, next to Liam’s deck shoe. “I’m fine.”

Liam snatched it and threw it away. Then he tucked his hands under his arms and leaned a shoulder against the doorway. “You don’t look so hot.”

“Something must not have agreed with me.” Asher shrugged and darted a glance toward the door. “Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t fix.”

Yeah, when was the last time he’d had one of those?

Liam continued to watch him, his brows furrowed. “If you say so. You seemed fine until a few minutes ago. Now Dani’s acting strange.”

“Strange? What do you mean?”

Liam lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. We were having a good time, then things got weird.” He paused and his face scrunched. “As soon as that song came on…You know the one. What’s the name?—that one that Phoenix sang.”

“Dark Side of Midnight.” The words sounded a bit strangled as Asher spit them out.

Liam snapped his fingers, then pointed at Asher. “Yes, that’s it. It was almost as if Dani couldn’t turn it off fast enough. We’d just listened to it a couple of days ago, and she knew how much I liked it.”

Asher tuned out Liam’s words as memories surfaced of writing his final song with Jared. Asher had sat at the baby grand at his flat in London, plinking out notes as Jared laid upside down on Asher’s designer couch, his bare feet crossed on top of the back. Jared started singing words as Asher tapped the keys to eke out a few notes to match the lyrics. Then he’d left the piano bench, picked up his black and white electric Fender Stratocaster plugged into the Marshall amp, strummed a few chords, and allowed the music to speak to him.

Their last night together before flying back to the states for the final leg of the Dark Side of Midnight tour that stole Jared’s life and ended Asher’s career.

“Dude, you zoning out on me?”

Asher blinked several times as Liam’s concerned face came into focus. “Sorry, man. Just not myself right now.”

Liam laughed, the sound echoing off the tile walls. “I guess not. I was going on and on about this song, and your eyes glazed over. Sorry about that.”

Shaking his head, Asher waved away the guy’s words. “Don’t worry about it.”

The windowless room with its sickly yellow lighting and blue walls felt as if it was closing in on him. Asher removed his ball cap, dragged a hand over his hair, settled the hat backward on his head, then edged toward the door. As he turned, Liam sucked in a breath.

Asher’s head jerked up. Liam looked at him with wide eyes. His mouth opened and closed like a trout struggling for air. “Oh, my?—”

Asher knew that look. He’d seen it hundreds of times.

The need for recognition he used to crave like a drug. Being validated for who he was.

Now it caused his stomach to burn.

He held up a hand. “Listen, man…”

Liam pointed at him, then grinned. “I don’t believe it. All this time, and you didn’t say anything.”

Asher took another step toward him and shook his head. “No, and you can’t either.”

Liam frowned. “Dude, you’re Eli Noble.TheEli Noble. Your songs have dominated my playlists for years. You’re a legend, man.”

Asher shook his head. “I’m a nobody. Most definitely not a legend.”

“If you sang at the festival, the island would be packed for your concert.”

Just the thought spiked Asher’s blood pressure. He couldn’t shake his head hard enough. “No way. And you can’t say anything. To anyone. If word gets out that I’m here, then I’ll have to leave.”

He hated the pleading tone that crept into his voice as he repeated the request, but he would do whatever it took to safeguard his privacy.

Liam shot him another dumbfounded look and shook his head. “But you’re so stinkin’ famous, yet you’re holed up on island. What gives?”