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“I guess.” Though I still don’t believe it myself. I’m still waiting for someone with hidden cameras to jump out and tell me I’ve been had, and I actually sound worse than a dying donkey.

Bash guides me back over to the mic and sets the papers on the stand. The audience quiets and the music starts—it’s almost as beautiful as his lyrics. He starts the song off, singing the words to me, staring into my eyes with an intense gaze that nearly knocks me to the floor. I manage to stay up and jump in when my part comes.

The crowd goes wild. It takes all my effort to stay focused on the song. I keep waiting for someone to tell me I’ve been had, but it doesn’t happen. We sing song after song until Bash announces we’re done.

“More!”

“Just one more song!”

Everyone watching calls out for us to keep going.

This would be the perfect timing for those hidden cameras. Instead, Bash tells them to come back the next day, same time. The band starts putting away their things, and the room clears slowly.

Halen catches my attention. “See you in the room!”

“Definitely!”

She gives me a thumbs-up as she leaves with our friends.

I help the band, then after a few minutes a shell phone rings. Bash turns to me, hefting a box. “That’s mine. Can you grab it? It’s in my coat over there.” He nods toward a pile of jackets.

“Sure. I really need to get myself one of those.”

“You can’t.”

“Why not? Because I’m a princess?”

He laughs. “Because you’re a first-year.”

“Being a first-year bites.” I make my way over to the coats and find his. It smells like his cologne, and I breathe it in deeply before digging through the pockets for his phone.

I pull it out to give it to him, but I accidentally see the text notification on the screen. It’s from someone called AC. And it makes me stop in my tracks. My heart skips a beat and my breath hitches.

AC: Everything is in place. Ayers going down.

What on earth does that mean? Does he have a plan to take me down? Or one of my parents? Another of my dad’s relatives?

“What’s the matter?”

I move away from him, my pulse racing. “Has this all been a big joke to you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“‘Ayers is going down.’”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“This text!” I shove the phone at him.

He stares at it.

“Who are you plotting with? Middlebrooks?”

His eyes darken. “Are you kidding me? How could you think that?”

“Did you read the text?” I move even farther away from him.

“It’s from my Aunt Coral. I don’t know what she’s talking about.” He fidgets with his phone. “She left that text, but it doesn’t make any sense.”