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A rush moves through me at her heated look, triggering a strange need to show off. Maybe it’s the drummer equivalent of a peacock, but I use the next few seconds to throw everything I have into a test run of the kit.

I pretend not to notice Callie’s awed expression a few feet away, but my heart feels every ounce of it. All the record execs in the world have nothing on the opinions of this one person.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Luke shaking his head with a knowing smile. He’s fully aware I’m showing off, but whatever. Like he’s never given a little extra to impress a girl. I happen to remember a time when he made us repeat the same four bars of a chorus for over ten minutes while waiting for my sister to “accidentally walk in on our practice session.” All because he knew how good his voice sounded on that line.

She did eventually wander in. And yes, she was looking at him the way Callie is looking at me now. Probably the way I’mlooking at her as she retreats to the other side of the room with her laptop. I smile to myself when she drags a chair in front of the door to block it. She’s taking her guard duty very seriously, not that I expected anything less.

“So you ready to do this, or what?” Eli calls when the warmups die down. “Sweeny and I listened to the track a bunch last night. I think we’re ready to go.”

I look to Luke, who shrugs. “We’re ready,” he says. “Let’s run through the intro and get a quick sound check.”

That’s all I need to hear.

Sticks in the air, I tap out the count.

One. Two. Three. Four.

We’re back, baby!

After we get our levels,the first real pass isrough,but that’s to be expected. We don’t even make it through half the intro before I cut the beat.

“Seriously? Already?” Sweeny grunts as he dampens the strings of his guitar and fires a look at me.

Luke smirks at the familiar scene.

“We need to swap the riffs,” I say, ignoring their reactions.

“Huh?” Sweeny says.

“The bridge and intro riffs. Swap them.”

Sweeny shoots a glance at Luke, who shrugs. “I kind of hear it. Just try it,” he says.

I relax a little at Luke’s support and settle back on my seat. “From the top. And Eli, don’t come in until the second line of the intro.”

“You want just the guitar?” Eli asks in surprise. “He’s only playing a lead line. Won’t that be a little thin?”

“Yep. It will be a good transition out of the piano opening. Then we’ll add a sweep into the full groove.” They exchange a look, and I narrow my eyes. “Just trust me, okay? I’ll show you in production.”

Eli and Sweeny shuffle back to their positions in the musician equivalent of throwing up your hands.

I count us in again, Sweeny starts his riff, and Eli, Luke, and I join in on the second line.

When all three snap a grin in my direction, I know we’re back in sync. When Luke shuts us down after the first verse to say we need to add a full stop going into the chorus, I know we’re officially in business.

As the session wears on, though, traces of panic whisper beneath the initial excitement. They grow with every start and stop, every adjustment that’s turning this song into something special.

My gaze keeps finding Luke. The way he commands the room, the band, the song. He’s a force, a fucking gift to artistry. And the more comfortable I get with the familiar silhouette in front of me, the more a cold trickle of dread pollutes the moment.

I need this. Our music needs this. We can’t go back to the way it was.

I can’t touch the magic only to have it ripped away again.

Luke twists a smile back at me as he slays the second chorus. I knew he would. This song was made for his raspy vocal that currently has all of us in a chokehold. He furrows his brows at what he must see on my face, and I paint a brighter expression.

The transition into the bridge saves me when he’s pulled back to his rhythm guitar to support Sweeny’s lick.

I was right about that too. Switching the intro and bridge was the correct call, and the way the band locks in during the instrumental tells me they agree. It feels so good to be riding this high again. To be creating and forming something beautiful out of the ashes of pain.