Her words ease the knot in my chest. "You always know how to calm me down."
She smiles sweetly, threading her fingers through mine. I run my thumb over her skin, realizing her hands are shaking too.
We stay like that, hands locked, eyes meeting—and I can’t look away. "Everything okay?" I ask.
Nova clears her throat and pulls back. "Never been better."
She pulls out her phone, types something quickly and then looks at me. "It’s time. You ready?"
I shake my head. "Not at all."
"Hey. It’ll be okay. I promise."
I close my eyes, trying to block out the packed room. What if I mess up? What if a string breaks? What if— "What if someone else plays? I can find—"
Nova grips my shoulders, shaking her head. "It has to be you. It’s your time to shine. Don’t let anyone take it from you."
She’s right. This is my dream. I inhale deeply and nod. "Okay."
Her smile steadies me. "It’ll be fine."
She pulls me into a hug, and I bend my knees so she can bury her face in the crook of my neck. I wrap my arms around her waist and hold her tight.
I look over at our friends and catch Sam flashing me a cheeky grin. Maggie immediately smacks the back of his head and rolls her eyes while he waves his hands around, trying to make a point. She copies him, mocking his gestures, and he just smirks at her. Then he grabs her nose between his fingers, and she does the same right back. The two of them complain at each other like kids. Honestly, they’re a ticking time bomb together.
I can’t imagine what would happen if they actually got together.
Not long ago, Maggie swore she’d set his parents’ mansion on fire with Sam inside just to get rid of him. His reply? That she could torch his house all she wanted, but it’d take more than just a fire to get him out of her life.
"Do you still have Max’s number?" I ask Nova when we pull apart.
She nods, fiddling with her necklace. "Of course. Why?"
Thank God. "If Aurora panics while I’m on stage, call him. She won’t give you his number because she doesn’t want to worry him, but he’s the only one who can calm her down."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Vincent Cooper
PRESENT (2023)
"Since I can't read music and everything, I find out that I do the best when I just listen to where I'm trying to go with it, and where it can go, and not try to rush it."
Stevie Ray Vaughan
All the lights are on me. Everyone’s watching. Will’s phone is aimed at the stage while Maggie and Sam, impossibly close, nod and send me a thumbs-up. Aurora sits on a stool, her vacant eyes searching for something. Nova holds her hand, perched on the bar, while Steven leans on the stool beside them, flashing me a proud smile.
My legs tremble. The chords blur in my head. My heart’s a drum I can’t control, every beat too fast, every breath too shallow. I don’t understand why this feels so different from playing for the usual customers.
Maybe it’s because Nova’s always the one really listening. Maybe it’s because this time I’m afraid of failing. Maybe it’s because— “Come on, Cooper! Uhh!”
Nova springs onto the counter, clapping high above her head as she cheers my name. Steven, Sam, Maggie, Aurora, and Will join in, their voices rising like an anthem. One by one, the rest of the room falls in, until it’s not just my friends—it’s everyone. My name roars through the crowd, echoing off the walls, and for a moment it feels like the whole world has been waiting for this.
I exhale, nod to myself, and lower my fingers onto my red Fender Telecaster Thinline.
I find Nova’s gaze. She’s still standing tall on the counter, clapping, her grin so wide it sparks across the room. I raise an eyebrow at her and she nods. I nod back. Then I lean into the microphone.
The first notes spill out. My voice and guitar fuse, and with them, every problem vanishes. The melody takes over. My hands move on instinct. The fear dissolves, replaced by sound.
