Lily rolls her eyes but grins back. “Careful, Enzo. I might just outshine you.”
“I think only Jax has to worry about that,” he returns, shooting a challenging look at our lead singer.
I sit behind the drum kit, twirling my sticks idly. Glancing around the room, my eyes landing on Jax to check his reaction. He’s still a little worn, the aftermath of withdrawal leaving its mark, but there’s a spark in his green eyes that’s been missing for too long. He doesn’t even seem to register Enzo’s dig.
“Alright, alright,” Marcus says, strumming a few chords to draw everyone’s focus. “Let’s see if we remember how to do this.”
He launches into the opening riff of one of our older tracks, his fingers flying effortlessly over the strings. The melody fills the room, a comforting and familiar sound from all the times we’ve played it before.
Enzo’s bass line slides in smoothly beneath the guitar, locking the sound tight. He catches my eye, raising an eyebrow like he’s daring me to keep up. I smirk back, refusing to let him win this silent competition.
My hands move instinctively as I join in, the rhythm feeling like second nature. I pound against the drums,laying down a beat that’s steady but full of life, the kind that gets your head nodding without even thinking about it. Drumming is the heartbeat of the band, and damn, it always feels good to be back at it.
Lily watches us for a moment, her gaze flicking between each of us. Then, with a soft smile, she glides her fingers over the piano keys, jumping in at just the right moment. The notes are light and melodic at first, weaving into the track like they’ve always been there.
I catch her eye and wink. “Not bad, rookie.”
She laughs, her smile widening. “Not bad yourself, hotshot.”
Jax takes his cue from the guitars and adds in his vocals, singing strong and sure with the four of us backing him. Lily softly croons behind him in the chorus, adding a new depth to the sound.
We roll through a couple more songs, slipping between old favorites and the new ones we’ve been working on since The Ranch. The room fills with the sounds of music and the occasional fumbled note, but it doesn’t matter. The groove is back, and it feels good.
After another track, I wipe the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand and twirl my drumsticks. “Alright, I’ve been thinking,” I say, looking around at the group. “We should bring Lily on stage for a few songs. You know, make her part of the band.”
Jax raises an eyebrow. “You mean make it official?”
“Yeah,” I say with a shrug. “She’s already one of us. Might as well make it official.”
Lily blushes, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Guys, seriously, I’m flattered. But the band’s always been youfour. What would the fans even think? Is this okay with the label?”
“Who gives a shit what the fans think?” Enzo says, setting his bass down. “If they don’t like it, they can leave. We’ve always done things our way.”
Marcus nods, his blue eyes thoughtful. “He’s got a point. Besides, you make the music better. It feels right. We made these songs with you. It would be wrong to cut you out now.”
“And the label?” She insists.
“We are allowed to have up to three tracks with a guest artist,” I respond with a sly grin. “I read through our contract before I even offered.”
Lily’s cheeks turn an even deeper shade of pink as she laughs. “If I was officially joining the band, you’d have to change the name. It wouldn’t make sense anymore. But I can star as a guest artist. I would actually really like that.”
Enzo’s smirk widens. “Oh? And what would you call us if we had to rebrand, princess?”
Lily chuckles, biting her lip as she thinks. “I don’t know...Lily and the Boys?”
Jax groans, rolling his eyes. “Absolutely not. We’re not going that route.”
“How about something worse?” I chime in, grinning. “LikeThe Flower and the Thorns?”
Marcus groans this time. “Please, no.”
Enzo, always ready to take things up a notch, smirks. “What aboutLily and the Drunken Puppies?”
That’s it—we all lose it, laughter spilling out until our sides ache. Even Jax, who’s been quieter than usual, is chuckling under his breath.
“You guys are the worst,” Lily mutters, trying to look annoyed but failing miserably.
Jax leans forward, his laughter fading as he taps his drumsticks together thoughtfully. “Wait, wait. What aboutIntoxicating Hearts?”
