Prologue: Nathan
The roar of the crowd is still ringing in my bones.
I swear the stage lights are burned into my retinas, a kaleidoscope of gold and blue, but I don’t care.I can’t stop smiling.
My heart’s beating so fast it feels like it might burst straight out of my chest and land somewhere on the other side of the arena.
I won.
I actually won.
“NA-THAN THORN!NA-THAN THORN!”
The chant follows me all the way backstage, echoing off the concrete halls, vibrating through my skin like a second heartbeat.
My song.My voice.My name.Me.
They’re chanting for me.
Adrianna barrels into me before I can even take another step, her hair still dusted with flour from rushing over straight from her family’s bakery.
She smells like sugar cookies and jam, and for half a second, the whole world feels steady.
“Oh my God, Nate,” she breathes, cupping my face.
Her eyes are shining, but not with the wild excitement I expect.
“You did it.You actually did it.”
I kiss her because I can’t not.
Because winning means nothing if I’m not sharing it with her.
Because she’s the one who coaxed the song out of me in the first place, even if she doesn’t know it.
“I told you I would,” I grin, breathless.“This is it, Sparky.Everything starts now.”
I’ve called her that since we were kids.She thinks it’s cause she used to be annoying to me and the guys, but really, it’s because every time I see her, I feel sparks buzzing through my veins.
Her smile wavers.
“Nate, I’m proud of you.I’m so proud!”
“Got an agent meeting today?—”
“Wait already?”
“What do you mean, already?Of course, already!They love it!They loveme!Just listen to them!”I tell her, pointing at where the crowd is still screaming my name.
She’s smiling, but it’s not reaching her eyes, and I just don’t understand.
“Yeah, but everything’s happening so fast.Maybe you should slow down, think things through?—”
“Think?”I laugh, pulling her close again, high on adrenaline and the scent of victory.“What’s there to think about?A major agent wants me.Labels are gonna want me.My career is taking off.This is everything I’ve ever dreamed of.”
“I know,” she says softly, gripping my shirt like she’s afraid I’ll slip away.“But there are so many stories about musicians who get taken advantage of, I’m just saying?—”
“You don’t know what you’re saying, you mean,” I rebut.
