“Good,” Jake says, his grin widening. “Always nice to have an audience.”
Todd clears his throat, and the lighthearted teasing fades just slightly.
“You guys ready to get started?” Todd asks, his tone more commanding than a moment ago.
Jake and Xayden exchange a glance before shrugging, their focus shifting back to their instruments.
As they head toward the stage, Todd looks back at me, his smile softer than I’m used to. “Let us know when you need us.”
“Will do,” I say, still trying to piece together this new version of him.
West remains silent through it all, his focus entirely on his guitar. He doesn’t acknowledge me as he tunes, his fingers moving methodically over the strings.
The guys take their places on the stage, falling into their rhythm with an ease that makes me ache for the simplicity of how we used to be. I position myself off to the side, tablet held tightly in my hands as I watch them.
“Let’s run through something slower before we amp it up,” Todd says into the mic, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of something I can’t quite place.
West starts strumming his guitar, a soft, melancholic melody filling the space. The other instruments join in gradually—Jake’s bass a deep hum, Xayden’s drums a subtle heartbeat. Then Todd steps up to the mic.
The first notes of the song hit me like a sucker punch. The lyrics aren’t familiar—not from one of their recorded albums. They’re raw, new, and painfully specific.
“We were too young to know,
Chasing dreams, we let love go.
Now all that’s left is a shadow,
A ghost of what we used to hold.”
My heart twists in my chest. The words are a mirror to the ache I’ve carried all these years, the guilt and regret tangled with memories I’ve tried so hard to bury.
Todd’s voice carries a weight I’ve never heard before, and the others harmonize softly, their voices weaving together in a way that feels both beautiful and devastating.
“I see you in the silence,
In the echoes of the past.
The choices we made, the love we betrayed,
Still burns like it was our last.”
I freeze, unable to tear my eyes away from them. The room feels smaller, the walls closing in as the lyrics dig deeper. Todd’s gaze shifts, his eyes landing on me.
For a moment, the music seems to falter, his voice cracking slightly on the next line.
“I thought I’d move on, but I?—”
He stops abruptly, his hands gripping the mic stand as if it’s the only thing keeping him grounded. The instruments trail off, the melody unraveling into silence.
The other guys exchange uneasy glances, but no one says anything. Todd’s eyes are locked on mine, an apology written in the lines of his face, in the words he can’t bring himself to finish.
I feel exposed, like every defense I’ve built has been stripped away in front of them. My chest tightens, and I force myself to look down at the tablet, pretending to make notes.
“I—uh—sorry,” Todd mutters into the mic, his voice low and rough. He steps back, running a hand through his hair.
“It’s fine,” West says quietly, his tone neutral but his fingers tense on his guitar.
“Let’s move on,” Jake says, his voice light, as if trying to lift the weight that’s settled over the venue. “Something with a bit more kick, yeah?”
