Then, he smiles.
Actuallysmiles.
In three months of working with this man, I’ve never seen him smile. Not once. And now?—
“Took you long enough,” he says.
My jaw drops. Heat rises up my neck, relief and disbelief and pure joy all tangled together. “You’re serious?”
I want to laugh. Or cry. Or maybe both.
“That’s it. That’s your breakout single.”
A giggle bursts out of me. “You really think so?”
I reach for my phone without thinking, then I set it back down. Miles will be home tonight. I want to see his face when Itell him. He’s going to be more excited than I am. Then he’ll look at me with that proud, I-told-you-so smile that makes me go all gooey inside.
“When do I bullshit about music?” Boone waves a hand at me. “Now, play it again.”
I do. Twice more. Each time, Boone takes notes, suggests tweaks, and nods when I nail them.
“Let’s lay down a rough.” He’s already moving toward the board.
My voice turns raspy, and my fingertips go numb from my guitar strings as the afternoon goes on, but my energy stays up.
By the time we wrap, it’s dark out. I unlock Miles’s Audi—the one he’s been letting me borrow since the accident—and stand there. My pulse is still sprinting, the day humming through me. Like I could do anything.Haveeverything I want.
I smile up at the clear, star-crowded sky.
When my phone buzzes in my hand, only one person comes to mind.
Miles:
When are you leaving the studio?
Me:
About to head out now. Why?
Just got back, was gonna order dinner. What do you want?
You
Miles loved “You”
Miles:
Food, Starling.
Me:
Pizza!
I had the best day. I can’t wait to tell you about it
Can’t wait. Drive safe
I hop into the car and start the engine. As warmth pumps through the vents, I call Mia.
