Before I could ask, we reached the second floor, and Gabe pointed to the landing’s spacious seating area. A large entertainment cabinet took up one wall, a flat-screen TV its centerpiece, and positioned in front of it was a couch with deep, suck-you-in cushions. The best part, however, was that the space overlooked the packed living room below. From up here, I could watch the party without being noticed.
“You need anything else?” Gabe asked as I peered over the ledge. It took me less than two seconds to spot Xander’s familiar frame among the crowd. The Heartbreakers were talking to a woman with long, platinum-blond hair, and I instantly recognized Vanessa Williams, Alec’s older sister and one of Violet’s best friends. “I can have someone bring you a drink.”
“I’m good,” I said, turning back to him with a grateful smile. “Thank you though.”
“No problem,” he said. “If you need anything, just ask one of the waitstaff. I’ll see you later.”
Once Gabe was gone, I leaned against the railing and scanned the gathering for my sister. The entire back wall of Gabe and Ryan’s house was made of glass, displaying a jaw-dropping view of their pool and, beyond that, LA. After searching the living room, I turned my attention outside and finally found Violet curled up on one of the wicker patio sectionals with Tara Thomas, anotherINcostar who played the high priestess of a witch coven.
Not long after spotting her, Oliver and JJ approached, and I watched as Violet jumped up to hug them both. They spoke for a minute, smiling and laughing, and then Oliver said something that made Violet turn and point toward a small platform erected near the far end of the pool. On it were multiple mic stands, a drum set, and speakers, along with other equipment the Heartbreakers would need to perform.
A pit formed in my stomach as the reality of what Xander and I were about to do hit me.
I wasn’t nervous about performing in front of a crowd. I’d been doing that since I was young. But giving an apology speech with all Violet’s friends watching? That was more than nerve-racking. What if I got up onstage, poured my heart out, and Violet still didn’t forgive me? For a split second, I considered texting Xander to call off the plan, but I needed to stop running away from my problems.
On my drive over, I’d tried to brainstorm what I wanted to say, because a simpleI’m sorrywasn’t going to cut it. There was no excuse for the way I’d treated her. Was it even possible to apologize for years of blame and anger?
It didn’t seem likely.
At this point, all I could do was speak from the heart and hope that Violet would understand.
More to keep my nerves at bay than out of actual interest, I went over to the entertainment cabinet and selected a book at random off the shelf. As I sank down onto the couch, I studied the cover. It was one of those heavy, coffee table books, this particular one about a domesticated squirrel named S’more. A quick flip through showed me that S’more’s parents enjoyed dressing him up as celebrities and famous pop culture characters. It felt like a strange book for two bachelors to own, but then I found the page where the poor critter was dressed as Luca. Since I had nothing better to do, I browsed through the pictures until my pocket vibrated.
Galaxy Rider:
We’re starting. Meet Gabe downstairs.
I slidSundays with S’moreback into its spot on the shelf, then hurried down to the first floor.
Gabe was waiting for me at the base of the steps. “You ready?” he asked just as the music pumping through the house’s speaker system cut off. “The guys are about to kick things off, so pretty much everyone is outside.”
As if prompted by Gabe’s statement, Oliver’s voice—magnifiedbut also muffled by a wall or two—interrupted the buzz of the party. He introduced the band with his usual charming bravado and wished Violet a happy birthday.
“As I’ll ever be,” I replied, wringing my hands. “Xander said there’d be a violin for me?” I’d wanted to bring my own, but Dad would have been suspicious if I’d taken my case to Sofia’s house to study.
“Oh, right. I almost forgot.” Gabe waved me after him. “Come on.”
We made our way to the back of the house, and by the time we reached the living room, the Heartbreakers were playing their first song. With the exception of a couple talking quietly on the couch and a few cater waiters, everyone had moved outside to listen. The patio was packed, making it impossible to spot my sister, but I could see Xander onstage, guitar in hand. The sight of him simultaneously calmed my nerves and made my heart skip a beat.
“Earth to Indie?”
Tearing my eyes away from Xander, I turned back to Gabe. Apparently I’d been staring for longer than I realized, because his brows arched up in amusement.
“Here,” he said, offering me a violin case.
I blinked, surprised by its sudden appearance. I’d been so preoccupied, I hadn’t seen where the instrument had come from, but I was grateful nonetheless.
“Thanks,” I said, taking the case from him. After lifting the latches, I peeked inside to make sure everything was in working order, and Gabe watched as I trailed my fingers over the neck, all the way down to the lower bout.
“Will that work?” he asked, pushing his jet-black bangs out of his eyes.
I nodded. “It’s perfect.”
His responding smile was so warm, it occurred to me just how wrong I’d been about him. Sure, Gabe knew how ridiculously good-looking he was, but that didn’t make him a bad guy. He was considerate and funny and sweet. It seemed I’d misjudged quite a few people recently.
“Good, let’s go,” he said and led me over to the patio doors.
As soon as we stepped outside, the volume of the music tripled. The Heartbreakers were in the middle of playing their hit single “Astrophil,” and as Gabe and I worked our way around the outskirts of the crowd, slowly making our way toward the stage, I hummed along to the song. We reached the small platform just as it finished, and Gabe waved at Oliver to get his attention. He nodded at us in acknowledgment, then whispered something to Alec and JJ.
