Page 169 of Lyric & the Heartbeats

Lyric’s cheeks heated, and she lowered the fork back to the bowl. “How so?”

“Everyone’s curious about your bond,” Henry answered. “We need to be extra vigilant when going out. I already have so many requests from news outlets, I won’t be surprised if the paparazzi becomes an issue. If you go out, keep an eye out for cameras and—”

“Why?” Lyric asked, cocking her head to the side. “It’s not a secret, and wouldn’t it be better to put the truth out there before rumors get started just to fill the headlines?”

Henry arched a brow at her. “You don’t care if everyone knows that Lyric Ceran has bonded with someone?”

She shrugged, her fingers tapping a rhythm on the plastic bowl. “I guess not. It’s already kind of advertised, you know?” She pointed to the bite mark visible in her loose necked tee. “I’d rather put my own story out there than have someone twist it around into something false.”

“Okay… if you want, I can arrange an interview. Maybe after tour? There are only five days left, so fitting it in before then would be kind of tight.”

Emerson cursed, catching their attention and pulling it toward the television. Two odd looking characters battled it out on the screen, accompanied by the furious clicking of the controllers clutched in Em’s and Nohen’s hands.

“Whoever wins this one gets to sleep beside Lyric,” Nohen announced.

“Hey, not fair! You should’ve said that to begin with!” Emerson growled.

Anyone else would have shrunk under the low rumble, but Nohen just flicked his middle finger as they battled it out. By the time it was coming to a close, Lyric’s bowl was empty and she was cheering on her alpha and beta while snuggled up with Adra.

Even Javier was watching with rapt attention as the pixelated characters fought. At least until one of the characters went flying across the screen and the red letters KO bounced in the air.

“Sucks to suck.” Nohen shrugged and sent a dirty glance over his shoulder to the alpha.

Emerson grumbled again, but something in his gaze seemed to shift, and Nohen finally began to look a little nervous.

“Emerson, be nice,” Lyric scolded, waving.

“Oh, I can be nice, alright,” he growled.

Nohen shifted in his seat and it was like a lightbulb went off in Javier’s head.

Oh.

Lyric chuckled, and Nohen sent her a curious glance.

“If what I think is going to happen is going to happen, I want to watch,” Lyric announced.

“Nohen wouldn’t mind an audience, right?” Emerson growled.

Nohen audibly swallowed, and Javier couldn’t stop the way his gaze bounced from alpha to beta to omega and back again like a tennis match.

But who would be the victor?

“Not if it’s Lyric,” Nohen answered.

Emerson released a chuckle that was decidedly alpha, and Javier shook his head.

That beta was going to be eaten alive, and he didn’t seem to mind one bit.

With a glance at Lyric, Javier could tell she’d be glad to help.

“It’s about damned time,” Lyric said, a giggle following the words, and pulled them both from the room to the back.

So it’s like that, Javier thought with a grin.

He couldn’t help but smile at their antics, grabbing plates off the table as Lyric’s giggles trailed from the closed door.

Henry chuckled. “Yeah, it’s like that.”