Page 20 of Lyric & the Heartbeats

Standing up straight, he ran a hand through his uncooperative curls and turned to face the room.

His roommate’s familiar face stared at him, concern and surprise etched in the dip of his brows. Several other people he didn’t know stood around, instruments in hand, but he skipped over all of them until he landed on… Lyric.

He was met with a scowling face, and he smoothed his expression out, resisting the urge to smooth his shirt down along with it.

“Hey there,” he said lamely.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. Quickly, she turned to Andi, but before she could even get another word out, Andi lifted her hands innocently.

“Don’t look at me! I didn’t contact him.” She cut a scathing glare in his direction. “Figured he wasn’t worth it after he was such an ass.”

Lyric nodded and turned back to him. “Well?”

Right. Apology time.

He took a few steps forward before he realized Lyric had tensed up, and he immediately stopped. “I wanted to… apologize. For the way I spoke to you after my set.”

Crossing her arms, she arched a single brow at him. Her long hair was tossed up in a bun, several strands hanging down to tickle her cheeks. It didn’t lessen her ferocity one bit.

“I’m sorry I called you a spoiled omega,” he continued.

A few gasps sounded around the room, and a single scoff came from a tiny female clutching two drumsticks like weapons.

With a wince, he asked, “Can I… talk to you? Without an audience?”

Lyric seemed to realize at the same moment he did that the others were standing around with rapt attention on the situation. Clearing her throat, she motioned for him and Andi to follow, and, hesitantly, he began his trek.

She led them to the other side of the conference hall, which, in a room of that size, made sure the others wouldn’t overhear them. It wasn’t until she stopped with her back to the wall, a confused expression coloring her face, that he realized footsteps sounded behind him.

He turned to find Odd and almost groaned out loud.

“Why are you here, Adra?” Lyric asked him.

His dark cheeks blushed as he glanced from Lyric to Emerson. “I, uh… Emerson is my roommate. That’s how he knew where to come.”

Lyric’s eyebrows inched up as she glanced between the two of them. “Uh… okay. That still doesn’t explain why he’s here.”

He took a deep breath. “I wanted to apologize… and say that if you’re still interested, I’d like to audition.”

Surprise colored her features, and she turned the expression to Andi. They seemed to have an entire conversation without saying a single word, and it made him want to smile. Which was why he determinedly kept his lips in a neutral line.

“That’s… I mean, okay, I guess. Thanks for the apology,” she said. “But I’ve…” She glanced over his shoulder and nibbled on her bottom lip in indecision as she looked to Andi again. “I’ve already got a guitarist.”

Emerson glanced over his shoulder in the direction of her gaze, finding a smaller guy—smaller by his own proportions, at least—in tight jeans, a printed button-up, and a bow tie. He was clutching a guitar, his fingers strumming absently as he stared off into space. The melody he played was intricate and seemingly effortless, and internally, he approved of her decision.

Well, I tried.

“You don’t have a bassist,” Odd blurted.

Emerson cranked his head back around and glanced from him to her and back again.

I can play bass, he thought at the same time Lyric asked, “You can play bass?”

Annoyance flashed over her features, and though he wanted to, he refrained from reading too much into it.

“I can. I actually prefer it.”

His admission seemed to confuse her. “But you seemed… well, so confident on stage. Nohen is the lead guitarist, and I’m not changing my mind.” She hesitated before continuing, “Would you be comfortable playing bass?”