Despite our plan being to wait and do it on our own, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.The contract had our dream terms as far as we could tell.But we had to find a lawyer to represent us and read through any contract first, so it wasn’tofficial-official.I’d tried to pin down Noah to tell him about it yesterday, but he had another guy bonding day—this time it was paintball.Something about retribution and all-time glory.I was happy he was finally clicking with his guys again.I was just bummed that I had this news that I still hadn’t told him.
And it was definitely a face-to-face deal.I couldn’t just text him news this big.
The next time I saw him was during church while we were surrounded by everyone.
And then it hit me how ridiculous I was being.I hadn’t seen my boyfriend in three days, but I couldn’t tackle hug him because I’d made such a big deal about us being on the downlow.
I was going to do it the minute soundcheck was over.
I was a professional, after all.
Despite the play shoving match I was currently having with Grady.
“Dude, you’re kinda ripe,” I stage-whispered to my friend.“Did you forget to put on deodorant today?I have some in my locker you can use if you want.”
Grady paused for a second then playfully pushed my shoulder.“Sure, thanks.I mean, if it’s strong enough to battle your B.O…”
I laughed and shoved him back.“Screw you.I smell like a fresh summer field, thank you very much.”
“My point exactly.”Grady muffled his laughter and stood a little closer to me than he had before.Probably to smell my lovely scent.
“Alice!”Lark screeched from backstage.“Alice!”
My blood froze.She sounded so freaked out.Panicked.
I turned and ran toward her screaming.
“Alice!Holy shit.Alice!”Lark ran down the hall toward me, waving her cell phone in one hand.“Oh my god, Alice.You will never believe what your asshole ex did!”
I stopped running and clutched my chest.She was fine.No visible blood, but there was the promise of blood to come, judging by the fury coming off her in waves.“You’re okay?You’re not hurt?”
“What?”She stopped in front of me, panting and still waving her phone.“No, I’m fine.Look at this!”
I ignored her phone and sighed heavily.“Thank god.You freaked me out!I thought someone was trying to kill you or something.”
“Oh, someone’s gonna die, and it’ll be your asshole ex-boyfriend.We ride at dawn.”
I grabbed Lark’s arm and shuffled to the side of the hallway as someone came through with a dolly loaded with boxes of merch.“Okay, what’s going on?”
“Look!I mean listen to this!”Lark stabbed a finger at her phone and suddenly music echoed through the hallway.
It only took me a second to recognize my song ‘Lost Boys,’ only it wasn’t us singing it.I recognized Parker’s voice then Brandon’s voice.“They stole our fucking song?Where is this playing?”
“It’s all over radio and streaming.They’ve released it.They released our song.”
“What the fuck!”I clicked on the credits and read with disbelief.He listed himself as the writer.By Parker Webb.
“What’s going on?”Noah popped up next to me with Chase at his side.“Hey, isn’t that your song?”
“Yes.”Lark grabbed her phone out of my hands and shoved it in Noah’s face.“Parker fucking Webb stole it and his stupid band released it as theirs.”
“Whoa.”Chase looked as shellshocked as I felt.
It was like an out-of-body experience.I was hearing the lyrics I’d written, only I wasn’t singing them.And neither was Lark.Sure, they’d tweaked a few of the lines.It wouldn’t really make sense for them to sing the song from the woman’s point of view.But it was still my song.
Stolen.Again.
“How could he do this again?”I shoved a hand through my hair.I might’ve tugged just to make sure I was awake, and this wasn’t all just a weird dream.
