Lyric & the Heartbeats
Page 9
“Perks?” Lyric asked, and cocked her head to the side.
Desi flushed and took another drink, mumbling a reply she didn’t catch.
Emerson chuckled and explained from across the table. “I think she means it’s like getting hired for a job and immediately asking about the benefits.”
“Oh,” Lyric said, dragging out the word as the lightbulb went off. “Don’t worry about it. I hope she can come.”
Desi waggled her brows. “Me too.”
With a snort, Lyric shook her head just as music began to drift through the speakers. She glanced at the windows, but through the dark tint, she couldn’t tell what time it was outside.
The volume in the other room had been steadily growing, and it seemed the dinner crowd had finally arrived. Their privacy would end pretty soon.
Lyric hadn’t ever been to this restaurant, nor a lot of the ones in the same area. But now that Desi had introduced her, she’d have an excuse to stop eating at the same taco truck so often.
“Are you drunk enough to dance yet?” Desi asked, and pushed her chair back.
“I don’t need to be drunk to dance,” Lyric answered.
“That’s what we like to hear,” Nohen said, tapping his temple before pointing to her. He pushed his chair back as well. “Dance with us,” he said to the alphas as he held out his hand to her. It was almost a dare.
“We don’t dance,” Emerson grumbled, and clasped his hands together before knocking his pinkies on the table.
Lyric grinned. “Your loss.”
She took Nohen’s hand, and he pulled her onto the dance floor in a flawless swish.
In jeans, flat soled sneakers, and a tunic tee, she was dressed down compared to the two betas, but since it was just them, she hardly noticed. Mainstream pop music played from the mounted speakers, and she was never more thankful for her comfortable shoes than she was as they danced.
And danced.
And danced.
She retreated to the table a few times to quench her thirst with her fruity drinks that somehow kept refilling themselves, but as she met the stoic stare of Emerson, a new thirst reared its head.
She escaped into Desi’s arms, where they laughed and teased and danced with Nohen.
As she moved to the beat, her thoughts turned to the band. Just after one good practice day, things felt so much lighter. So much more hopeful.
Her worries were lessened the longer she moved with Nohen, whether from the alcohol or the release of endorphins of a good time. Laughter burst out of her as Desi turned around and shook her hips in the most chaotic, obnoxious fashion.
Desi was safe. And fun and sweet and they were on a totally different level of understanding than she would ever have with the others.
Nohen was… she liked him. He was an easy person to be around, and she hated to think it stemmed solely from him being a beta. Besides the fact that he was gorgeous, he was talented and she felt safe with him too. All in all, a possibly dangerous combination, but one she didn’t feel like heeding as a warning. So she swayed her hips a little more and soaked up Nohen’s warmth.
As for the two alphas?
Unbidden, her gaze turned to them just as the song faded into another. A familiar one.
She stopped and arched a single brow before walking over.
“Are you two really going to sit there while my own song plays?”
They shared twin glances and she read the reluctance in their frames, stacked stories high with pride. But a long moment later, after she held out her hand and motioned with her fingers, Adra was the first one to push his chair back.
Her heart pounded as he stepped closer, and she realized a split second too late that these alphas were definitely dangerous. She was drawn to them, to Adra’s strong silence and dislike for cursing, his gentle gaze and even gentler touch as he placed his hand in hers. His palm was warm, his deep colored skin contrasting against hers in a beautiful golden way under the dim lighting.
Then Emerson approached, tension decorating the lines painted around his mouth.
“Fine, princess.”
I don’t have enough hands. She thought forlornly. And a little tipsily.
She offered her other hand to Emerson and pulled them backwards as a steady but mellow rhythm began pumping from the speakers. The smile that curled her lips was a relaxed one, even if her thoughts weren’t quite on board yet.
How does one dance with two men at once?
The same way you’d have sex.
Lyric choked on her internal reply and avoided their gazes as she began moving to the beat. She refused to think about it as she swayed back and forth, and eventually, they matched her pace. Warmth caged her in on both sides, and she blinked her eyes open to Adra.
The low lighting did nothing to stop her from noticing how damned attractive he was. Eyes deep as cocoa were framed by long, dark lashes, and his lips were full and soft-looking. She bet they were velvety, perfect for sipping from like a sweet treat.
Dropping her gaze before he caught her stare, she noticed she was face-to-chest for the first time. Her head barely came to the top of his pecs, and he absolutely towered over her. In fact…
With a glance behind her, she confirmed Emerson was about the same height. If they were to kiss, they’d absolutely smother her between their chests.
Wouldn’t be the worst way to go…
Desperate to escape her thoughts, she glanced up, lips parted as she tried to come up with another question about… anything. But she stopped.
Where heat flickered to life in her veins like stray sparks of a match, Adra’s gaze was a dip into a lukewarm pond on a summer night. She barely registered his touch on her hips, he was holding her so lightly, so gently.
Emerson’s feet knocked into hers, and as he mumbled a curse, she giggled before he did it again and knocked her forward.
“Fuck, sorry,” he blurted, and Lyric burst into giggles.
“He really doesn’t dance,” Adra rumbled above her.
“I’m learning that,” she replied.
Adra’s grip was firmer now as he steadied her against his chest, and she pushed away with a smile to stare up at him.
He was staring down at her, bewildered, like she was some strange creature he hadn’t seen before.
“I’m not that scary, am I?” she asked.
“Not as scary as this damned dancing is,” Emerson answered behind her.
Rolling her eyes, she grabbed Emerson’s hands from behind and put them on her hips.
“I doubt you’d find anything scary, Emerson. Just sway with the beat, it’s not rocket science.”
“Yeah, says the musical genius,” he grumbled back.
“How can a musician be bad at dancing?” she asked Adra, completely ignoring Emerson.
Adra’s deep chuckle vibrated his body against hers, and for a split second, she was relieved all over again to learn that they weren’t totally out of her reach.
Which told her just how dangerous it was to get involved with these two.
“See? You’ve got the hang of it,” Adra murmured as Emerson finally stopped bumping into her, and instead started moving with her. She was still squished between them, their heat blanketing her from both sides, and arousal sparked to life.
Lyric tried to ignore it, tried to push it away and focus on the music, but her song faded from the sound system.
Much to her relief, an upbeat song replaced it, and Emerson jumped away from them.
“I don’t dance to this, princess” he said, and sank into his chair like he’d found land after a long excursion at sea.
Lyric grinned up at Adra, thankful for the distraction. “You’re welcome to join us,” she tempted him.
Backing away, she let his hands fall from her hips, but she still felt the ghost of his touch. He held her gaze until she bumped into Desi and Nohen, who pulled her into their dance shenanigans.
When she glanced back a few moments later, Adra was reseated beside Emerson.
>
One day you’re going to find a nice alpha, one who’ll write songs about you. You’ll join his pack and you’ll have a perfect life. You’ll be the most spoiled omega ever. Just wait.
As her mother’s words drifted through her mind, the soft cloud of the alcohol induced buzz she’d been floating on came crashing back to earth.
Whether she knew it or not, Desi came to her rescue as her phone appeared in her hand, the screen bright with a new text message.
“I’m going to call it a night. Someone’s waiting on me,” she said with a wink.
Nohen chuckled and caught Lyric’s gaze. She answered his unasked question by tilting her head toward the table, and they returned together.
“We didn’t even eat yet,” Emerson complained.
“Oh, I’ll eat when I get home,” Desi assured him.
Lyric snorted at the innuendo, hugged her goodbye, and then she was gone.
“I think I’m going to call it a night as well. We do still have to rehearse tomorrow,” she said, hoping Desi’s departure would mask her sudden need to escape.
Nohen sighed dramatically. “Alright, alright. Be the boss, why don’t you?”
“Boss, huh? I like the sound of that.”
“Let us walk you to your car,” Adra requested, and Lyric nodded after only a short hesitation.
After paying separately, they headed for the back door. Lyric had only argued once to put it on her tab. She was mostly just grateful to get out of there and be on her way home. Her heart pounded as she shoved the push door open, and a deluge of memories was barely held back by her will.
The sun had set by the time she stopped by the driver’s side of her car, and she turned with a smile.
“Thank you for drinks and dancing. I enjoyed getting to know you all a little more. Hopefully we’ll have time to have a repeat before we’re shoved into the bus, yeah?”
She ignored the awkwardness of speaking to them as a group when she felt as if it were the end of a first date.
“See you guys bright and early? Nohen, there’s this thing called an alarm,” she began with a wink.
He rolled his eyes, and before she could prepare, he erased the space between them to peck a kiss to her cheek. She froze, and a car near hers beeped, it’s lights flashing through the night.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll take that into consideration... Boss,” he teased, and began walking to his car. “Goodnight!” he called out as he ducked inside.
“And you two are full of surprises. See you tomorrow,” she said.
Before they could get any bright ideas, like hugs or kisses, she had her door open and was sliding inside. She glanced up at them from her seat. “Drive safe, goodnight!”
Her car door cut off any response they might have had, and later, she would wince and feel guilty for being so short with them.
But in that moment, she just wanted to get home, shower with her scentless body wash, shampoo, and conditioners. The vanilla ones sat to the side, but she ignored them. She didn’t want to smell like anything, especially alphas.
Then she planned to crawl into bed to escape the ghost of her mother’s voice before it could become too loud.
She got one of her two wishes.
By the time Lyric pulled into the parking space that matched her apartment number, she had never been so relieved to arrive home.
After locking the door behind her, she tossed her keys on the kitchen bar to her right and made her way to the bathroom.
She cranked the water on, turning it to hot, and then stripped off her clothes. They went into the hamper, and she swore she’d have to wash them as soon as possible if only to get the hint of scents of the others out of the threads.
Her senses were dulled enough that she couldn’t place exactly what each of them smelled like, but she knew she liked it.
Which was dangerous all in itself.
Stupid.
Trying to get to know them before the tour wasn’t the stupid part. It was the whole liking them more than she should have part that she disagreed with.
No alphas. No pack. No distractions, no conflict.
Stepping under the spray, she sighed as the hot water rained down on her. Then with each swipe of the loofah over her skin, she erased the scent of spices and alpha and beta from her body.
By the time she stepped out onto the fluffy floor mat, she felt better. Gone was the weight of their scents, the implications of their presence, but what still remained threatened to consume her thoughts.
“Momma, why’d you name me Lyric? That’s a silly name.”
She remembered her mother’s sharp gaze, critical eyes, and her eternal hope. “It’s not a silly name. Lyric, don’t you see yourself? You’re so pretty. You’re gonna grow up to be the kind of omega some alpha is gonna find and write songs about.”
“I like music too. Do you think he’ll let me help?”
Her brow had buckled in disapproval, and even then Lyric had known better than to ask a question like that.
“No, honey. Omegas are meant to provide stability to their pack. To take care of them, and in turn, the alphas will take care of you. You can’t take care of them if you’re too busy with your nose buried in music, now can you?”
Shaking the skewed logic from her mind, she hummed a few lines of a random song. Focusing on the tune helped get those memories out of her head, and she slid between the cool sheets with a sigh.
But as soon as her focus shifted, her mother’s voice was back. Lyric had never mastered outrunning that woman’s ghost.
“Once you find an alpha, you’ll understand. There’s a spark that you won’t feel with anyone else.”
With a groan, she rolled to the side, punched her pillow down, and snuggled into the covers. Lyric hated that a beta hadn’t fallen into her life for her to fall in love with and settle down just to spite her mother’s ghost. But Lyric had never found more than a few shallow hookups out of the betas she’d dated.
There was nothing wrong with an omega who wanted those things. An alpha and a pack and a stable home to take care of. Just like there was nothing wrong with her wanting a career before an alpha. Wanting to take care of herself instead of someone else, or a pack of someones.
That was the kind of life her mother had dreamed of having for herself, and the dream she’d watched her own sister live. Lyric’s mother had never gotten over the ‘unfairness’ of it all, watching her sister grow into a beautiful omega, find her pack, and leave her family behind, while Lyric’s mom watched from the sidelines as a beta.
Lyric was sure there were plenty of omegas who would love the kind of easy life her mother wanted her to have so badly.
Lyric just wasn’t one of them.
She wasn’t when her mother tried so hard to make her into the perfect omega, and she wasn’t now, nor would she ever be.
It was sad that her mother had died before she could let go of the jealousy, before those dreams could come true.
Lyric was going to make sure that same fate wasn’t hers.
Rehearsals were Lyric’s new favorite part of the day. After finally opening up to the music and the others, each practice was more flawless than the last, but there was still something missing. So by the time she led them to the rehearsal venue, production completed and ready to be tested, she was bouncing in her sneakers to show them.
“Will you open the door already? I’m dying!” Nohen whined.
Lyric snickered before pressing her back against the door. “Don’t be so dramatic. Cover your eyes,” she ordered.
Emerson sighed at her antics, but after a hearty glare, he obeyed. Adra and Desi complied much easier.
“Okay, please don’t peek. I want your genuine reactions.” Nerves speared her stomach. “And if you honestly don’t like something, please let me know. We can do what we can to fix it in time.”
“It’s your tour, Lyric. We’re just the backup,” Desi said, intending the words to be comforting.
Instead, a funny uncomfortablenes
s tightened her chest, but she swallowed the argument. They had to know the tour depended on them just as much as it did her. There was no show without each of them.
“Okay, opening. Don’t peek,” she insisted. Then she pushed the door in and grabbed Nohen’s hand.
“You can look down, just not up. Not yet,” she said. “Watch your step.”
With a lot of guiding, a few curses, and a stubbed toe, she finally got them to the center of the empty venue. They were standing in the general admissions area, hands covering their eyes.
Excitement was vibrating off of them, and she wondered if her own giddiness was as palpable.
“Okay, you can look in three… two… one!”
They each opened their eyes, and Lyric held her breath as she studied them.
Desi gasped, and both her hands flew to her mouth.
Nohen’s mouth slowly slid open, though he remained silent. Stunned.
Emerson gave a slow whistle, and he feigned nonchalance, but even in the dull blue of the stage lights, she could see his gaze dart all over, eager to soak it all in.
Adra was frozen, eyes wide, mouth parted slightly. It was like someone had pointed a remote at him and clicked pause, leaving him forgotten as the others slowly came out of their surprise.
“Holy shit. That’s for me?” Desi asked, and took a step forward before stopping and spinning around to face her. “When can I sit down?”
A laugh bubbled out of Lyric and she motioned to the stage. “It’s all yours.”
A girlish squeal of pure giddiness exploded out of her, and Desi was across the venue and climbing up on the stage before Lyric could blink.
“So… what do you think?” The words burst out of her before she could contain them.
Desi climbed up on the lifted drum stage from the back ramp, sat in her seat, and yelled, “I’m king of the world!” Her voice echoed around the empty venue, and Lyric’s laugh joined her words.
At least she knew Desi was excited. The other three remained silent.
Paranoia took root, and from it sprouted a new wave of nerves, so she opened her mouth. “The stained glass panels aren’t really glass, they’re plexiglass. And lined with LED lights from behind.” She motioned to the semicircular wall that would cocoon them at the back of the stage. “Desi’s stage is also surrounded with them. They move. To make shapes and stuff with the songs. So, it won’t be a wall the whole time. Uh…”