Page 44 of Cadence
“I saw you whiz past me on the way in, Eli,” Thea teases, walking into the studio, her heels making soft, deliberate clicks on the floor as she stops at the table, setting her workbag on top. “And I’m not your mother.”
“Yeah, I know, but I mean, you are theboss,” he says as he runs his hand through his damp, tousled hair, hoodie half-zipped. “Couldn’t get outta bed.”
He leans across Beau, shifting to catch Maddox’s eye, grinning wide with that smug glow every red-blooded, single male getswhen he’s been laid. “Remember Carma? Long legs, nice ass,huuuge—”
Thea clears her throat. Eli freezes mid-gesture, both hands awkwardly cupped in front of his chest.
“Heart,” he mutters, pressing both palms to his chest. “Nice girl. Cares about the environment.”
“Sure, she does,” Maddox deadpans, his lips twitching into the barest hint of a smirk.
“Hey, she was all about saving water this morning!”
Beau nudges Eli, turning his attention to Thea as she takes a deep breath, her tone all business as she starts pulling color-coded folders from her bag.
“Fresh from the printer,” she says, setting them all out. “I’ve got everything here for the tour. Press schedules, venues, call times. This week is full-on prep, so anything you need to take with you”—she gestures toward our equipment, holding out a pack of tags—“label it up so it ends up on the tour bus.”
She tosses them toward the couch, and Beau snatches them mid-air, setting them beside him.
“Okay, you’ve got six days until you hit the road, and there’s something else we need to discuss before you travel. Just so we’re all on the same page.” She takes a seat, flicking open another folder and clicking her pen. “You’re getting a lot of attention from Reign and his team. They’re watching. Everything. Ever since he announced that you’re joining him, all eyes have been on you.”
Eli’s jaw drops. “You’re kidding.”
“Not even a little,” she says with a shake her head while trying to tame a smile. “He’s impressed. If this goes well, there’s talk of bringing Sip Station on for his European leg.”
You could hear a pin drop. No one moves, I don’t think anyone so much asbreathes, the silence as tangible as if it were anactual person. I glance at Maddox sitting completely still, his expression unreadable as my stomach twists into knots.
“So play it smart. This is no longer just you opening for Reign. This is your audition tokeepopening for him.”
“Holy shit,” Eli chokes out, bolting upright.
Beau lets out a surprised laugh, grinning, his eyes wide. “No pressure then.”
My pulse spikes, and I clutch the edge of the seat, trying to listen to Thea, but my brain has stopped cooperating. Europe. I thought three months touring with Reign was a big deal, but this… This could change our lives.
Thea keeps talking, answering questions Eli throws at her, and I try to focus, but all I can think about is the microscope we’ll be under.
I sneak a glance at Maddox, pretending I haven’t been doing it since the second he walked in this morning.
He hasn’t looked at me once, not when Eli joked about saving water, not when Thea mentioned the tour. Nothing. He’s acting like the other night didn’t happen, like we weren’t standing so close to each other that it was impossible to breathe, that we didn’t almost kiss. And somehow, that makes me feel like a fool for being so hung up on it the entire weekend.
But what I wouldn’t give to know if he thought about it too.
He’s deathly still, gripping the armrest like it might break off in his hand, his knuckles white, eyes fixed in front of him, the tension radiating from him impossible to ignore.
But then he stands abruptly, chair legs scraping loudly against the floor. Grabbing a folder, he stalks to the far side of the studio, Thea tracking him as he moves, lips pinching together as she watches him.
He doesn’t look at anyone, just flips through the pages, reading like he doesn’t believe a single thing that’s written on them. From this angle, I can see his profile, his furrowed brow,lips moving silently, jaw tight like he’s chewing through every word.
I don’t need to ask what’s on his mind. This band has been his baby since he was a teenager, and now he has a chance of getting everything he’s been chasing.
I push to my feet, restless energy crawling up my spine. Eli and Beau crowd around Thea, still swarming her with rapid-fire questions as I hover behind.
“We should lead with whatever song Reign liked most when we’re on tour,” Eli says, practically vibrating as he grabs a fistful of Beau’s hoodie, yanking him into a rough half-hug. “Reign Cooper, Beau! I still can’t fucking believe this.”
“Iknow,” he says through a laugh, steadying himself as he shrugs Eli off, his gaze shifting to me. “I knew having you in the band would change everything, Drummer Girl.”
He lifts a fist, and I bump it with mine, heat blooming across my cheeks as he uses Eli’s term of endearment.
