Page 20 of The Nanny and the Heartthrob

After a few weeks of living with Tomàs and Bess, they’d become decent musicians. Leighton had gravitated toward the piano while he couldn’t get enough of the guitar.

And this gift, and the racket they were making until late into the night, had caught the attention of their neighbor, a gangly kid his age with a mop of sandy brown hair and sky-blue eyes named Trey Grant, who happened to play the bass.

And the rest was history.

The three of them spent every free moment in the garage eating, sleeping, and breathing music.

A couple of years in, Trey suggested they start recording their sessions, and Leighton had proposed they share their music online.

But one crucial component was missing.

They needed a name, and thanks to a handful of Scrabble tiles, one stormy Colorado day, they got one.

With the rain pounding the garage’s tin roof, his sister had shrieked as she placed her tiles on the board. She addedthrobto the end of the wordheartthat had built off theAin Trey’s word,warfare.

“LB, that’s our name. Heartthrob Warfare,” his sister had called, pointing out the words to him, letter by letter.

He could still hear the excitement in her voice.

“Heartthrob Warfare is going to war and fighting for what makes your heart sing.”

That’s how Leighton had explained it. She’d beamed, saying the words over and over like a spell.

Heartthrob Warfare, Heartthrob Warfare!

Was he sold on it?

Not exactly.

But that was the thing about Leighton.

Once she’d fallen in love with something, there was no talking her out of it.

The truth was, after a bit more consideration, he couldn’t help but admit the name was catchy as hell. It possessed a lovely, melodious cadence to it.

And what did Trey think?

It was no secret that Trey had been in love with his sister since he’d set eyes on her back when they were kids. So of course, the guy had agreed, and thanks to a handful of letter tiles, Heartthrob Warfare was born.

But there was more.

Like magic, minutes after Leighton had spoken the name, a refrain came to him.

Heartthrob warfare, I’m fighting for your love.

Heartthrob warfare, it’s a battle for your touch.

Heartthrob warfare, I need you, oh, so much.

The lyrics and the melody revealed themselves to him like they always did.

And Trey and Leighton pulled the song together like he could never do.

Like he still couldn’t do.

Fifteen years ago, the song “Heartthrob Warfare” had been the catalyst. He and Trey were eighteen and Leighton was seventeen when the song went viral. Thanks to millions of views on the social media platform LookyLoo, before he could blink, they’d been plucked from obscurity. A manager had offered her services, and days later, they’d signed a contract with a music label.

That was either the point where everything went right or where his life began to unravel.

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