“Oh my God, you’re like a mother complaining about no grandbabies. Jack and Lille will get married when they’re good and ready.”
“Look,” Jay interrupted. “She’s about to sing.”
“Gah! Okay, shut up. Nobody say a word for the next three minutes.”
Jay shot her a perplexed look. “I’m the only one here.”
“Pfft, you know what I mean.”
“Sometimes I wonder if my weirdness is rubbing off on you.”
“Jay, seriously, I love you, but if you don’t stop talking in the next five seconds I’m going to knock you out.”
Jay grabbed her and pulled her close. “How I love your sexy threats.”
Dublin, Ireland, 04:17 a.m.
“I’m exhausted. Tell me again why I agreed to stay up for this?” Jack complained while sitting in bed next to Lille, a laptop open in front of them.
“Because I don’t want to miss the song. It’s going to be the highlight of the entire show,” Lille argued.
“But can’t we just watch the repeat tomorrow night?”
“It’s not the same thing. I want to see it happening live. It’s way more exciting that way.”
“It won’t be exciting when we’re both exhausted in the morning.”
“Quit being a grump. It’s unbecoming,” said Lille as she nudged him playfully.
Jack blindsided her when he grabbed her at the waist and pulled her body under his. He brought his mouth to her neck and licked up as far as her earlobe, causing her to melt beneath him. She emitted a low moan, trying to see past him to the screen of the laptop.
“You’re trying to distract me,” she complained, at the same time trembling when he brought his hand between her legs.
He smiled as he kissed his way to her mouth. “Is it working?”
“Almost,” she replied on a breathy chuckle.
Jack tut-tutted. “Then I better up my game.”
“Wait. Stop. She’s coming on stage now,” Lille shrieked eagerly, wriggling out of Jack’s hold to turn up the volume.
He sighed and flopped back into the pillows. “You’ve got three minutes and then I’m stripping you naked.”
Lille flashed him a grin. “If you must.”
London, England, 04:17 a.m.
“Can you lot keep it down? You’ll wake little Tessa,” King complained, holding the baby monitor in his hand.
“I don’t get why we couldn’t have this party at our place,” said Lee. “No babies to wake up there.”
“Because we left it too late to organise a babysitter,” Alexis told him. “Besides, you wouldn’t have gotten to play football with Oliver today if we’d gone to yours. Your garden’s way too small. You know, you should really think about moving to a bigger place.”
“There’s a house for sale at the end of the road,” said Karla, shooting her friend a knowing look. “She’s been hedging for us to buy it for weeks.”
“I just think it’d be great if we became neighbours,” said Alexis. “We could pop around for tea all the time.”
“We already do that anyway,” Karla replied.
“But this way I wouldn’t have to wait forever for you to drive over,” Alexis argued.
Lee glanced at Alexis. “What’s the asking price?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll check in the morning.”
“Are you actually considering it?” Stu asked, where he sat on one end of the couch next to Andie. “I didn’t think I’d ever see the day that you left Hackney.”
“Yeah, I always thought you’d have your ashes scattered over the local football pitch,” Liam teased.
“Now there’s a classy idea,” Iris added.
Lee flexed his hands then rested them at the back of his head. “I don’t know. I kinda like the idea of moving up in the world. Plus, it’ll be fun making the neighbours nervous when they see us lot moving in.”
“You see,” Alexis exclaimed, making pleading eyes at Karla. “Think of all the hijinks we’re missing out on.”
“Fine. I’ll think about it. Now can we all focus on the TV? She’s about to sing Reya’s song.”
They all quietened down as the presenter announced the next performance.
The Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, 8:17 p.m.
“I can’t believe they actually invited me,” said Reya as she ran her hands nervously over her dress.
“Of course they invited you. Your song is up for an award,” said Trev, draping an arm around her shoulders for moral support.
“Yeah, but nobody really thinks of it as my song. She’s the one who sings it.”
“Well I think of it as yours and that’s all that matters.”
Reya bent forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. She lifted her champagne flute and took a long swig as the presenter announced the next act.
“Look at my hands. They’re shaking.”
Trev took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb back and forth over her palm. He whispered sweet nothings in her ear to help calm her nerves. “You’re incredible. I’m so proud of you. I’m the luckiest bloke in the world to be sitting by your side.”
She squeezed his hand back and shot him a look of thanks just as the house lights dimmed and the opening chords played on the grand piano. All eyes were on the stage, not only inside the venue but in millions of homes across the globe. They were all listening to Reya’s song. She was a stranger to most of them, and yet, she hoped they found meaning in her words. She wished that for just a few brief moments, they felt something as real as the story she told.
If the violin is a voice
Then the drums are a heart
And the piano is my body and soul
If the air is a street
Then the clouds are a path
And your feet so easily close the distance
You walk on air like it’s concrete My heart’s on air like it’s incomplete Then you leap and it’s like I have no breath
My heart’s alive when you smile at me The air’s electric when our lips meet And your touch is a spark that lights the sun
If the words you say are real
Then this love that I feel
Isn’t just a fleeting thing
If you hold me today
And promise you’ll stay
I’ll believe that you’ll never break my heart
You walk on air like it’s concrete My heart’s on air like it’s incomplete Then you leap and it’s like I have no breath
My heart’s alive when you smile at me The air’s electric when our lips meet And your touch is a spark that lights the sun
END.