Page 107 of Fame & Rhythm

Do they know I exist?

Do they know that I’m out here building something of my own?

Would they ever come to a show?

Would they stand at the back of a crowd, watching without saying a word?

Would they feel anything at all?

Oh God! My chest tightens.

Stop.

If they cared, they wouldn’t have given you up. The thought hits harder than I expect, and I push it down, forcing it away.

Mum, Dad, Ella—they’re my family. They’ve always been there, and that’s what matters.

“Annie. Earth to Annie?” Caleb’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “You with us?”

I blink and refocus. “Yeah… sorry. Zoned out for a second.”

Aston reaches for my hand, and I squeeze his fingers, grounding myself.

“Well, try not to drift off again,” Caleb says. “This is important. Just stay sharp tonight. This is our moment. If we nail this, this time next year we could be back here as the headline act.”

We all cheer.

“Recoil’s about to go on, so don’t wander off. Their set is thirty minutes, and we’re up ten minutes after that. Stay close, yeah?”

We nod, laughing as he gives us that look. He can be so bossy.

Twenty minutes later, Aston and I are curled up together on the sofa when Caleb steps into the middle of the room and clears his throat. “All right, while our dads are doing their pre-show thing, we should be getting ready. Let’s move.”

We head out together, making our way toward the stage as Recoil finishes their set. The backstage area is buzzing—crew, family, our mums are all waiting. Dad and his band are still off doing their routine.

From the side of the stage, I listen.

Recoil sounds incredible.

And the lead singer’s voice? Mesmerizing.

I spot Ella standing near the edge, staring up at the stage with a huge smile on her face.

I walk over and slip my arm around her shoulders, following her gaze.

And there he is…

Danger.

Of course, he’s the lead singer.

That explains the confidence—the attitude.

Lead singers always have that effect. Women fall over themselves for them, just look at Caleb. I glance over at him and notice he’s on his phone again, grinning. Whoever Caleb’s talking to has him in a good mood, and it is nice to see.

“Isn’t he amazing, Annie?” Ella says, snapping me back.

“What? Oh, yeah. Him.”