Rock Me

Chapter Seven

Sophia:

My arms and legs shook with the adrenaline from the heat of the lights during the sound check. After fifteen minutes, I realized this

would be harder than I had thought. The urge to feel that rush again was blinding. I wanted to feel it, see the eyes wide on me because the music I played touched their souls. It was far more addicting than any other substance one could imagine.

I tried to stay hidden after Kayla dolled me up.

This wasn't me; I wasn't confident enough to pull off her clothes even though they fit like a glove.

I looked down at my checkered vans and all their glory, thankful I hadn't listened to Kayla and went with the stilettos. She thought they would look great with these shorts that need more length in the crotch. I fiddled with the fishnet crop top covering the black sports bra thing beneath it. This wasn't me, but the music was. So, I closed my eyes and forgot about the hell in my heart. I tried to forget about the pull to the instruments on the bus.

I tried so hard to forget it all that the guys were thirty minutes into the show before Kayla's panic pulled me from my mind, opening my eyes.

"Weston!" Her tone held this blood-curdling effect that made the hair on my neck stand upright. There was genuine fear in her voice.

I rounded the corner, realizing that the music had stopped entirely, and Logan, Wit, and Toby were ushering a pale, screaming Weston off stage. "The tendon is torn; it has to be torn." He cried out, gritting his teeth. This was the first time I had seen his arm without the sling, and the inflammation and swelling in his elbow was unreal.

"You did this, Sophia. Weston would not have gotten hurt if you had just agreed to play." I silently belittled myself while the others tried to convince Weston to go to the hospital when all he wanted to do was try to push through the end of the show.

I looked at the restless crowd; their worry was wearing off, and their anger began setting in. After all, they were promised a show, and they paid their hard-earned dollar to see the four handsome men parade around playing the songs they sing on their way to and from their average daily lives.

I should have never let Weston go out there hurt, not when I could have stepped into his place. Now, his wife is begging him to be treated, and I am just standing here like an i***t.

"I can do it. I will play in Weston's place tonight if you want." My voice barely broke through the chaos, but Toby heard.

"See, Sophia is stepping in; we. We will finish the show and meet you at the hospital," Toby said, pushing Weston's hair from his eyes.

I was ready to puke as the reality of my words set in. There were thousands of people out there, and I hadn't played in front of anyone since before leaving Julliard.

"Get her my collar." Weston gritted, making my eyes widen. Wit took the collar from Weston's neck and put it around mine with a glint of mischievousness in his eyes.

Logan and Toby were doing damage control with the crowd while the crew got me wired up, and Wit tried explaining everything to me.

"Wait, it sounds like you're talking underwater," I muttered, swallowing hard, feeling like my nerves were about to spew from my sh.it talking lips.

His big, warm hands took my face, forcing me to look him in the eyes. The way his thumbs ran hot trails down my cheeks forced my attention to him, giving him every ounce of me that wasn't consumed in anxiety.

"Look at me, Sophia." His demanding tone sent electricity beneath my skin in violent waves, and the same addictive smell filled my lungs.

"You will go out there and show the world your amazing talent. Understand?" He never let my face go, never stopped running his thumbs across my burning cheeks.

"Yeah, I got it." I nodded, nearly collapsing to the floor when this man nodded at my brother, who started to introduce me as the person stepping in for Weston tonight.

"Good," He kissed my forehead and left me standing there with black drumsticks clenched tightly in my fists.

What felt like an eternity passed before I was signaled out on the stage by Wit. I thought anything would have to feel better than how I felt standing behind those curtains; I was sure the moment my toes touched the stage, I would puke. But then the lights hit me, warming my skin like I had craved. The crowd responded with loud screams and flashing cell phone lights, and it was like my worry was made of wax, and I was the candle, and the lights and sounds were the burning flame that was melting it all away from me.

The moment my butt hit Weston's stool, it was on.

I closed my eyes and took a calming breath. I could hear how I sounded when I tried talking Elias through a tantrum. I would hold three fingers up and encourage him to use his breathing exercises to "blow out the candles." I took one deep breath, holding it until I could hear him exhale, blowing all his little might onto my fingertips.

I would count them in; it was my job to keep time for all of us, and Wit's job was to use his bass as the push. When it came time to start the next song, I jumped in, holding my breath until I realized I hadn't missed a beat on a song I had only heard twice.

When I started playing, the crowd erupted. It was a song they wanted to hear, a song they all knew and loved, and seeing their reaction was like taking hold of a live wire with my bare hands.

I watched my brother dance around, watched Toby and Wit, and realized this was indeed them in their natural element. This is who they are when addiction isn't plaguing their lives.

When Toby and Wit crossed in behind Logan, putting their hands on each other, making their lips come so close to touching, I was sure they would kiss, and my playing almost faltered.

The crowd had the same reaction as they erupted, bringing the lights and music back into focus for me until the next song when Logan began telling the audience it was the last song on the set and how deeply we appreciated them coming out to be with us. I felt sad. I didn't want this to be over like these two hours had passed far too fast. I hated it.

Wit:

I hadn't felt more alive during a show since Logan's addiction had gotten so bad. There was something about Sophia's uncanny ability to take a song and make it better that had me high on the music for the first time in months.

This was the show's last song, and I couldn't wait to get her back to the bus, to thank her, and to praise her in any way she would allow. I could still feel her soft cheeks beneath the pads of my thumbs like silk and honey. She is divine.

I almost tripped over my foot when I realized we were at the point in this song where I would climb the stand to reach Weston, take his collar by the loop, and tighten it, bringing my lips to his in a swift kiss that always makes both of us, Kayla especially, too embarrassed to breathe. The crowd was waiting for it, waiting for me to rush up to Sophia and claim her lips to bring the show to an end.

Their chant began as usual:

"Kiss her!" they screamed, making us all look at one another. Sophia looked startled, wide-eyed, and innocent.

Toby looked unsure, darkened with fury that it was me getting to play this part.

When Logan nodded, I needed no more encouragement.

I would finally get to kiss the girl I had been in love with since middle school.

My feet moved without hesitation, and my fingers, though shaking, curled on the loop without missing.

"Don't panic," I told her, pulling it tight enough that she moaned into the mic, adding something perfect to the song none of us knew was missing.

When my lips took hers, it was slow, hot.

My body erupted in a flame of need that I wasn't sure would ever die down.

I kissed her like she was the only oxygen source in the room while I drowned in the oxytocin flooding my body, and when I let her go and made my way back to my place on the stage, the song was ending, and I was high, floored by the taste she left on my lips.