Chapter 1
Sienna
"This is a disaster!" My eyes are swelling with tears, my makeup already a mess.
"It's not a disaster." Nora, my manager, tries to comfort me.
"Nora." She looked up. "My guitarist quit just days before a sold-out show!.
"Correct." I look up at her. How can she be this calm?
"And you're not concerned?"
"I'm concerned."
"You don't look it."
"That's because one of us has to remain calm."
I groaned, dropping into my chair. The rehearsal studio was quiet. Three hours ago, it was filled with music, now? It was just empty, in a depressing way.
I spent a year preparing for this big moment. Things were coming along, and I felt like now was my time to finally shine-show the world what I can do.
The first show of the summer was supposed to be perfect—new songs, choreography, outfits. Everything had been planned for months. And now one of the most important parts of the band walked away because he wanted to "pursue other opportunities." Well fuck him.
Nora locked her phone and set it on the table.
"I found someone."
"What? Nora, no experienced guitarist is willing to take an offer days before a show."
"This one is."
I ran my hands down my face. "You already hired them?"
"Not technically. I scheduled an audition."
"What would I do without you?" I smiled. I had spent years building my career. Every crisis ended with Nora fixing it.
"Guy or girl? And how old?" I asked.
"Guy, twenty-two."
"Twenty-two? That's my age."
"I'm aware."
"We cannot hire a twenty-two-year-old the day before a show!"
"Why? You're twenty-two."
"That's different. I'm me." A knock sounded at the studio door.
Nora immediately stood. "Perfect timing."
"Nora-"
"You're meeting him."
I groaned. The door opened, and suddenly every argument I had prepared disappeared. It wasn't because a world-famous, legendary artist walked in; it was because the guy who walked in looked completely relaxed.
Slightly curly, blonde hair, tall, confident, and a fitted black shirt. His blue eyes moved around the room before landing on me.
"Hi." He smiled.
"Sienna, this is Jace Walker." He extended a hand. I looked at it, then shook it. His grip reflected his appearance, confident. I glared at him a second too long, not in a nice way.
"Okay, let's let him play." Nora
"What song?" He asked.
I intentionally named one of my harder songs. If he was going to fail, let's get it over with. Nora gave me a look.
Jace gave me a nod. He started playing, and my doubts started to disappear. He was good, annoyingly good.
Jace finished the song. Every note, every transition, every little detail, was exactly right.
"Want another?" He asked, giving me a cocky smirk.
I named a second, then a third. He played all of them flawlessly. By the end of the audition, I wasn't looking for mistakes anymore. I was looking for reasons not to hire him. Unfortunately, I wasn't finding any.
Jace rested his hands on the electric guitar. "Well?"
"You know you're good, don't you?" I roll my eyes.
"A little."
I scoff. Unbelievable. Nora laughed.
"Don't make me regret this," I say defeatedly.
"I will try my best."
For the first time today, I wasn't thinking about the guitarist who left. But the one that walked in.
