Broken: A Bad Boy Romance, page 13
With everyone in their places, the lights dim to our usual, soft, blue mood lighting. People's cheers settle down, but people are already swaying in anticipation near the front of the stage. In the past year, we've gathered quite the fan group.
I start drumming a smooth beat like Sophia explained to me in the back. Issac backs me up with his keyboard. People start dancing and grinding as Clarabella starts strumming a couple of chords. Together, we all sound soft, sensual, but with a hard edge. Sophia looks like she can feel the music, and I smile as I watch her sway to the beat. When she steps closer to the mic, my heart races.
"Will I ever see you again?" Sophia croons.
Fuck.
Her voice is the most angelic fucking thing I've ever heard.
It honestly makes my breath catch in my throat. I can tell that the rest of the band feels the same way because I catch Wesley and Clarabella giving me excited looks as the crowd erupts from Sophia's voice. Even Issac looks up from his board.
"Because, honey, oh honey, I'm missing you."
Sophia sings with so much emotion, and her voice has such a unique lilt that I find myself leaning forward, trying to take in as much as my senses can.
Sophia's disconnected the mic from the stand now and is walking around the stage. I watch as the first couple of rows completely follow her with their eyes. Even though she tried to make it seem like she wasn't, Sunshine is a complete natural at this.
I knew it.
"I've been waiting so long to see you again.
So, please, can you just tell me when we'll meet again?"
It's obvious who she's singing about. I can feel it just as much as I could tell that she's an amazing singer. The lyrics could apply to Eddie or anyone else who's ever lost someone. That's why people are so transfixed. Sophia has a voice that draws you in, but her lyrics pierce you right through the heart.
"I dream about a day.
A day where you didn't leave.
No, a day where you stayed.
I would give everything I could if only to get one more hit.
A hit of you."
She holds the last note of 'you' and belts it out into a perfect high note. People in the front go wild, and Sophia's face flushes after she finishes the note. She rushes back over to the microphone.
After hearing the first parts of the song, Clarabella starts doing backup vocals. The girls perfectly harmonize with each other as the rest of us try to back them up as best we can with our instruments.
"A hit of you," Sophia belts, giving her all to the end of the song.
We all stop perfectly in sync. There's only half a second of pause before the crowd erupts in cheers. Sophia smiles brilliantly, and my heart leaps at the sight of her so completely enthralled and present. Even though I can't get enough of her voice, I wish that was our last song so I could rush her off the stage and claim her lips. If she thinks that this will be the first and last time she's on this stage or singing in front of me, she's damn wrong.
Clarabella and Sophia exchange a few words as Issac starts playing the beat for our next song. It's one of our own.
Sophia and Clarabella switch places so that Clarabella is lead and Sophia will be backup. Sophia sways as the song starts and catches on quickly. Even though Clarabella is a good singer, I hang on to every piece of Sophia I can hear.
She's fucking mesmerizing.
At the end of the second song, the crowd comes alive just as much as the first. Clarabella motions that she wants to end with the same song we usually do — Alive With You.
Wesley and I switch places as Issac starts playing the soothing, sultry beat that I helped him make. People start quieting down as they recognize the lull. I tighten the strap of my guitar against my chest. Sophia looks over at me as I drag another mic up to the front of the stage near hers. Our setup doesn't look as good as it usually does, but I can already tell that this will be our best performance of this song. And I can't wait for Sophia to hear me almost as much as I couldn't wait to hear her.
I look at her as the beat drops, and Sophia looks back at Issac in wonder. I catch the rare smile he sends back at her, and Clarabella pulls Sophia over, so they're sharing a mic.
"We love you!" a woman from the front screams.
I look down and see that it's the same woman from a couple of weeks ago. The one who Wesley claimed was giving me "Fuck-Me” eyes. She's wearing a lacy black bodysuit that trails into high-waisted black denim shorts. Her bare legs are covered in dark, intricate-looking tattoos. Usually, I would have been drawn to that, but not tonight. I don't give her anything other than a polite nod before starting my song. I can feel Sophia looking at me. Even though it's childish, a part of me hopes that she's a little bit jealous, even though I haven't had eyes for anyone else since we met at the library.
Wesley starts drumming, and Issac compliments it by turning up the beat.
"Oh, brother, it's been a year," I softly sing. "Without you here. But don't you worry, dear brother, I've got you."
Sophia's eyes widen as she realizes who I'm singing about. It makes me feel less alone in the grief, realizing that both Sophia and I are so affected by loss. Like maybe instead of being alone and missing our people, we can be together, and maybe that'll make it a little less difficult. Instead of every day being a struggle, maybe we could lean on each other.
"I've always got you," Clarabella softly echoes. Sophia sways with her around the mic. I can tell that she will add something lovely to the next chorus, now that she's got the vibe.
People who frequent Ambrosia sing with us, and we all start amping up the song. When I wrote it, it came from a place of feeling broken-hearted and empty. Writing the song and performing it for people has helped. I've talked with random people from the club, and multiple people have told me it helps them to hear me sing about grieving.
Wesley goes all out on the drums, and Clarabella and Ethan back me with their guitars as I belt out the last chorus. Compared to the song's start, people are now jumping and dancing, letting everything out like I am onstage. It's a beautiful thing to experience.
Sophia and Clarabella are dancing together, and I watch them as I click my microphone back into place.
"Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for our favorites, The Brokens. Hopefully, they'll be back next week!" Alex roars. The crowd screams at the top of their lungs as we pack up and put stuff back for the next band.
Clarabella has her arms wrapped around Sophia's shoulders as she leads her off the stage. I squeeze in behind them. Wesley claps on my back.
"Bro, you've got to promise to bring your girl around more!" he roars. "That was fucking incredible."
Other bands gathered backstage, congratulate us as we make our way down.
"You killed it, girl!" Clarabella cheers, rubbing Sophia's back. "You and I are going to get together and write some stuff. I don't care what you say. I need your lyrics and vocals to rub off on me. You're amazing."
Sophia flushes. I can tell how much the compliment means to her. "Nah, you don't need anything from me. You're really good," she tells Clarabella.
Clarabella looks like she's about to respond, but Ethan appears on her other side.
"You did really good out there, Bella," he says, giving her the same warm smile Issac and I have been commenting on privately for the past couple of months. We've already been placing bets on who's going to do what when Wesley finds out.
"So did you, E," Clarabella says. She tries to appear cool, but I've known her the majority of my life, just like the rest of my friends. And I notice when her cheeks get a couple of shades redder.
They break apart when Wesley comes barreling out behind them. Wesley hooks his arm around Clarabella's shoulders. "So, what are we doing now?" Wesley asks.
I give Issac a look. "Why don't you guys go ahead? I'm going to hang back with Sophia for a little bit."
Wesley looks like he wants to say something smart, but thankfully, Issac interpreted my look. He gives Wesley such an intense glare that Wesley doesn't even open his mouth.
"We'll be back in the booth," Issac tells me, clapping me on the shoulder.
The rest of the crew exits out of the doors. Once security stands back in front of the doors, I wrap my arms around Sophia's wrist and tug her into the private room a couple of feet back. I slam the door shut, and then it's just the two of us in silence, besides the sounds of the next band starting.
"What are you doing, Theo?" Sophia protests, although she's giggling.
I feel her arms reaching around me, trying to find the door, but I position myself firmly in front of it. Before she can say anything else, I slide my hands up, running them over the back of her neck. She stiffens underneath my fingers.
"What are you doing, Theo?" Sophia tries again, no giggle this time.
She tries to back away from me, but I keep my arms firmly around her. "You're fucking incredible, Sunshine," I murmur.
Sophia stiffens even more against me, which I don't like. I wish she knew she could relax around me. That she doesn't have to put on the front she does with other people.
"That was a one-time thing," she says, echoing what I thought she would when we were on stage.
I smirk at her. "No, it wasn't. At least not around me."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, we're going to make some great music together. You were practically eye-fucking my piano, so we can do it at my place."
Sophia's face turns a couple of shades redder, and she tries to back away from me again. Only problem is, she's a foot shorter than me, and I want her more than she wants to get away from me. I can tell there's a part of her that wants me and this too. Even if she's not all the way there yet with letting herself believe it.
"What happened on stage was just because I was drunk," she says, trying to shut this down.
But I won't let her.
"You've got an incredible voice. You don't get a voice like that just out of nowhere. You must like singing," I note.
"I used to," she corrects.
"With Hunter?" I guess.
She shrugs, but her eyes look a little glossy, so I can tell that I've hit the nail on the head.
"Well, it's good that you're doing it again. Eddie and I used to sing together too. He had a much better voice than me. The first couple of months after he died, I stopped singing; I almost got rid of my piano. But my friends didn't give up on me. They dragged me to this place and somehow got me on stage. After my first performance, I was addicted."
"I'm not like you, Theo," Sophia shrugs.
"It's good to do stuff that reminds you of them," I say, trailing my fingers down to her back. "And stuff that you love," I add. "I saw the way you looked up there. You loved it."
She shakes her head but doesn't say anything else.
"It was a beautiful song, too," I say, taking in her face as my eyes have adjusted to the darkness.
"Yours was beautiful too," she whispers.
And just when I think she's going to take a step back again, she takes a step forward. I smirk, knowing that I was right about again. My Sunshine wants me just as much as I want her.
"I wrote it after we started performing here. Singing about Eddie in front of all those people means something. Everyone's lost someone, you know?"
"Yea, everyone here clearly loves you guys."
I chuckle at the sour expression on her face. She's obviously thinking about the woman who screamed for me when we stepped on stage. Good. It reminds me of the jealousy I had when Cody was trying to be all over her.
"You jealous, Sunshine?" I ask, taking another step closer to her.
Sophia doesn't move back. By this point, we are only a couple of inches away from each other. Every part of my body is aching to take her the way I want to. I want her pressed against me, everywhere. I want to taste her, see if she actually tastes like sunshine.
"Is it stupid that I was? A little bit," she laughs.
"No, not at all."
I liked it.
I close the rest of the distance between us.
Sophia sucks in a breath, which makes her chest touch mine. She tilts her head up towards me, and I see that her brown eyes are warmer than they usually are. Good. It's only fair that she's as hot for me as I am for her.
"But, you wanna know something, Sunshine?"
"Hm?"
"I haven't been interested in other women since I first saw you at the library."
I smile as I feel her stiffen against my front. Sophia doesn't move away. Instead, she tilts her head back even more. And then, she surprises me by leaping up. It seems like everything slows down as Sophia wraps her arms around my neck, pulls me down, and presses her mouth hungrily against mine. She moans as soon as we touch.
Fuck.
Blood rushes to my cock, and heat swarms into my chest. I grab Sophia back with as much urgency as she's gripping my neck.
Sophia pushes her feet against the floor and catches me off balance. I stumble backward, and she takes her hands from my neck and presses them against the wall. I smile against her mouth at her cute attempt to block me in. Both of us know that I could have her thrown off me and against the room with one sweep of my arm, but I let her think that she's holding me there and just enjoy tasting her lips.
It's easily the hottest kiss I've ever had in my life. All of my other drunken hookups don't come close to how fucking good it feels just kissing Sophia.
Sophia nibbles gently on my lip, and I have to push down every primal urge to rip her shirt off and do more to her. Even though I'm rock hard. I'm sure that Sophia can feel it. She's pressed against my front, and she keeps grinding her hips back and forth.
After a couple of minutes, Sophia pulls back, breathless. The fire is still there in her eyes, but she takes a couple of steps back and adjusts her ponytail.
"We good to go now?" Sophia asks, reaching for the door. She winks before sauntering out, leaving me in the dark room alone. Every part of my body screams at me to go, snatch her, and bring her back in here because there's no way in hell I'm satisfied with just that. But I don't do anything. Instead, I stay pressed against the door and look up at the ceiling.
Thank you, Eddie.
You're clearly the master behind all of this. Because there's no way in hell, I would have been able to attract an angel like that all by myself.
24
SOPHIA
I spot Clarabella and the rest of the group dancing near the back. Clarabella reels me in, and I shake my hips with her, feeling high on the ear-pounding bass, alcohol, and kissing Theo. Clarabella cheers and claps her hands as I turn and grind my ass on her, the same way Hunter used to when we would dance around and be silly. When Clarabella tries to do the same to me, Wesley stops her, and she sticks her tongue out at him.
"You're no fun, Wesley," she pouts.
He shrugs. "I'm tons of fun. You're not allowed to be as much fun."
Clarabella rolls her eyes but goes back to dancing with me, no ass shaking this time. The band on stage is preparing for their second song when I feel a pair of warm arms wrap around my waist and whirl me around. It all happens so fast that I feel a bit nauseous and dizzy, but Theo steadies me.
"So, she sings, and she dances. What can't you do, Sunshine?" Theo asks, mimicking the movements I'm making effortlessly.
I can feel the rest of the group staring at us, but I'm having such a good time; I don't care. This is the most I've felt since Hunter. I'm going to hold onto this feeling for as long as I can. Because I know that tomorrow morning I'm going to have to wake up and feel empty and terrible. But right now, it feels like I ditched school early or something.
"I'm a terrible dancer," I laugh as Theo sweeps me up in his arms. Instinctively, my arms go around his neck again, and we press together. He's basically holding me up, so we sway and move how he wants.
"Nah. You're perfect," Theo says.
Before I can process what he's doing, he dips me back. All of the blood rushes to my brain, and even though the whole thing lasts only a couple of seconds, the flashing lights make my head spin.
"No more of that," I gasp, clutching him tightly.
Theo laughs but sticks to spinning me around in small circles. After a couple of moments, he pulls me closer to him. For a second, I think that we will have a repeat of what just went down in the closet, but instead of keeping our faces level, he bends to speak in my ear.
"You're coming over again after this. Okay?"
"Theo, I can't," I laugh.
He growls in my ear. It sends a bolt of heat from the center of my chest down to my core. "I thought you would say that, but it wasn't really a question. You're coming over."
"My mom will kill me this time," I groan. "I barely got off after last night. I don't want to push it again."
"Oh, come on, Sunshine. Live a little."
"I've lived a lot tonight," I point out, "I probably shouldn't push my luck."
"Well, fine, then, I'll sneak in." Theo shrugs as if it's really that simple.
"What about your car?"
As if that's the most pressing matter. When in all actuality, it's the idea of Theo pressed against me in my small twin bed. My parents could walk in on us at any time, and then I'd really be in some deep shit.
"I'll drop you off at the door and park around the block. Easy," Theo shrugs.
I try to come up with another reason why we shouldn't, but Theo takes one hand from my waist and presses his fingers against my lips. My resolve crumbles, and Theo grins, which almost makes the fear of it all worth it.
"Thank all of you lovely bands for coming out and performing tonight," Alex says as the music cuts off.
I look to the stage and see he's a smaller, older guy. But his arms are covered with tattoos, and he's wearing a beanie and dark jeans, so he fits right in. "We're going to switch over to some of our stuff now. Feel free to enjoy the rest of the night, or you can dip, and we'll have more live music tomorrow. Make sure you're here!"
