Love is a Lyric (Rockstars Anonymous)

by Michelle MacQueen

  Drew snorted. “He’s right, man. You’re a terrible brother.”

  “You aren’t supposed to get excited by famous people when your brother is famous,” Ben grumbled.

  Chase pinned him with a look. “But you’re a boring famous person because I know you. It’s not the same.”

  “True dat.” Drew lifted his fist, and Chase bumped it. “I mean, if Dwayne Johnson walked in here right now, I’d probably have a heart attack.”

  Ben shook his head and slid his chair back to stand. Movement out in the yard caught his eye. Piper and Quinn walked side by side, their backs to the house.

  Well, they were both alive.

  He knew how much Piper wanted to mend things with Quinn. For her sake, he hoped Quinn could change.

  25

  Piper

  Piper was comfortable with silence, never feeling the need to speak just to fill the quiet spaces.

  Quinn, on the other hand, never had been.

  It took only a few moments of walking for her to break down and start speaking as if she’d never stop. “You hurt me, Piper. A lot. I know things weren’t always easy between us, but we’re all each other had. I always thought it was us against the world, and then it wasn’t. You left me all alone.” She huffed out a breath as if she’d been running instead of walking slowly toward the woods.

  Piper let the words turn over in her mind, trying to reconcile them with the sister she knew. “You… thought we were a team?” At least, that’s what she thought the words meant.

  Quinn stopped walking at the edge of the trees. “Well, yeah. Weren’t we?”

  Piper thought back on the commands from her sister, the stolen songs and demeaning tasks. “No, Quinn. We weren’t a team.”

  Quinn opened her mouth to say something before shutting it.

  Piper sighed. “I was your employee, and you treated me like it. Well, worse than you should treat an employee. I didn’t deserve that.”

  “But—”

  “Don’t argue with me, just listen. I have spent my entire life trying to please you because I thought you were the only family I had. But I was wrong. Both of us have this entire family right here in Ohio. We… you have Ben, and he’s…” She shook her head, trying to keep the tears at bay. “Maybe if we don’t hold on to each other so tightly, we can just be sisters, friends possibly.”

  “Do you love him, Piper?” Quinn’s entire body stilled while she waited for the answer.

  If Piper told her sister the truth, nothing would be the same between them. It would forever be a gaping wound that refused to heal. The world needed her not to love Ben Evans. They needed their first couple of rock to remain intact—at least as far as they knew.

  And Piper? She needed her sister. It took every ounce of strength she possessed to shake her head. “No, Quinny. That picture… it was a mistake.”

  Quinn’s shoulders sagged in relief, but not because she believed the lie. Her eyes gave away her skepticism. And still, she didn’t press. She wanted Piper to let go of Ben. She wrapped an arm around Piper and pulled her into a hug, resting her chin on Piper’s shoulder.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Piper couldn’t remember the last time those words passed Quinn’s lips. What was she sorry for? The way she’d treated Piper? The fact that Piper once again had to give up something for Quinn’s career?

  Piper didn’t want to know the answer, so she contented herself wrapping her arms around Quinn’s waist. “I’m sorry too. I love you, Quinny.”

  “Why do you always call me that? Even after I ask you to stop?”

  “Because it reminds me how much Mom and Dad would want us looking out for each other.”

  Quinn hugged her tighter. “They’d be proud of you. Not so much me.” She released her.

  Piper threaded their fingers together. “It’s never too late to change. Just remember, wherever I am, I believe in you. And my belief, it’s not about your career or your music, but you. The kind of person you can be. Why else do you think I’d stick around through all the bad if I didn’t believe there could be good?”

  Quinn wiped her face. “Enough of this sappy stuff. You can’t tell anyone I got sentimental.”

  Piper laughed, feeling a lightness in her chest for the first time since leaving her sister in Florida. “No, the world has to believe you’re stone cold. I get it. I also know differently.”

  “I’m glad there’s one person out there who does.”

  Piper tugged on her hand. “Come on. If we don’t get inside, Drew and Chase will eat all the food.”

  The house was too quiet.

  Jonathan and Julia played cards at the kitchen table while Piper lounged in the living room, her notebook on her lap.

  Four days ago, Quinn and Ben left for their lives in L.A., and Piper was still there, still in Ohio where they’d left her.

  Okay, now she was being dramatic. She had a big life waiting for her when she flew to New York in a few weeks to train with Matt before taking over his job working for Drew. And she was excited. That wasn’t a lie.

  But something still wasn’t right.

  She chewed on the end of her pen cap, smiling as she thought of how Quinn would yell at her for that. Having her sister back was good, but she hadn’t been able to bring herself to return any of Quinn’s calls over the past couple days.

  Baby steps.

  Quinn was in L.A., working on Piper’s songs to make them her own. She’d texted Piper a million questions, but the messages sat unanswered on Piper’s phone.

  Now, as she stared down at the unfinished song in her notebook, all she could think about was how she’d told Ben that was exactly what they were.

  A song that would never get its resolution.

  “I don’t want to be an unfinished song.” The words weren’t for anyone but herself as she flipped through the notebook for the lyrics she’d begun what seemed like years ago. In reality, it had only been weeks ago she’d found Ben sitting on his bed trying to write a song without lyrics, a song that never left Piper.

  She traced the words she hadn’t truly known the meaning of when she wrote them.

  One day.

  Forever together.

  One kiss.

  I’ll see you in my dreams.

  We thought we’d found heaven.

  That this was where our story ends.

  Her finger paused over the word ends as she closed her eyes and listened to the notes in her mind. Before she knew what she was doing, she’d started to write. And write.

  By the time the pen slowed, she’d written three more verses and a chorus.

  Her mom was right. Love was a lyric. In all it’s beautiful, messy, emotional words.

  Just a lyric.

  She closed her notebook, releasing a breath.

  The front door flew open, and Chase rushed in, his perfectly tailored suit making him appear older than he was. Piper whistled, a smile flitting across her face. “Yo, Evans.”

  He turned and sauntered in to the living room, leaning against the doorframe and sticking his hands in his pockets. “Hey, good lookin’.”

  “Professional looks good on you.” She left the notebook on the coffee table and walked over to him. “So, you do have a job.”

  He lifted a brow. “Why would you think I didn’t?”

  “You’re just always here.”

  “Pipes.” He pushed off the doorframe. “No job would keep me from you when you need me.”

  “Yeah, ditto.”

  He flashed her a grin. “Well, it’s Friday night, so you know what that means?”

  “Pajama Netflix party?”

  “You are not staying in this house another night. We have lives to live, girl.”

  He was right. And on a Friday night, there was only one place she wanted to be. “The pub? Saturdays are their open mics.”

  “Saturdays used to be the only open mic night. Now it lasts all weekend.” He grinned. “And you’re lucky.”

  “Why?”

 
“I didn’t change after work so you’ll be arriving with the sexiest thing in the pub.” He twirled.

  “Well, you just called yourself a thing, which is… weird. But you Chase Evans are very handsome. It’ll take the eyes off me at least.”

  He wrapped her in a hug and kissed the top of her head. “My beautiful best friend shouldn’t be in the shadows.”

  “You’re squishing me.”

  He released her with a laugh. “Let’s go tell the parentals their babies won’t be around for dinner.”

  She followed him into the kitchen where Julia and Jonathan had a laptop on the table.

  “Watcha watching?” Chase bounced toward them. “Porn?”

  Julia smacked him upside the head. “Watch your tongue, boy. Your brother was on the news last night and didn’t tell us until this morning. We found it on YouTube.” She sent Piper an apologetic look.

  Piper tried to rid herself of the ice slinking through her. She couldn’t help inching forward, needing to catch a glimpse of him.

  When the camera finally settled on Ben, he sat on a white couch, almost unrecognizable in his rockstar persona. That wasn’t the man haunting Piper’s dreams.

  Yet, when he smiled, everything else faded away.

  Two reporters sat across from him, talking casually. Piper barely heard the words they spoke until they drove a dagger right through her.

  “So, Ben, the rumors around L.A. are that you have an announcement.”

  She would have sworn she saw a grimace flash across his face, but it was gone just as quickly as he straightened and looked straight at his interrogators, becoming that Ben Evans, the one fans loved. A slow smile spread across his face. “Not one I’d like to share. We’re here to talk about the free concert we’re doing next week along with Noah Clarke.”

  The reporter smiled. “But the world wants to know, Ben, are you engaged to Quinn Hayes?”

  Panic swirled in his eyes, but it showed on no other part of him as one corner of his perfect mouth curled up. “Well, I don’t want to lie to my fans. There is a Fate wedding in our future.”

  Piper stumbled back, almost tripping over the leg of a chair.

  Julia shut the laptop, cutting off the rest of the interview as they waited. For wait? For Piper to explode? To cry? To fall to pieces?

  No. No guy would destroy her. Whether the engagement was real or fake, it shouldn’t matter to her anymore.

  Their half-finished music was just another piece of paper crumpled in the trash.

  But Piper Hayes… she still had more notes to play.

  Her eyes met Chase’s concerned gaze. “Are we going?”

  Chase looked to his parents, his brow scrunched in concern.

  “Look.” Piper faced them all. “I’m okay. My feet are still planted firmly on your very clean ground. Stop looking at me like I’m wounded. I just…” She pushed out a breath. “I need to sing, okay? I just need to sing.”

  Julia smiled. “Have fun, kids.”

  Piper walked down the hall and yanked on her tennis shoes. The pub wasn’t a dress up kind of place. She was fine in loose jeans and a V-neck blue shirt with her hair pulled into a side pony over one shoulder.

  By the time they got to the pub, the Friday night crowd packed the room. People called for drinks over the cacophony as a singing duet took the stage.

  Tommy himself seated people as they came in. He grinned when he caught sight of them. “My two favorite kids.”

  “Tommy.” Chase shook his head. “We’re twenty-one. You ever going to stop calling us kids?”

  “Maybe if this one sings for me.” He elbowed Piper.

  She rubbed her arm. “You sure like to bribe me, don’t you?”

  “Always. I’ve got one table left in the back corner. You two go grab it, and I’ll send out some food.” Piper had never really thought about the fact Tommy knew them so well they didn’t have to order, but she was grateful for the routine.

  Chase slid into the round booth next to her. “You good?”

  “Let’s make a deal. No more asking me that, and I won’t make you sing with me.”

  He barked out a laugh. “Sure.”

  They spent the next hour eating way too much food and laughing about inconsequential things, reminding Piper of a time when life was simpler, when she’d only known Ben Evans as her older sister’s friend, the son of the people who’d taken her in.

  A time when all she’d needed was Chase.

  A waitress set two bowls of chili in front of them, along with all the fixins. Tommy definitely knew how to put her in a good mood.

  Piper reached for the bowl of oyster crackers and threw one at Chase. It hit his forehead.

  “Did you just hit me with a cracker?” He suppressed a laugh.

  “You’re supposed to catch it.”

  “Immature.”

  “You love it.”

  He shot her a grin. This pub was the one place she didn’t have to act like she had it all together. She could play childish games or get up on stage to bare her soul.

  They’d finished their chili when Tommy stepped up to the table. “It’s time, Piper. The singers tonight have been atrocious. Show my patrons we know what talent looks like.”

  Piper lifted her eyes to the picture hanging on the wall near their table of her fourteen-year-old self. She stood and pressed a palm to the frame, telling that girl she could get through anything as long as she kept music in her throat, her mind, every cell of her body.

  Love might only be a lyric, but life was the whole dang song.

  Piper winked at Tommy before walking toward the stage. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d played piano, the last time her fingers danced over the bone-white keys. Her mom taught her when she was young, and then Julia continued the lessons. Piper spent hours upon hours sitting at the piano that now went unused in the Evans’ basement.

  Since going to work for Quinn, she’d lived in hotels or Quinn’s L.A. loft without a piano in sight. Her sister hadn’t played since their parents died.

  It hurt her too much.

  For Piper, it healed.

  She slid onto the black stool and stretched her fingers over the keys. A microphone hovered in front of her, but she couldn’t see the audience. Maybe that was for the best.

  She’d thought long and hard about which song to sing. It seemed like another life when she’d stood in that Florida room and ripped pages out of the notebook she’d kept since she was younger, the one housing her most precious songs. Even after reconciling with Quinn, they hadn’t spoken of the songs, and Piper knew what that meant.

  Quinn was still using them.

  But for this moment, as Piper sat in a restaurant in Ohio away from prying media eyes, they still belonged to her. She leaned into the mic. “This song is called Looking for You.”

  She started slowly, her fingers picking up speed as she remembered each note like she’d written them yesterday, the music flowing from her in waves.

  Music had never been a dream for Piper, never a career to wish for. Instead, it was a method of communication when words had so often failed her, a way to make sense of the world. She’d never cared if anyone else heard her or what they thought when they did.

  She just played.

  The words rose up in her, bolstering her until they flowed past her lips.

  Some days,

  I wonder if you’re there.

  But wishes are only memories.

  She kept going, oblivious to anything happening behind her as she leaned into the piano, letting the music heal the rift in her soul.

  Letting it tell her she was going to be okay. She was strong.

  As the song wound to a close, her playing slowed, the final notes leaving her breathless.

  Nothing happened for a beat of silence, of stillness.

  And then the crowd. They cheered for her, for her song. She turned on the bench to stare at them with wide eyes.

  She’d been right. Tonight, as she’d felt her world breaking
apart, she’d only needed to sing to put it back together again. This wasn’t about fame to her or applause.

  Music was as necessary as breathing.

  Chase rushed the stage and lifted her off the bench, swinging her around. “You were amazing.”

  It wasn’t the first time she’d sang, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.

  But it might have been the most important.

  “I love him, Chase,” she said as he put her down.

  Chase’s smile dimmed.

  “No.” She laughed. “It’s okay. I am in love with your brother, and I’m going to survive it.”

  26

  Ben

  Making an album was never easy. Not when a label was breathing down your neck.

  Not when there were more important things than music.

  For the first time in Ben Evans’ life, he couldn’t let the music wipe away the thoughts threatening to drown him.

  The white leather couch dipped as Conner sat next to Ben, a hesitant offering of peace. The two old friends had been dancing around each other in the three weeks since the band reconvened in L.A. They’d barely spoken as they pored over notes and lyrics trying to decide which of Quinn’s numerous songs she’d written would fit the tone of their newest album.

  A tone they hadn’t decided on.

  “You going to play that guitar or just stare at it?” Conner offered a tentative smile.

  Ben didn’t want to hate his best friend, not anymore. He wanted to go back in time to when this band was his lifeline, the only thing that made sense to him, not the thing confusing him even more.

  With a sigh, Ben set the guitar on the coffee table. “Just a lot on my mind.”

  “Like your engagement to Quinn?” There was no hurt in his voice, only concern. Conner found out about the label’s marketing ploy the same way the rest of the world did—in that ambush of an interview. Ben hadn’t had time to explain it to his family, his brother… Piper.

  And they’d all been busy in the weeks since. Or, at least, he wanted to believe that was why he hadn’t heard from any of them other than a few texts. It wasn’t something that could be explained over text.