Page 164 of Debts and Desires
“But?”
“But I want somethingmore.Do you have any others? Even if it’s just ideas.” It was like fate. How else would he have known? I swallowed, but nodded, grabbing my notebook back and flipping to the song that had been driving me crazy for the last few weeks.
“It’s nowhere near done, but I’ve been obsessing over it. I can’t really focus on anything else.”
“This is unsurprisingly incredible,” he complimented. “This is exactly the thing I’m looking for. That raw emotion. I like it. You have a serious knack for words. That’s part of why you were picked.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We really liked ‘Sandcastles’. The words, the tune, everything.”
“We?”
“So the submissions were reviewed by a team. Me, Tony, Sydney Reeves, and Justin Simmons. It was a last-minute change right before the contest started and we didn’t get to announce it.” My eyes bugged.
“Sydney Reeves as in the lead singer for Solemn Frontier and her fiancé?!” Justin was also a producer, Sydney’s in fact, and they’d been together forever. The tabloids couldn’t get enough of them and their charity work.
“The very same. Between you and me, we all agreed yours was the best. If it were up to us this last round, you’d have it. Don’t tell anyone I said that,” he chuckled.
“My lips are sealed.”
“So. How soon do you think you could get it done?” He asked, pointing to my notebook.
“How soon do you need it by?”
“Not too soon, but not too late. Which I know isn’t helpful at all.”
“It’s not,” I chuckled. “But I will get it done as fast as I can.”
“Awesome. Now, there’s just the matter of dealing with your bandmates. It’s up to you if you want to include them or not. But?—”
“I don’t,” I interrupted faster than I intended. Not wanting to appear rude, I added, “The band broke up.”
Technically, only Carter and I broke up, but he didn’t need to know that. I doubted Cassie or Tyler would want to join me, anyway.
Would they?
“I see. That’s a shame, but no problem. We’ll have to send back some forms for them to fill out relinquishing their rights. Shouldn’t be an issue since it was technically entered in your name. But this is just to make sure we don’t get sued later on.”
I guess it made sense.
Zac handed me his business card and told me to call him whenever I needed help or advice. He would give me any answers I needed. He even wrote down his personal cell number, which I was to keep to myself. Of course, I fangirled a little, but promised I would guard it with my life.
I thanked him and headed back to Mia’s, where I dove headfirst into finishing the song. But I couldn’t. It was as if the creative tap in my brain shut itself off. I could’ve screamed.
Days passed and I still hadn’t touched it. Mia swore it’d all come back to me, but I was beginning to question it.
Later that week, just as I thought I would die from lack of sleep and not be able to finish the damn thing, I caught something in my periphery. I shook my head at first, telling myself there was nowayI’d do that. But as I laid there, it ate at me until I was out of bed and grabbing the damned thing.
I opened Carter’s notebook, flipping through the pages until I came across something that helped. I grabbed my own notebook and got back to work, that tap suddenly bursting open with idea upon idea.
I didn’t take many of his words, just a few. And technically, I only used them for inspiration, forming them to what I needed them to be.
For example, Carter had written:I tried to forget your name with every sip I took.
And I changed it to:With every sip I took of you, I can never forget your name.
It was shameful, but I didn’t care. He had encouraged me to use his songs anyway, but I’d always said no. I told myself that after all he did, I was owed at least that.
