Page 100 of Wicked Truths

“You’ve got to get out there.” Jamen nods, clapping me on the back. “I’m proud of you and how far you’ve come.” My head shakes as a weird feeling fills my chest. It might be pride, or I could be about to puke on his boots. It could go either way. “Damian would have been proud to see you now.”

Motherfucker.

Like that doesn’t hit me right in the gut. It’s still a mess of emotions I don’t know if I’ll ever fully overcome. I hated him for so many years, but at the same time, I longed for his approval.

“He would have,” Lyric says, giving me a sad smile. She doesn’t give me the opportunity to object. She simply wraps her arms around my middle, giving me a tight squeeze. “I’m so happy for you and Oakley.” She smiles. “For your whole pack.”

“Thanks.” I pat her awkwardly on the back and disengage to head to the stage.

Oakley lights up when she spots me. Her heels don’t give her a hope in hell of reaching my height, but she stretches up, covering both of my cheeks in her scent. My hand slides up the back of her flirty little skater skirt. It’s too bad I don’t have enough time to flip it up, shove her against the wall, and slam my cock inside her.

Oakley finishes covering my cheeks in her scent, and I smirk.

“You know that’s not necessary anymore, right, princess?” I dip my mouth to hers.

It’s a quick but thorough kiss that I greatly fucking enjoy.

She grins against my lips. “Yeah, but I can’t cuddle you like I want out here in front of everyone, so it’ll have to do.”

“I love you.” I kiss the side of her head.

“I love you too.”

* * *

I’ve learned twenty-thousand fans is the number that officially takes my fucking breath away.

The screams are overwhelming as Liam steps to the front of the stage following our first song.

“Some of you may be aware I’m the only member of Try Hard Hero left after the horrible accident that claimed the lives of five of my best mates. Let this be your public service announcement. Don’t drink and drive. There’s every chance you won’t be around to regret the aftermath if you do.” Liam flicks the long brown hair back from his face as he glares at the closest camera. “Also, here’s your reminder that actions have consequences. You might find it to be a joke to lead someone to believe something, but that very sentence could end with devastating effects. Think before you speak.”

“You’ve got that right.” I step up to his side, slapping him on the back and squeezing his shoulder in silent support. “Tell them what we’ve got for them.”

Liam takes back over and we all hit our spots. Sullivan counts us down. This one is drum and bass heavy. It’s all on Liam and his ability to sing the fuck out of the song while we create the haunting melody to go with it. Oakley seems happier and more confident than ever before. It’s good to see her back to loving being on stage. I think the nurse practitioner was right about the suppressants causing the majority of her anxiety.

We play the song over the sound of twenty-thousand screaming fans. They’re either really good at faking it or they truly dig our performance.

“Just Pretend” by Bad Omens is a perfect fit for Liam’s voice and stage persona.

It’s not the easiest to pick up someone else’s composition after only a handful of playthroughs, but we’ve got the benefit of knowing the song. Outside of Liam, Sullivan has the hardest part since the song relies so heavily on him landing every single slam of his sticks.

It’s unreal the talent Liam’s got buried under all that cocky swagger. I’m thinking Oakley is right and we’re more alike than we’d ever admit. I hide a lot of pain under a sarcastic, don’t-give-a-fuck veneer.

The audience goes dead silent as the beat picks up. I’d imagine this song has different meanings for everyone who listens to it, but that’s the beauty of good music. I get full-on fucking goose bumps as Liam tilts his microphone toward the crowd belting out the lyrics.

Oakley is our only guitarist on this one. I scoffed when Lyric recommended it, but I’ve got to admit, less is more. I join Liam on the pre-chorus and the chorus. Oakley stares at Liam and, like he can feel her eyes on him, he turns and winks right as he takes over on the post-chorus. It’s a damn near perfect performance as we finish out the ballad.

Surprisingly enough, after all the bullshit he spewed about not melding with Oakley’s accent, it was his idea for him to perform “Carry On” instead of doing it how we normally do.

I couldn’t give a shit less.

This is his moment to shine and hopefully release some of that lingering guilt.

The venue staff is on point like I’d expect for a Ruined Records performance. They set up the piano and swap out instruments while we intro the song.

The second Liam breaks in on the first verse, my jaw falls. Not because of his voice, I’ve always known he’s got a killer range. I feel like an idiot because it’s clear that song was written for Liam. The lyrics are spot on for his situation. It’s vague enough that you wouldn’t pick up on it without knowing the circumstances, and like any good musical creation, it hits differently for each listener.

I’m in awe of Lyric and Ryder when they write together. I think they’ve recently added Callan to the mix, and it elevated their writing to an entirely different level.

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