Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 129207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
“Good,” he says. “Now, keeping the same tempo, we’re going to go double time. So, for every count, you tap twice.”
He demonstrates again, still keeping the same slow count, but tapping his hand a little faster. “One, and two, and three, and four.”
Eight taps. Four counts. I can manage this.
I try it with him, tapping my right hand on the drum. “One, and two, and three, and four. And—”
“Good. Now, your left hand,” he says, not stopping the rhythm on the drum. “Every time I say two and four, you tap your left hand.”
My eyes widen, and I watch as he shows me. Continuing with his right hand and then adding the left on the even counts. “One and two, and three, and four. One and two, and—”
“Huh. Okay.”
Adding my left hand to the drum, I count inside my head, trying to perfect the rhythm and after only a second, I quickly master it. “Yes!” Ezra calls, standing back up. “That’s it. Just like that. Keep going.”
A stupid beaming grin stretches across my face as I hold a beat for the first time in my life, and without even a moment of hesitation, the boys reach for their guitars, hooking the straps over their shoulders. They meet each other’s stares across the practice space and without saying a damn word, they pick up where they left off, somehow sounding even better.
My hands tap the drum like I’m a warrior princess and with every strum of Ezra’s skilled fingers across the strings, I realize that I don’t ever want this to end. If this could be my life, I would die a happy woman. To have his attention would be everything. He smiles at me as he plays, and I almost lose my beat, and judging by the smirk that cuts across his face, he knows.
Ezra Knight is more than aware of the effect he’s having on me, and maybe I’m crazy. Maybe I’m just as delusional as Axel’s dreams of being a rockstar, but I think there might just be something here. Maybe he feels just a fraction of what I’m feeling.
That’s crazy, though. He couldn’t possibly feel any sort of way toward me. I’m just some dumb kid.
The boys wrap up the song, and as I stop tapping my makeshift drum, Axel grins at Ezra. “We’re good, man,” he says. “Like really fucking good.”
Ezra nods as though something has just occurred to him, something I can’t quite figure out.
“We need a full band,” Ezra says. “Drummer and bassist.”
“And a singer,” I add, trying to be helpful.
A sheepish grin pulls at the corners of Ezra’s lips. “Well, I uhhh . . . I kinda sing.”
“No shit,” Axel says, his brow arching with curiosity. “Well, go on then. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Ezra glances toward me as I wait on bated breath, and there’s no denying the flash of nervousness in his eyes. I can’t blame him, the thought of standing in front of my class and having to deliver a speech sends me into a blind panic. I can only imagine that singing in front of people you’ve only just met might feel something like that.
I give him a small nod of encouragement, and he indicates to my makeshift drum, silently asking me to pick up the beat again, and I do just that. “Little slower,” he asks.
I slow my pace and keep my eyes on him until he nods, letting me know I’ve got it right, and with that, he grips his guitar and slowly strums it. A moment passes as he plays the intro into the song, and the second the first few words sail out of his mouth, my hands pause on the drums, unable to continue.
I quickly recognize the song as “Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS, and as my chest rises and falls with heavy breaths, listening as his deep, raspy tone fills the garage, I become intoxicated by everything that he is. There’s no longer a single doubt in my mind that with Ezra by Axel’s side, their dream of dominating the world with their music isn’t as out of reach as I thought.
Everything they want is right there for the taking.
Axel is just as mesmerized, and when Ezra sings the final notes of the song, he starts to clap. “Holy fuck,” Axel breathes, shaking his head in disbelief. “That was fucking amazing.”
“Yeah?” Ezra asks before glancing at me, but all I can do is stare at him with my mouth hanging open.
“No question about it, you’re our front man,” Axel says, still shaking his head. He grips the back of his neck. “Fuck me. That was . . . shit. Okay, so it’s settled. You’re lead singer and guitar. I’ll be lead guitar and backup vocals. Rae wants to be manager, and so we just need a drummer and a bassist.”