We'd been rehearsing together nearly all day. Just trying to get a feel for the new lineup. After this morning's blow-up and the subsequent liquid lunch at the bar around the corner, we had come back and gotten straight to work teaching Hudson our back catalogue. Hudson was a quick learner, and his range was unbelievable. He was even able to hit some of the high notes that Jane used to manage, putting him somewhere in a four-octave range. Why this dude was slumming it in Queens, I had no idea, but I felt lucky we snapped him up before he realized what he had and went solo.

Once we realized he could handle the old stuff, it was Jules' idea to start working on new shit. "We're not Wrecked," he repeated for probably the millionth time today. "Let's stop living in the past."

At that I cleared my throat. "I've got something," I said, feeling the catch of nerves in my throat.

The other guys looked at me. I'd made noises about writing in the past, but with Killian in the group I'd always just shelved the shit I'd written, not willing to cause a seven-hour fight. Killian perceived any songwriting that wasn't his as high treason.

"Yeah, mate?" Niall said, encouragingly. "Old shit?"

I fished into my pocket for the lyrics I'd scratched out this morning upon looking at my reflection in the mirror. "No. It's new. It's called Jagged," I said, feeling as shy as a schoolboy handing it over. "Here's the melody," I said, picking out the notes on my guitar.

Hudson listened with his head cocked. A grin spread across his face as he started humming, first the simple melody and then improvising harmonies around and above my strumming. Niall found his beat, adding a little walking blues bassline to what I was noodling around with.

"Shit," Jules swore softly, and went to press record.

Hudson hummed as he looked at the torn sheet of paper with my hastily jotted lyrics. "So slick and smooth, but it'll cut you when it breaks," he sang and I closed my eyes and remembered CeCe's face in the mirror, smiling back at me. "A jagged piece can't ever be put back together."

This song was so much slower than the ones we'd played as Wrecked, and Hudson's voice added an extra element of newness to it all. As I swayed in place, letting the music wash over me, I could almost believe that we really were starting over again, that I'd been granted a second chance for real. And that made me really, really fucking happy.

After Jagged, we segued into Spiraling Smoke, an old one we'd never recorded but often played at live shows. It was a fan favorite, but Killian hadn't been around when Jules and I had written it, so he'd refused to let us record it. Now though. Now we were free to do what we wanted.

I had no idea how long we were playing. I didn't check my phone, didn't check my watch. Caught up in the flow for the first time in forever, I could have sworn only seconds passed. Only the empty rumble of my stomach let me know for certain we'd been at this forever.

"What do you say, lads?" Hudson asked in the worst imitation of a British accent I'd ever heard. "Shall we break for a spot of tea?"

"Never do that again," I snarled, landing a light punch on his upper arm. "You sound like a twat."

"Fucking fly landed on me just now, did you see it?" he retorted, looking around wildly.

"Oh, so you're actually an asshole?" Jules laughed.

"Just trying to fit in," Hudson retorted snappily.

I burst out laughing. I felt high, jubilant even. I hadn't enjoyed rehearsal in years but this? Playing off each other's strengths? This was how it should be.

We gathered around the recorder full of hope, but as we listened to the playback, my heart sank. Jules fast forwarded, then played, then fast forwarded again, but everything we heard was the same. We sounded sloppy and out of sync. My optimism had been completely unfounded.

"Dammit," Jules said, jamming his fingers down onto the off switch. He sighed, and then swore softly.

"It always sounds better in your head," I reminded him. "That's the nature of the beast."

Jules closed his eyes, as if summoning the energy to give a polite reply. "So," he said slowly, through gritted teeth. "All we have is Spiraling Smoke," he said. "That's literally the only song we're solid on."

"We should go back and try Jagged again," Hudson piped up. His voice was raspy after eight hours of rehearsals, but he still smiled. "I really think we had something there." He held up a finger. "My fucking throat, hang on," he said, reaching over and taking a swig from his ridiculously oversized water bottle.

"You should try tea," Niall suggested.

"He's American," I pointed out.

"Y'all ever had sweet tea?" Hudson asked.

"Down in Texas, yeah," I said with a disparaging sniff.

Hudson nodded encouragingly. "Best shit in the world."

"I'm surprised I didn't contract diabetes on the spot," Jules grumbled.

"You're just jealous that everything that tastes good is American," Hudson laughed, jumping into a boxer's pose and dancing around Jules' kit, shadowboxing. I recognized the need to blow off steam. I was ready to start a fight too, just to clear my head. "Oh yeah, that's right, I said it. I went there."

Jules growled. "Don't make me kick you your ass, you insufferable prick," he said, standing up and rolling up his sleeves. "This is for God, country, the Queen and tea, all rolled in one!"

I laughed and started cheering for Hudson as Jules rugby tackled him to the ground.

Jules had the element of surprise, and Hudson clearly didn't want to really hurt him, so the two flopped around on the ground while Niall and I shouted encouragement. Until the door buzzed.

"Boys!" August called, her siren voice echoing throughout the warehouse space. "Working hard I see?"

"We literally just took a break, get off our back," Jules called from the floor. He was still pissed at her.

For her part, she just rolled her eyes. "Get off yours," she sniped back, looking at where Hudson had him pinned. "Somebody's here to see you guys."

I hated how quickly my head snapped over to the door, heart already racing eagerly.

And when Celia walked through the door, it immediately did a triple backflip.

"Hi there!" I called, a little too eagerly.

She shot me a smile that seemed like it was all for me. Then she turned and looked at the rest of the lads. Hudson was helping Jules back up again. Jules shrugged him off and started tugging at his shirt. "Hey C. What's that?" he asked, indicating the stack of papers that Celia was waving around.

Crap, how did she get even prettier? She must've shown up right from the office, wearing this cute little flared skirt and a tight blouse like some kind of schoolgirl all grown up. She'd done something different to her hair too, combed it out into wild waves that my fingers ached to sink into and the glasses were in full-force. She grinned at Jules and slapped the pile of papers down on an amp stack.

"Is this what I think it is?" Hudson gasped.

Celia clapped her hands together. "Congratulations guys!" she crowed. "Anthem Records wants to sign you!"

Hudson shouted, leaping into the air as Niall bolted to his feet and hugged August. Jules ran over to Celia and spun her around as she screamed. Hudson rushed over and grabbed her hand, pumping it down up and down with both of his huge hands dwarfing hers. Niall came over and she accepted a shy hug from him, and all the while I watched, waiting for my turn to touch her.

When August was finally done screaming, I walked up to Celia. "Hey," I said. She bit her lip. And yeah, it was distracting, but I had to say this. "Thank you," I said to her.

"I'm just doing my job," she said with a cheeky grin.

I shook my head. "Don't diminish it." I ordered her. "Thank you for believing in me even when I was too far up my own ass to believe in myself."

I thought I'd make her laugh, but instead she bit her lip again. Fucking hell. I had the urge to tell everyone in the room to get the hell out. "Your hair looks good," she said softly.

Yes, everyone needed to get the hell out right now. I opened my mouth to say so, but Hudson, fucking Hudson and his overeager desire to please, suddenly leaped over to her. "Hey C," he said. "You want to hear what were working on?"

I groaned inwardly. What we had was a bunch of shit, we'd just proved that to ourselves. We were overtired, overextended, overtaxed. We were pushing ourselves when we should be resting, and regrouping and fuck, celebrating. We weren't ready, but then Celia looked at him, and then me. "I really do," she said.

Goddammit, I started scrambling.

We all rushed back to our places, and I fumbled to plug myself back into the amp, my finger shaking. I've played in stadiums thirty thousand people strong, but this one woman watching me mattered more than everything that had come before. She sat down next to August on a rickety folding chair, and Jules counted off the beats.

Shit, we were doing Jagged?

She'd inspired these words. God I hope she didn't notice... I wasn't ready for her to notice. But at the same time I couldn't wait to play it for her, to see if she would notice.

Would she know that this song was all about her? And more than that, would it make her happy?