“Your own dressing room?” Hannah asks in disbelief as we step inside. She looks around, her eyes going to the clothes rack. “Whoa. This is fucking amazing.”

It’s Saturday, and my nerves are frazzled. I’m trying to get ready to perform. Except this time, the stakes are higher. I couldn’t believe when Jake told me about the scout. This is all happening so fast that I feel like my head’s spinning.

Hannah is in shock too. “It’s gorgeous!”

“Isn’t it?” I say dreamily. “I still can’t believe Jake had all of this done for me.”

“Hmm,” Hannah says, tapping her lips, her eyes flashing.

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing, I’m just not surprised at all. Have you seen the number of people who are packing in here to see you?” She turns around, checking out the rack of dresses, and I can tell that she thinks there’s more to it than that. She’s just giving me time to come out with it.

My phone buzzes, and I see it’s Mindy. I’d texted her about my show. “Hey, it’s my sister.”

“I’ll let you two talk. Nathan’s got a great seat reserved for me. No way in hell am I dancing with you on stage tonight,” Hannah jokes. “Have fun.”

I give Hannah a quick hug as I pick up Mindy’s call. “Stick around. Min?”

“Hey, how’s my Grammy-winning sister doing?” Mindy asks. “You ready?”

“Fuck no, but hearing you helps,” I admit, relief flooding through me. “Can you believe this?”

“Nope. Hey, turn on your camera.”

It takes me a few seconds, but when I do, Mindy’s face pops on screen. Her face has a little more weight on it than the last time I saw her, but it looks good on her. “Heeeey guuurl,” I greet happily.

“Hey, mini me, what’s going down?” Mindy asks. “And who’s the babe next to you?”

“Mindy, this is my best friend, Hannah. Remember, I told you about her when I first moved here? She’s my roommate.” I put the camera on Hannah. “But you’re blind. I’m the babe.”

Mindy laughs. “How long do you have?”

“I don’t have long,” I admit. “You want to help me pick out my outfit?”

Mindy nods, and I hand my phone to Hannah as I go over, pulling out a tight black number with a cutout.

Both of them reject it, and I go through several more before we all settle on my outfit, red and silver, and I grin. Mindy’s grinning too. “Okay, I’ll let you get ready. Kick some ass for me!”

We hang up, and Hannah gives me a hug. “Kick some ass for me too. I’m gonna go get my seat.”

She leaves, and I quickly get ready. Just as I finish my vocal warmups and stretch, there’s a knock on my door. Jake sticks his head in, grinning when he sees me. “Hey, I don’t want to distract you, so . . . just knock them dead. I already know you’re amazing. Just show them what you show me.”

“Show them my boobs? I don’t think this is that kind of show,” I tease, and Jake blushes. “Thank you. I’ll see you afterward.”

Jake leaves, and three minutes later, I go to the wings of the stage. Surprisingly, I’m not nervous at all anymore. The DJ is supposed to play my music, but I’m getting a band soon. It’s a total pipedream, but I’d love to have my old one from Trixie’s.

I shake my head. I can hear Nathan out there. He introduces me with his normal gusto. “And now . . . she’s baaaaa-aaaaaaaack!”

The crowd goes wild. It’s like Nathan’s catchphrase now. “Here she is . . . ROXY!”

* * *

“I can’t believe how awesome you were!”

They’re the first words that Nathan says to me as I get off stage, and I can feel it. I had the whole crowd, and the place was so packed there wasn’t even much room to dance.

I grin, then bite my lip nervously. I was hoping he’d say something about the exec coming to watch the show. “Think anything is going to come of this?”

Nathan grins and pats me on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s go up and see Jake. He’s been charming that guy’s ass off.”

I laugh, some of my tension relieved. “So you think he liked it?”

“The guy is fucking deaf if he didn’t. You know, I don’t even like pop or any of that shit, but your voice . . . it’s hard not to enjoy it.”

Nathan takes me upstairs, where Jake’s sitting with Hannah and some guy who I assume is the talent scout. Seeing me, Jake gets up, so handsome that even with all of my nerves I’m feeling breathless watching him approach me to give me a kiss on the cheek. “You were amazing, Angel.”

The scout nods, standing up and shaking my hand. “Honey, you were hot—like fire out there. My boss is totally going to be in touch!”

He heads for the stairs, and I force a smile as Jake rubs my arm and talks softly. “See, you just had to have faith.”

It makes me feel better, but I’m not going to get my hopes up too much. If it happens, it happens. Hannah touches me gently on the leg, noticing I’m not quite jumping for joy. “Relax, I heard him gushing earlier. They’re gonna call.”

Before I can reply, there’s a huge commotion down below. Jake and Nathan’s heads whip around, trying to see what’s going on. I see it quickly, two guys fighting over a girl. She’s small, with coal black hair that to me looks like a wig.

“Hey, cut that shit out!” Nathan yells. It’s useless. We’re in VIP and there’s too much noise down below, but security is getting to them.

Meanwhile, Jake is squinting hard at the girl. “What the fuck?”

Without warning, he takes off, dodging people as he plunges down the stairs. The look in his eyes and the way he’s so in a rush fill me with worry, and I go after him. I don’t know what’s happening. Is the asshole who tried to drug me back?

I reach the floor of the club, gasping for breath, trying to keep up with Jake as he makes his way toward the commotion. He’s grabbed ahold of one of the dudes, and the other one’s disappeared off into the crowd. I’m sure security will get him.

Suddenly, Jake stops, and the other guy shakes his way free, right into John’s grasp, of all people. Jake, however, looks stunned as he reaches out and grabs the girl who was in the center of the fight by the arm. “Sophie?”

“J-Jake,” the girl says, pulling off her wig to reveal hair just like Jake’s.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I . . . I came with a friend and—”

Jake looks furious, and he points at the guy John is holding. “How old are you? And don’t you dare lie to me.”

The guy struggles, but he sees something in Jake’s eyes. “Nineteen!”

Jake’s eyes go ice cold. “John, get him out of here.”

“Wait!” Sophie cries as they begin dragging him away. Thankfully, they’re dragging him toward the front door and not the back. She rushes off into the crowd after her brother but is stopped by another of the bouncers. I watch as she struggles violently against him. He’s not hurting her. He’s just not letting her pass.

“What the hell just happened?” Hannah says from behind me. I turn and see her and Nathan approaching, Nathan peeling off to talk to the security guy.

“A family squabble,” I said, not really knowing much else yet. I just know Sophie’s in high school and shouldn’t be in here.

Jake comes back, his face as serious as I’ve ever seen it, staring a hole at Sophie. Jake says a few quiet things to her and Nathan, who nods and starts leading Sophie toward the back of the club.

“Jake, what’s going on?” I ask when he gets close.

“I’m taking Sophie home,” he says, his eyes still burning, but he manages a smile. “You did great tonight.”

“Wait,” I say, grabbing his arm. “Can I go with you?” I can't let him go like this. I’ve never seen him this mad before.

Jake looks like he’s about to say no, but then he nods curtly. “Okay. Five minutes, grab your stuff. The car will be out back.”