Page 1 of Just Wait

Prologue

Lumen

Ever since I was little, music has been my outlet. Lyrics are a way to express my emotions or say something I would never say myself.

When a musician crafts a melody, they weave an experience the listener can get lost in.

At least, if they do it right.

My dad used to say that music is the universal language. I donʼt know how true that is, but I’ve seen videos of bands playing around the world. Even in places where very few of the audience spoke the artist’s native language, they sang along, not missing a verse.

It’s incredible to witness on film, so I can only imagine how the performer feels seeing it happen in person.

I bet it blows their mind.

It would make me emotional.

That still doesn’t mean I have any interest in being a famous musician.

Despite my father’s talent and passion for creating music, he mostly played in clubs and bars. Occasionally, he lucked out with festivals and other small venues, but he was far from a star.

The only thing performing ever brought him was trouble in the form of addiction and an inability to stay faithful to my mom. I saw firsthand how that destroyed our family.

“Come on, Lu,” Theo says, bumping his shoulder against mine as we sit in the living room of our apartment. “You know how much Tangled Desires needs you. We might be opening, but it’s our chance to show the label we can build an audience.”

“I’ll be rooting for you from the comfort of our living room,” I tell him, smiling tightly.

My boyfriend doesn’t seem to get it, but going on tour with him scares the hell out of me.

My mom left when I was twelve.

She couldn’t take my dad’s shit anymore. If she had taken me with her, I wouldn’t have blamed her for needing a break, but she didn’t. Then I was the one left trying to keep it all together.

Much like my father’s musical career was the end of their relationship, I have a bad feeling that Theo going on tour is going to be the end of us.

Signing a contract with one of the biggest record labels in the country is a gift.

It’s going to change his life.

It’ll change the lives of every member in the band.

They’ll be on the road six to nine months out of the year, and even when they’re not touring, they’ll be recording the next album and doing press to make a name for themselves.

The industry kills relationships.

If I were an omega and we had a bond, I’d be slightly more optimistic about our chances of survival, but I’m a beta.

I’m young enough that I figured I’d have fun while it lasted, moving on when the time came, but all those late-night hookups turned into a year-long relationship. Still, one day, he’ll meet an omega, and I’ll be left to pick up the pieces alone.

“Lumen, please,” Theo says, his tone pleading. “We need you. They want us working on songs during the tour. That way, if we take off, they’ll be ready for us to hop in the studio to record.”

There it is.

I try not to let it get to me, but my stomach aches.

If I wasn’t the one who wrote the songs that got them signed, would he care if I came along?

A part of me feels like that’s the only reason he’s stayed with me through their big break.