𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 | 18+

Chapter 18

"Agreed," Caleb says.

"Do all of you enjoy writing the songs of the band?" Frederik asks. "Not as much as Ella does," Nick answers.

"I do write sometimes, but we leave it to Ella mostly since she's addicted to it," Caleb snorts. "Do you?" Frederik asks and focuses his blue eyes on me.

"I love it, yes," I answer with a grin, "I think there's something... addicting to the freedom that lyrics offer. I can play with the words. The poetic license offers me a lot of escapes and I revel in it."

The conversation goes on about our songs. "What's your favorite song on the album?" Vi asks Frederik.

"Wasted," he answers without hesitation. "Oh, good one," I chuckle. "The whole band actually co-wrote it, along with a friend of ours, Delilah."

As soon as her name leaves my lips, I grow self-conscious again and exhale softly, remembering her dear... friend is sitting here with us.

When she was doing our makeup in the dressing room today, she kept on sneaking glances at Ares while working on my face.

"I really like Dans La Nuit and Rêveuse," Lukas says.

"Vi helped me with Dans La Nuit," I tell them and she chuckles beside me. "She was so tired, she was scribbling down a few random words," she continues.

It was a cold night and all I wanted to do was close my eyes, but the need to finish the song kept me awake – somewhat.

"You even brought me coffee in the room and stayed up together. Vi was playing the guitar and stringing a few sentences together. I had a lot of fun that night," I smile, feeling happy at the memory of us sitting in my room.

"Me too," she laughs. "We wrote a few other songs together that we might perform live," she teases, gaining the interest of the interviewers.

From then on, the interview goes quickly, and then it's time for Dopamine to take our places. There's a music break and we get up from the table.

Something tells me to stay. To watch the interview as they did with us and listen to whatever Ares has to say.

But would he do the same? Would he be interested to know what I'd possibly give away during an interview?

Not willingly.

That's why I shake my head and exit the studio because he doesn't deserve my presence. He doesn't deserve to think that I'm curious, even though I am.

I'll listen to the interview later though – damn him.

"Want to go out and drink something?" Violet asks as she and the others are headed towards the bar of the hotel.

"I'm going to skip, thank you though," I grin, "gotta check in on my family."

And that's what I do as soon as I enter my hotel room. I call Nicholas, who picks up after a few seconds.

"Here's my favorite singer," he greets me and I can't help but smile. Even though he annoys me quite a lot and knows just how to spite me, I still love him.

I didn't think I'd miss my family this much, but I do.

"Hey Nico," I giggle, "how are you?"

We catch up with each other and he bombards me with questions about the tour, the people I met, and how the crowds are.

"Can't wait to see you live, sis," he tells me, "I'd fly out to see you wherever you are right now, but I'm too busy."

"It's okay, Nicholas," I assure him, "how are Aurora and Riccardo?"