"Hope the world will spin slower, I don't want to get older, I don't want to get older..."
"You have such a beautiful voice, El." Luke comments as the song ends, the venue for the show tonight only a block ahead of them.
"Thanks." She blushes, "I like to sing, I could never do it in front of people though, not like you do. I admire you for doing it though, I love your voice."
"Is there anything that would get you to sing in front of people?"
"I sing for Rebecca, and I sing with Peter sometimes. Sadie's heard me sing too, and Amber and Lily."
"What about publicly?"
"There's no way." She laughs, "You should know that about me by now."
"I do know it." He sighs, toying with his thoughts for a moment before deciding to ask, "Okay, here me out, I have an idea."
"Yeah?" She cocks an eye at him as she parks the car right outside the venue for Rebecca to take home tonight after the show.
"Have you ever heard of a ghost vocalist?"
"A what?" She turns slightly in her seat to look at him.
"A ghost vocalist. Basically it's when someone lends their vocals to a song but isn't credited by their name on the song. Either they are credited as a ghost vocalist, or as a stage name. They get to sing on a song or album, and get paid for it, but only a select few people in the world ever know it's their voice."
"Why are you telling me about this?" She asks nervously.
"You can say no, it won't change anything, but I would love it if you would take a few days and think about the idea of being a ghost vocalist on Older. When Michael and I wrote it we thought the only way it could get better was if we had a female vocal on it."
'Luke..." She sighs.
"I know, I'm asking a lot of you with this. But I promise, pretty girl, if you say yes, myself, Michael, and maybe Ashton and Calum would know. That's it. We could probably even get away with keeping it from Ashton and Calum if you really wanted that. Just think about it, please? For me?"
"I'll think about it. But I doubt I will be able to find a part of me that is willing to do this for you, Luke. The idea of my voice being played across the world, that I'd be on Spotify and Apple Music, even anonymously, it's terrifying."
"I get that too, El. I've been toying with the idea of asking for a while, and I know it's a long shot, but kissing you was also a long shot, and look how well it's working out for me." He smirks.
"I'll think about it, Luke." She rolls her eyes, "Now, I need to go do your guitar prep or you're going to mess up my hometown show, and I am not a fan of that idea. Plus, if fans walk the wrong way they may see us sitting here in the car."
"I like this car, it's been our own little bubble today, the place I got to know you and your life so well." Luke almost frowns.
"This morning was fun, Luke. I liked sharing my city with you for a few hours, but reality is waiting, and it's still good." She reaches across the console to squeeze his hand.
"I know, but in our current reality, I have to give you space, and after this morning that sounds like torture." Luke chuckles.
"Clingy much?" She laughs, grabbing her bag and climbing from the car, knowing Luke will follow."
"When it comes to you, apparently." He admits, following like she had known he would, his hand brushing across the small of her back just long enough to convey further his desire to stay close.
"Is that a bad thing?" She glances up at him.
"No, definitely not." He chuckles, watching her pull her tour badge from her purse as they approach the security guard.
Once inside the backlot of the venue it's like reality crashes down on them, the crew milling about as they prepare for the show, and Elodie reverting into her shell. It's something Luke can physically feel suddenly, the entire change in demeanor almost shockingly dramatic, and Luke has to question how he never noticed it before this moment. Only a beat later Michael appears from around the band's bus, grinning as he catches sight of Luke and Elodie.
"I'm just going to–" Elodie mumbles, motioning away from where Michael is making a B-line to them. Luke wants to say something, to pull her into a tight hug and kiss her before she heads off to work on his guitar, but he doesn't, just watches her go, knowing it is what will make her most comfortable.
"Take a picture, it will last longer." Michael pulls Luke's attention from Elodie's back.
Turning to face Michael, Luke smirks, "I took a few today actually."
"That sounded really dirty, but good for you if it was." Mike grins.
"Not like that." Luke barks out a laugh, "Just got some good pictures of her, and of us, it really felt like a first date. It was fun."
"I'm glad, Luke. You look happier than I've seen you in years, maybe ever, and I will thank that girl for the rest of her life for giving the real Luke the chance to shine again." Michael throws his arm over Luke's shoulders.
"It feels stupid, how giddy she makes me." Luke shakes his head softly.
"That's a good thing, Luke. Being with someone should make you happy, they should make you feel light headed and giddy. I'm glad you're finally experiencing it the right way."
"Me too. I want to be with her all the time. Like I spent all morning with her and I miss her already, I want to follow her around like a puppy dog, just admiring her doing her work. It's crazy."
"It's real." Michael chuckles, "You know we could go work on our guitars with Elodie and Peter, it's a valid excuse for you to see her again already."
"Michael Clifford, you are my best friend for a reason." Luke grins, glad when Michael turns with him to head towards the stage.
***
"Running late today, El?" Peter is smirking at her as she walks up to where he has one of Luke's guitars out.
"I asked you to help me out before I made my plans, don't be giving me shit now." She mumbles as she reaches him.
"He's been waiting for you to show up to tease you for hours." Rebecca comments, taking the keys Elodie holds out to her.
"Thanks for letting me borrow the car today, Rebecca." Elodie smiles at the older woman.
"What did you get up to with Mr. Hemmings this morning anyway?" Peter asks as Elodie grabs one of Luke's other guitars.
"I showed him my life." She sighs, "The good, the bad, and the ugly. Though mostly the bad and the ugly parts."
"What do you mean?" Rebecca asks.
"I took him to the part of town I lived in with my mom as a toddler, and showed him where the accident happened, and I drove him past Steven and Julie's house and told him that whole story..." She swallows hard.
"Wow, this boy must be special to have got you to share all of that." Rebecca smiles brightly.
"He is." Elodie can't help but smile, sitting down to tune the guitar, her mind wandering to her morning spent with its owner.
"You guys need any help from the real experts?" Elodie is startled out of her blue eyed daydream by Michael's loud voice.
"Please, if you're the real experts then why are Elodie and I here?" Peter hits right back with a laugh.
"Because we are not talented enough to be on stage for the entire show and get our guitars ready. Plus, Elodie's pretty cool." Michael chuckles.
"El's cooler than me? Does your friend think that too?" Peter turns to meet Luke's eyes, but his are already on Elodie.
"The coolest person I know." Luke shrugs softly, grinning as Elodie turns red.
"Mike, you want to come help me with something on stage?" Peter asks after a second too long of silence.
"Ya." Michael jumps on the offer, clearly having heard the intention behind the words.
"Hi, Luke Hemmings, it's nice to meet you." Luke offers a hand out to Rebecca as the other two head away.
"Shit." Elodie shoots up slightly, "Luke, this is Rebecca. Rebecca, this is Luke."
"It's nice to meet you, Luke, glad I could finally catch a show on one of your tours." Rebecca shakes the hand he'd offered.
"Glad to have you here. Your kids are great, and they are extremely talented musicians."
"Thank you, though I take little credit for those talents. I do reap the benefits of their talents often when they are home though, and I enjoy that."
"I can imagine, this one's got a beautiful voice, and I've enjoyed the times she's shared it with me." Luke pulls a chair up to sit in.
"She's shared her voice with you in song form?" Rebecca looks surprised as she asks.
"It's not a big deal." Elodie mumbles, "We were singing in the car, that's all."
"Today maybe." Luke laughs, "But you've sung with me a couple other times too."
"You must be something special, Luke, to have earned Elodie's trust so quickly."
"He is special." Elodie speaks up softly, offering a small but genuine smile to Luke as she does.
"And I don't take for granted the fact that she's given me her trust." Luke responds, squeezing Elodie's knee softly.
"Good, because she won't give out second chances if you mess that up."
"I know." Luke nods.
"You guys are talking about me as if I'm not here." Elodie grumbles.
"Am I wrong?" Rebecca chuckles, eying her.
"No."
"So what do you call the screaming match we had in Phoenix?" Luke laughs.
"A misunderstanding that was your ex-girlfriends fault. And more my fault than yours." Elodie rolls her eyes.
"But you still came back to the place you knew I'd be, so something in you must have hoped to run into me and hear an explanation." Luke shrugs. "Some part of you hoped I'd give you a reason to give me a second chance."
"Maybe. Or maybe some part of me knew it wasn't in your character to be the person she made you out to be when she found me in Seattle." Elodie sighs.
"Maybe."
"You should really find something to do for a couple hours until soundcheck." Elodie suddenly changes the subject, sitting herself up slightly.
"Why?" Luke laughs.
"Because I already begged Peter to cover part of my work today so I could guarantee we had time to see everything I wanted to show you and now you're distracting me from doing my work. You don't want to get on stage with an out of tune guitar, do you?"
"Maybe not. I'll see you after the show though?" Luke asks quickly.
"Ya, and during the show too, since I'm your guitar tech." She smirks.
"Good. It was nice to meet you, Rebecca." Luke stands.
"It was nice to meet you too, Luke." Rebecca responds.
"I'll see you later, pretty girl."
"Bye." Elodie offers a small wave, watching him for a moment as he heads away from them, grinning when she catches him looking back over his shoulder just before disappearing from view.
"I'll be honest with you, El." Rebecca's got a smirk on her face as Elodie turns to give her her full attention. "The past few years made me unsure you'd ever let someone in. I was afraid that you'd never let your heart get attached to anyone. But that boy, he's got you infatuated and as your mother figure, that makes me so happy to see."
"If he'd tried from the start it wouldn't have happened. He found a way to sneak into my heart while keeping me unsuspecting. I'm pretty fucking attached now though, and it scares me to an extent."
"I like him, and even more importantly, Peter likes him. He knows Luke a lot better than I do, so I'm trusting his opinion of the man you're falling hard for."
"Trust me too, I have a really good feeling about this. Luke is the best person I've ever met."
"I do trust you, El. And I'm happy for you."
"Thanks."
***
Guitargirl9
St. Louis, Missouri
Liked by peterwhite, Lukehemmings, and others
Guitargirl9: written in these walls are the stories that I can't explain... 🏠
Sadielady: my girl is home and I missed her for a stupid test 😫 gotta see you soon, El!
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~M =)