Melody - JATP x Soulmate AU

Chapter 26

I can't believe that, after all this time, she really did find her soulmate. Yet, she didn't leave dad and he didn't leave her. Who is her soulmate, if she did find him? She and dad never even hinted at the idea that she could have binded, but maybe it was a stranger who bumped into her. Maybe it was someone she knew once upon a time and never found them after all this time.

"Julie, is that 'Emily'?" In Spanish with a slight difference in translation. "It was beautiful, even if I didn't understand it all."

"Yes, it was. I took a picture of the pages a couple days after you showed me the songs you wrote and I started writing that version from it." He moves so he's in my line of sight with an infectious smile, which causes me to smile, too. "She found her soulmate." Pointing to the bottom of the headstone, I don't even need to look back to know that my mother's favorite word was also her mark.

"What was the word?" Saying the word, he thinks for a second, as if recognizing it. I mean, he doesn't know Spanish all that well, so I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't know that meant star. "Bobby had that word on his wrist. I remember seeing it and wondering where his soulmate was while we were raiding his house."

"Bobby? You mean, Trevor Wilson is my mother's soulmate?" How in the world did that even happen? The guys all claimed they didn't know my mom, or at least didn't recognize her in any of the pictures I have.

"There has to be a reason why they didn't end up together, but, unless we ask Bobby, we'll never know." Luke says, offering his hand to help me stand up and I do everything to remind myself we can't physically touch. As much as I wish that weren't true, it is. "We should head home soon before it gets dark." You're right. We have a lot to do tomorrow.

The little blue light reminding us our time is coming to an end decides otherwise. Pain splinters from my chest, crumpling me to my knees. This was one of the worst ones yet. Better yet, the mark fades even more; so much so that parts aren't even visible anymore. Leaning against whatever gravestone I managed to get to before collapsing, Luke doesn't seem to be faring much better, panting and holding his chest like putting pressure on the wound will help it heal faster. At least there's some comfort in knowing that the pain is disappearing a little faster than before, because it only takes me a few minutes to recover.

"Julie, are you okay?" Nodding, I manage to stand and we both walk back to my house, where I crash onto my bed and wonder what fate could possibly have in store for all four of us.

At exactly seven am, I wake up to my alarm, excited to see if our plan to play for the Orpheum will really work. Willie is currently working on driving the tour bus into the middle of the desert—he told me it would take at least eight hours to get back, although his plan was to be ten hours away. Alex, Reggie, and Luke are at the entrance to the Orpheum waiting for him to poof back with the good news.

They told me they'd be back by eight last night, so I take a shower, change, and eat breakfast before they're supposed to arrive back at the studio. While I sit on the couch thinking about song ideas, they poof in, giddy with excitement.

"So, did you guys do it? Did they see the video? Did they like us?" Do they want us to play? The boys seem a bit overwhelmed by the questions, but I've been antsy for the last hour waiting for them to come back.

"Woah, slow down. Luke?" Alex points to the lead guitarist as he begs me to calm down.

"Yes, we did it. They saw the video, and loved us." His calm tone of voice eases most of my nerves and manages to keep my heart from racing with anxiety. "You should be getting a call anytime now." I almost forgot that was part of the plan. Alex was supposed to write down—in his much neater handwriting—my phone number as the main contact for the Orpheum employees to call.