//*Chapter Eighteen*\\

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•Reggie POV•

On the inside, I'm squealing like a little girl on her birthday, but on the outside, I'm calm.

"Uh, Reg? Why are you smiling so much?" Julie asks me.

Okay, so maybe I'm not as calm as I thought I was. "Me and Asher kissed!" I whisper shout and her eyes grow the size of saucers.

"What?!" Julie shouts, making the other three look over to us in confusion. "Oops, Sorry." She whispers.

"It's fine." I shrug off, still smiling.

A car horn suddenly honks. "That's my dad." Julie announces. "He's driving me there, so I'll see you guys soon." She says, before walking out of the studio.

As soon as she's gone, Carlos takes her place. "Have a good show boy band!" He says, clapping. Oh my gosh, he knows!

Luke kneels down to his level. "Who you calling boy band?"

"Carlos!!" Ray shouts.

Carlos looks back at the car before facing us one more time and making an 'I'm watching you' gesture at whatever's in between us.

Once he's gone, I voice my concerns. "How did he find out about us??" I ask in wonder.

"I don't know, Reg." Alex replies sarcastically. "Maybe it was the blinds, or you know, the blanket. You know, it could have been any number of things you did in that house."

"It doesn't matter, guys." Luke cuts in, softly. "We're not coming back here anyway."

I look beside me at Asher, whose unfinished business we still don't know. He meets my eyes and tries to smile at me but it doesn't reach his eyes.

Then, ruining the moment as always, Caleb pops in and I could've sworn I heard dramatic music in the background.

"And where is it that you think you're going?" Caleb asks, not really wanting an answer.

"What are you doing here?" Luke says, stomping closer to him.

"Such hostility." He comments, as if shocked by the idea that we could be angry at him. "I just came to congratulate you on your big night. Not everyone gets to play the Orpheum."

"Shut up!" Asher yells. "They know it's your stamp that's hurting them! You can't do this bullshit!!" He snaps, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't even more attracted to him in this moment.

"We told you, we already have a band." Luke tells him. "We don't want to join your little club."

"Yeah, and you can't make us either!" Alex shouts before clearing his through. "sir."

"Right, you're crossing over tonight." Caleb says in realization, even though he's known this whole time. "So exciting. Funny thing about the crossover: no one really knows what's waiting on the other side...but I know what's happening on this side." He says creepily before transporting us to his stupid club.

"Well, don't you look nice."

I look down at what I'm wearing to see a red silky suit hugged comfortably against my body, thats colour compliments my bass. It's awesome and I hate it.

I then look over to Asher who has a black dress shirt on, with a dark purple leather jacket and pants to match. He looks absolutely breath taking.

"Sweet threads." I admit.

"How did you know our sizes?" Alex asks in wonder.

"That's your question??" Luke asks annoyed, fiddling with his collar.

Caleb sighs heavily before speaking. "I know you boys aren't my biggest fans and an eternity at my club might seem overwhelming, but I just put you in sweet threads, so humour me this one last pitch."

None of us answer so he takes that as a sign to continue. "Now, for starters, isn't it nice that you're all here together? Believe me, everything you could ever want, including Willie, is here, and on my stage. You don't vanish when the music stops, you soak in the applause for as long as you want. The connection you will feel with that audience will be like no other. I promise."

That's when the cheering starts. "Do you hear that?" Caleb asks rhetorically. "They're waiting for you."

Suddenly, we're hit by another jolt and we all get thrown back in pain.

"That one looked like it hurt." Caleb says with fake sympathy. "Now, let me remind you, you don't know if playing the Orpheum is your unfinished business. Do you really have time to make that mistake? I suggest you accept my offer because the clock is ticking.

We all get hit by another jolt and I look over at Asher whose nose is now bleeding. "Ash!" I instinctively shout.

"Ouch. You know where to find me." Caleb tells us before  going onstage.

Suddenly the music starts playing and I feel the ghost blood in my veins shaking.

"You know you wanna take a chance and be a little bit bad
Ain't nothing quite like living on the edge, so get ready to go
I'm chasing down a thrill, and lookin' fit to kill
So listen to the words a wise man said
He said, "Covington, I got an offer that you can't refuse"
You got nothing to lose, boys
Lose, lose, lose
You got nothing to lose, boys
Lose, lose, lose."

Alex starts uncontrollably swirling his drumstick in his hand.

"You got nothing to lose"

Alex then poofs onstage, unwillingly rocking a killer drum solo.

"Alex, show me what ya got"

He kills it on the drums and that's when I feel myself start to get pulled towards the stage myself. Before I know it, I'm up there with my bass, rocking out.

"Reggie, Swing it baby."

I never thought I'd dislike playing bass before. Thanks a lot Caleb.

"Now Luke, yeah!"

Luke starts playing but he fights to stay offstage. Caleb's magic is too strong for him though.

"Come on, Asher!"

I watch as he poofs onstage singing the backing vocals.

"How do you like my new band?"

The crowd cheers and Caleb continues singing, this time with Asher harmonizing.

"You got nothing to lose
So come over here, baby
I got what you need
Let yourself go crazy
All bets on me, it's electrifying
From your hat to your shoes
I feel it in the air
We got nothing to lose, nothing to lose, yeah"

The boys and I all make eye contact just as the song finishes.

We have to find Julie.

Regret || Reggie PetersWhere stories live. Discover now