Pretty Baby

Chapter 13

I blink awake, momentarily disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. As my eyes adjust to the dim light filtering through the studio blinds, I realize I'm sprawled on the couch, Jade curled up against my side. The events of last night come flooding back. Our impromptu recording session, the way our voices blended together, the electric connection between us as we sang, and the love making session to top it off.

I glance at the clock on the wall and curse under my breath. It's barely 6 am, but Xavier is an early riser. If he catches us like this, there will be questions I'm not ready to answer.

"Jade," I whisper, gently shaking her shoulder. "Wake up. We fell asleep in the studio."

She stirs, her eyes fluttering open. For a moment, she looks confused, then I see the realization dawn on her face. "Shit," she mutters, sitting up quickly. "What time is it?"

"Early," I reply, running a hand through my disheveled hair. "But not early enough. We need to get back to our rooms before Xavier wakes up." I quickly throw my clothes back on.

Jade nods, smoothing down her rumpled clothes after she hurriedly puts them on. "Okay, let's go. Quietly."

We tiptoe to the studio door, pausing to listen for any signs of movement in the house. Hearing nothing, I slowly turn the doorknob, wincing at the slight creak as it opens.

The living room is dark and still as we creep through, our socks muffling our footsteps on the hardwood floor. We're almost to the hallway when a light flicks on in the kitchen, making us both freeze.

"Well, well, well," Xavier's voice rings out, far too cheerful for this ungodly hour. "What do we have here?"

I turn slowly, seeing Xavier leaning against the kitchen counter, a steaming mug of coffee in his hand and an amused smirk on his face. "Morning, X," I say, trying to sound casual. "You're up early."

"I could say the same for you two," he replies, his eyes darting between Jade and me. "What are you guys doing up so early?"

Jade steps forward, her chin lifted defiantly. "We were working on a song," she says. "Lost track of time and fell asleep in the studio."

What a good lie. I’m proud of her.

Xavier raises an eyebrow. "A song, huh? Since when are you a songwriter, little sister?"

I can see Jade bristle at the condescension in Xavier's tone. Before she can say something she might regret, I jump in. "It was my idea, actually. I heard Jade singing to Penny last night and... well, I think we might have something special here, X."

Xavier's expression shifts from amusement to interest. "Really? You two collaborating?"

I nod, warming to the subject. "Yeah, it just kind of happened organically. We were messing around with some lyrics I'd been working on, and suddenly it all clicked."

"Huh," Xavier says, taking a sip of his coffee. "I've got to admit, I'm intrigued. Care to give me a preview?"

I glance at Jade, seeing the hesitation in her eyes. This song feels intimate, personal. Sharing it with Xavier feels like exposing something vulnerable.

But then Jade surprises me. "Why not?" she says, a challenge in her voice. "If you're up for a little early morning music."

Xavier grins, gesturing towards the studio. "Lead the way."

As we file back into the studio, I can feel the nervous energy radiating off Jade. I give her a reassuring smile as I pick up my guitar. I think we’re in the clear. Xavier is usually a skeptic but seems to be clueless to the fact that I just slept with his sister.

"Okay," I say, settling onto the couch. "Remember, this is still rough. We've only run through it a couple of times."

Xavier nods, perching on the edge of my desk. "Understood. Let's hear it."

I take a deep breath and start to play, the melody soft and sweet in the quiet morning air. As I begin to sing, I watch Jade, waiting for her to join in.

For a moment, she hesitates, then her voice rises to meet mine, clear and pure. The harmonies we discovered last night are still there, our voices weaving together in a way that sends shivers down my spine.

As we sing, I see Xavier's expression change. The skepticism fades, replaced by genuine surprise and appreciation. By the time we reach the final chorus, he's leaning forward, completely engrossed.

When the last note fades away, there's a moment of silence. Then Xavier lets out a low whistle. "Well, I'll be damned," he says. "That was... that was something else."

Jade and I exchange a look, a mix of relief and pride passing between us. "Yeah?" I say, trying to keep the eagerness out of my voice. "You think it has potential?"

Xavier nods slowly. "Potential? Zac, this could be huge. The raw emotion, the way your voices blend... it's magic."

I feel a grin spreading across my face. "That's what I've been trying to tell you, X. Jade's got real talent."

Jade ducks her head, a blush coloring her cheeks. "It's Zac’s song," she mumbles. "I'm just singing it."

"Don't sell yourself short," Xavier says, his tone softer than I've ever heard him speak to his sister. "You brought something special to that song. Something Zac couldn't have done on his own."

I nod in agreement. "He's right, Jade. This is as much your song as it is mine now."

Xavier stands up, clapping his hands together. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. You two keep working on this. Polish it up, maybe work on a couple more songs together. I want to give one suggestion."

I raise an eyebrow. "I’m listening."

He grins. "What do you think about having Jade come in at the end? Hear me out, it would be so much more powerful if she came in as a surprise at the end, so much more powerful that way."

As Xavier heads for the door, he pauses, looking back at us. "Oh, and next time you decide to pull an all-nighter songwriting session? Maybe give me a heads up. Save us all the awkward early morning encounter, yeah?"

With that, he's gone, leaving Jade and me alone in the studio once again. For a moment, we just look at each other, processing what just happened.

Then Jade starts to laugh, the sound bubbling up from deep in her chest. I can't help but join in, the tension of the morning dissolving in our shared mirth.

"Well," I say when we finally catch our breath. "I guess we're officially a songwriting duo now."

Jade nods, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I guess we are. Think we can come up with a few more songs before the album is done?"

I reach out, taking her hand in mine. "With you? I think we can do anything."

The words hang in the air between us, heavy with meaning. For a moment, I think about leaning in, about closing the distance between us. But then I remember Xavier in the kitchen, Penny sleeping down the hall, all the complications that come with this unconventional living arrangement.

Instead, I squeeze Jade's hand, then let it go. "We should probably get some real sleep," I say, standing up. "Big two weeks ahead of us."

Jade nods, a flicker of something crossing her face. Disappointment? Relief? "Yeah, you're right. I'll see you later?"

"Count on it," I reply, watching as she slips out of the studio.

As I collapse onto my bed a few minutes later, my mind is racing with melodies and lyrics, with the memory of Jade's voice blending with mine. Whatever happens next, I know one thing for certain: making music with Jade has awakened something in me, something I thought I'd lost long ago. And I'm not ready to let it go .