Adrian’s POV
The studio lights were too bright. My head still felt heavy from lack of sleep, and the faint scent of Soren’s apartment clung to my clothes, coffee, rain, and something soft I couldn’t name. Every time I breathed, I thought of him.
“Adrian, focus,” Liam snapped from the control room. “We’re already behind schedule.”
I nodded and adjusted the mic, pretending to care about the lyrics glowing on the screen. My throat burned from the mix of exhaustion and guilt. I hadn’t told Soren I loved him last night, not because I didn’t, but because saying it out loud would make everything too real.
The song started. A slow piano intro. I closed my eyes and began to sing, the words slipping out quieter than they should:
“I keep chasing echoes of you in my head…”
The sound engineer pa
