The line went silent.
"Ryan, stop messing with me," Liam said after a beat, his voice low and sharp. "This is serious, don't play your fucking games right now."
Before Ryan could reply, Liam heard a familiar voice in the background.
"Hey," Nova greeted as she walked into the studio. "Is everything ready?"
Ryan glanced at her and handed her the lyrics. "Yeah, here's the sheet, take a look, if you think anything in the chorus could use some tweaking, feel free to add your touch."
Liam's grip tightened on the phone as he listened, his mind racing.
"Come over, man," Ryan told him. "We've got a lot to do, and we can't waste time."
"Fine," Liam replied before hanging up.
When Liam arrived at the studio, Nova was already doing a sound check. He froze in the doorway, caught off guard by the sound of her voice., it was soft yet powerful, perfectly in tune with the music. 'Wow...' He had never heard her sing before, and it left him momentarily stunned. She wasn't just good, she was amazing.
Ryan noticed him lingering. "What are you doing standing there?" he asked, pulling Liam out of his thoughts.
Liam cleared his throat and stepped inside. "Hey, guys, how are things going?" he asked, trying to mask his awkwardness.
"We're fine," Ryan replied casually before turning back to Nova.
"Hi, Nova," Liam greeted her, his tone uncertain.
"Hi," she replied coolly, not looking at him for too long. "I added a few touches to the chorus, I hope you don't mind, I just wanted to make it blend better with the sound."
"That's fine," Liam said quickly, though the tension in his voice was obvious.
Ryan, watching the interaction, rolled his eyes. "Guys, seriously?" he said, exasperated. "If you keep acting like this, we'll never get anything done… whatever is going on between you two, leave it outside, we're here to work, pretend you're strangers if you have to… I can't deal with this fucking awkward energy."
Nova and Liam exchanged a glance but said nothing.
"Look," Ryan continued, "I don't care what's going on, but for the sake of the song, let's keep it professional… deal?"
Nova nodded, and Liam muttered, "Deal."
"Good… Now, can we get back to making magic here?" Ryan clapped his hands together, steering the energy back to the task at hand.
Ryan clapped his hands as Nova stepped out of the booth after her sound check. "Okay, Nova, that was solid, let's try recording the first chorus and see how it blends with the track."
Nova nodded, adjusting the headphones in her hand. "Got it, let me know if the tone needs tweaking."
Liam, who had been standing near the door watching her, finally spoke up. "Her tone's fine, it's the timing that matters… it needs to align perfectly with the beat."
Nova glanced at him, her voice steady but pointed. "I know how timing works, Liam, thanks for the reminder, though."
Ryan quickly interjected, sensing the rising tension. "Right, so… Nova, let's just run it once and see where we're at, yeah?"
She didn't reply, simply nodded and walked back into the recording booth. Sliding the headphones over her ears, she took a deep breath as the music started playing, her voice carried smoothly over the melody, blending effortlessly with the track.
Liam crossed his arms, his expression unreadable as he listened intently. When she finished, Ryan hit stop and replayed the recording.
"Damn," Ryan said, grinning. "That's clean! Nova, you're killing it!"
"Not bad," Liam said grudgingly, though his tone wasn't harsh. "But the last line in the chorus, try holding the note a bit longer… It'll carry the emotion better."
Nova's voice came through the mic, light and teasing. "Not bad? Wow, Liam, don't overwhelm me with praise."
Ryan chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, alright. Let's keep it professional, you two… Nova, can you try it Liam's way on the next take?"
"Sure, if the perfectionist insists," Nova replied, her tone a mix of sarcasm and amusement.
Ryan gave her a thumbs up. The music started again, and this time she followed Liam's suggestion, holding the note at the end with a richness that seemed to elevate the entire chorus. When the playback ended, Ryan leaned back in his chair, grinning ear to ear.
"There it is! That's what we needed," Ryan said, clapping his hands. "Told you she could do it."
Nova stepped out of the booth, arms crossed as she raised an eyebrow. "Anything else, or are we finally done with the critique session?"
Liam met her gaze for a moment, his voice quieter this time. "You've got talent... I'll give you that."
Nova blinked, surprised by the unexpected compliment. "Thanks," she said softly, her usual guarded tone creeping back.
Ryan, eager to keep things moving, leaned forward. "Alright, let's tackle the backing vocals next. Nova, you'll harmonize with Liam on this part."
Nova froze. "Wait, harmonize with him?"
Liam looked just as hesitant. "Ryan, is that really necessary?"
Ryan threw his hands up in frustration. "Absolutely necessary, the layering will make the song richer. Look, again I'm telling you this, I don't give a fuck what's awkward between you two, but we're on a deadline here, focus on the music, not whatever personal thing you've got going on."
Nova and Liam exchanged a reluctant glance before both sighed in defeat.
"Fine," Nova said, grabbing her headphones. "Let's get it over with."
"Don't mess up," Liam muttered as they walked into the booth together.
Nova didn't miss a beat. "Right back at you."
They stood side by side, adjusting their mics as the music started.
At first, the tension was palpable, but as their voices intertwined, something unexpected happened, their harmony was seamless, the blend of their tones creating a depth that even Ryan hadn't anticipated.
He listened intently from the mixing desk, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Finally," he muttered under his breath. "Some harmony, in more ways than one."
As the final notes of the track played, Ryan leaned back in his chair, satisfied. "Alright, guys, we're almost there, just a few tweaks and we'll have this nailed."
Nova nodded, glancing at Liam, who was listening intently to the playback. She couldn't read his expression, was he impressed, indifferent, or just tired?
Ryan's phone buzzed and he sighed as he checked the screen. "Damn. I've got to run some last-minute emergency with the equipment in Studio B." He stood, grabbing his things. "You two can handle the final adjustments, right?"
Nova blinked. "Uh… just us?"
"Yeah, it's just playback and minor changes… you'll be fine," Ryan said, already heading to the door. "Besides, you're professionals, you can survive an hour without me… Don't kill each other, okay?" He smirked and disappeared down the hall before either could protest.
Silence fell in the studio as the door clicked shut.
Nova turned to Liam, arms crossed. "Well, that's convenient."
Liam shrugged, keeping his tone neutral. "We've got work to do, let's get it done."
She rolled her eyes but slid into the chair Ryan had vacated. "Fine, play it back again, I want to hear how the harmonies sound together."
Liam complied, pressing play. As the track filled the room, their voices intertwined, creating a blend neither had anticipated, Nova leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand as she listened, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"That actually… sounds good," she admitted softly.
Liam glanced at her, surprised. "Of course, it does, you're better than you think, Nova."
She turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Was that a compliment? From you?"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Don't let it go to your head, I'm just being honest."
She smirked but didn't press further. "Let's tweak the volume on the harmonies, I feel like they're getting drowned out by the main vocals."
Liam leaned over, adjusting the controls. "Like this?"
"Yeah, perfect." She hesitated before speaking again. "I didn't think you'd trust me with something like this, especially with how we've been… lately."
He paused, his hand hovering over the controls. "Ryan trusts you, that's enough for me."
Nova tilted her head, studying him. "Is it?"
Liam met her gaze, something unspoken passing between them. "You've proven yourself today, I can admit when I'm wrong."
Her breath hitched at his words, but she quickly looked away, focusing on the track. "Well, thanks for that, I guess."
They fell into a rhythm, tweaking the track and discussing minor adjustments. For the first time in what felt like forever, the tension between them eased, replaced by a sense of collaboration.
As they finished, Liam leaned back in his chair, watching her. "You know, you could've walked away from this, you didn't have to help."
Nova glanced at him, her voice quiet. "Maybe I couldn't let it fail, for the fans, for Ryan, for you. "Her honesty seemed to catch him off guard, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.
Before he could respond, her phone buzzed, she checked it quickly and stood. "Ryan's probably back by now, and you've got enough to wrap this up."
Liam nodded, but as she turned to leave, he found himself speaking without thinking. "Nova."
She paused, looking over her shoulder. "Yeah?"
"Thanks. For everything."
Her lips curved into a faint smile. "Anytime."