Chapter 46: Even Though I Love You

It was lunch break when Jace received a sudden message from Mr. Alfred. He glanced at the screen, read it quickly, and turned to Miranda. "I'm needed in the studio," he said, a bit reluctant. "Guess you'll have to eat lunch with the girls today." Miranda gave him a short smile, clearly understanding. "It's fine. We'll meet in class later." "Sure," Jace said with a grin, pinching her cheek playfully before walking off. The usual energy between them was there, and it felt good to leave the weight of his worries behind, even if just for a moment. As Jace reached the studio, he could already hear the faint hum of activity inside. He walked in and found Mr. Alfred, along with his bandmates, setting up three phones on a ring light in front of the piano. The room was filled with the busy buzz of their preparations. "What are you all doing here? It's lunch break for goodness sake," Jace asked with a raised eyebrow, looking between his friends and manager. He expected a break, not this level of hustle. "Dorah wants to do a live stream," Mr. Alfred explained, pointing toward Dorah, who was adjusting her headset. She looked a little frazzled but determined. "Wow," Jace mouthed, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. Dorah, the girl who often stayed a little reserved, was going to stream live? This was new. "So, you're going live with her. You guys are singing together?" Max asked, grinning like he knew what was coming. Jace gave him a "you must be kidding" look, a little taken aback. "Why? Why me?" he asked, clearly uncomfortable at the thought. "Ronald can't stream live with her, you know, because of God knows who," Max started, but Jace was already nodding, remembering the complications with Ronald. "So, we think you should do it with her. It's her first live stream, and she's scared she might make mistakes. She specifically asked one of us to help her out online," Max continued. Jace glanced over at Ronald, who seemed willing to take the risk but had the same reservations. They all knew Dorah's past struggles, and no one wanted to put her in a vulnerable spot again. But Jace wasn't ready to jump in. "Why don't you and Jason do it?" Jace suggested, his voice laced with frustration as he looked to his friends for a solution. "I don't want to," Jason shrugged, showing no interest at all. Jace turned his gaze to Max. "Don't give me that look. As you can see, I'm busy," Max said, gesturing toward the phones and the setup they were arranging. Jace couldn't believe this. He looked at Ronald again, who just shrugged and muttered, "She won't agree to do it with me." "Just do it," Mr. Alfred said with finality, knowing they were running out of options. Jace exhaled, rubbing his neck in annoyance, but he knew he couldn't back out now. "Fine, let's get this over with." "So, are we good to start?" Dorah asked, taking off her headset and letting it rest around her neck, glancing at Jace with a nervous but determined look. Jace looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, so you can talk now?" he teased, which made Dorah roll her eyes in exasperation. "We're going online with our uniforms?" Jace asked, still eyeing their attire, feeling a bit odd about going live in their school uniforms. "Yeah, anything wrong with that?" Dorah shot back, clearly not bothered by it. Jace sighed, his usual protective instinct kicking in. "You should pull your skirt down a little before going online," he suggested, pointing to the hem of her skirt. Dorah smirked, folding her arms across her chest. "Bossy Jace is around," she said sarcastically, but there was a fondness in her voice that he couldn't ignore. Ignoring her playful comment, Jace focused on the task at hand. "What are we singing?" he asked, wanting to get down to business. "28," Dorah replied, and Jace's frown deepened. "Are we breaking up?" he asked, more to himself than to anyone else, and Max hit him lightly on the head. "Just sit over there and check things," Max suggested, nodding toward a cushion behind them where they could relax for a moment. "Okay," Jace and Dorah chorused in unison, and they walked over to the seat to prepare themselves. Jason leaned over to Ronald, whispering, "You should adjust your look. Others might notice you look like you want to kill Jace right now." Ronald's gaze had been fixed on Jace and Dorah, and Jason couldn't help but notice the intensity in his expression. Minutes later, they were sitting before the ring light. Jace was at the piano, ready to perform, while Dorah took her position on the high stool beside him. The room had a quiet tension, but also an unspoken understanding between them. "Ready?" Dorah asked, her voice filled with a mixture of nervousness and determination. Jace offered her a warm, reassuring smile. "We got this," he said, his voice low but confident, trying to ease her anxiety. As they settled into position, the room grew even quieter. Jace took a deep breath, knowing that everything that happened next would be live, and he had to ensure they got through this without a hitch. There was something special about the moment, and he knew that no matter what happened, it would be something they both remembered. The live session went without a hitch, and when it was finally over, Max ended the stream with a satisfied nod. "You see that? I did great!" Dorah said excitedly, her eyes lighting up as she turned to Jace, eager for his feedback. Jace smiled warmly, raising his hand up to caress her hair in an affectionate gesture. "That's my girl," he said, showing off his dimples. Dorah chuckled, clearly pleased by the compliment. Ronald, noticing their interaction, excused himself from the room. He had been quietly observing the dynamic between Jace and Dorah, and it was clear to him that there was more to their friendship than he had realized. He stepped out of the studio, quietly leaving them to their moment, his thoughts swirling as he exited.