“Fun is subjective,” I reply.
“Viv’s got a point,” Lily adds.“You haven’t been out in forever.Unless you count trips to the grocery store as wild nights.”
“I’m busy,” I say, shrugging.“Some of us have jobs.”
“And some of us know how to multitask,” Vivian retorts.“Besides, you don’t have to work on Friday night.You work for yourself, woman.No excuses.”
“I’ll pass,” I say, already scrolling again to signal the conversation is over.
But Lily, the only one in the world who knows my history with music chimes in, “Anna, it could be good for you.A chance to blow off some steam.You’ve seemed… tense lately.”
“I’m fine,” I reply quickly.Tooquickly.
Lily tilts her head, her serene gaze locking onto me with that unnerving way she has of reading too much into everything.“You’ve been working non-stop, Anna.One night won’t kill you.And honestly?It would mean a lot to me if you came.”
“I’m literally out right now.”I glance up from my phone, narrowing my eyes.“Wait, why would it mean a lot toyou?”
“Because I’ve been planning this event for weeks,” she says, a small smile tugging at her lips.“Do you know how hard it was to get London to approve a karaoke night?I practically had to write a thesis on how it would bring in a crowd.Now, it’s my event, and I want my friends to be there.Is that so wrong?”
“Uh-oh, she’s pulling the guilt card,” Quinn says, hiding behind his wine glass.
“You bet I am,” Lily replies cheerfully.“I worked my ass off to make this happen, and I’d really love it if we all went and made it awesome.Just for one night.”
Vivian perks up immediately.“Well, you already knowI’min.I’ve been waiting for a good excuse to belt out some Britney.”
“Same.Well, not the Britney part,” Quinn says, rolling his hand slightly.“But I am calling dibs on ‘Like a Prayer.’You can’t stop me.”
Tasia groans again, shaking her head.“You people are too much.But fine, I’ll come.Someone needs to be the adult and keep you all from embarrassing yourselves.”
Carlie raises her glass, her dimples showing as she grins.“I’m in too.Karaoke, booze, and friends?What’s not to love?”
All eyes turn to me.
“Don’t look at me,” I say, sinking further into the loveseat in the hopes it swallows me whole.“I already said no.”
Lily leans forward, her expression softening.“Anna,please.You don’t have to sing.Just come, have a drink, and laugh at the rest of us.That’s it.”
My chest tightens.Part of me wants to tell her to let it go, to leave me out of this and focus on her perfect, chaotic event.
But another part—the traitorous, buried part—wants to say yes.A night of witnessing these morons try to sing sounds mildly hilarious.
Plus, ever since Joel’s been back, I can’t ignore the part of me that remembers how it felt to stand on a stage, microphone in hand, and let the music take over.The part I’ve buried so deep that even acknowledging it feels like playing with fire.
Crap.
I swallow hard, pushing the thought aside.“Fine,” I hear myself say.“But don’t expect me to sing.”
The group erupts in cheers, clinking glasses like we’ve just won a championship.
“You’ll love it,” Vivian says, beaming.“And if not, at least you’ll have a bar close by.”
“Or terrible performances to mock,” Tasia adds.
“Probably both,” Quinn says, winking at me.
Lily leans closer, her voice just loud enough for me to hear over the noise.“Thank you,” she says softly.
I don’t respond, just take a long sip of wine.