Voice in the Thunder

7

The door to the studio bangs open, startling us all.

"Where's my girl?" Lindsey asks, looking around. He spots her in her swing, and swiftly lifts her into his arms. She squeals, giggling when he kisses her cheek.

"When did she start doing that?" He gasps, tickling her stomach to make her giggle again.

"The first few days we were here," I smile, hugging him with one arm. Stevie slams her headphones down, glaring at him from the booth.

"You can't just come in here like that, Lindsey!" She screams.

"Sorry," He says, sitting on the couch. She sighs heavily, rolling her eyes and motioning for Dave to run the track again. I share a look with Lindsey, who turns back to Layla in his arms. I turn back to the soundboard, bringing her vocals up a little bit. Dave nods, nudging me lightly. I smile, looking towards the girls. They're nodding along, even Jessie, who keeps looking up from her phone every few minutes. Lindsey is pulling faces at Layla, looking amazed every time she laughs. I shake my head, turning to watch Stevie. She's belting out her lyrics, making me smile. She sounds incredible, and I already know this is the take we'll use.

"That was the one," I say when Stevie steps out of the booth. She nods, sitting in the chair beside me and putting on the headphones. Is she really that pissed off at Lindsey that she's not even gonna talk?

"Stevie," I try, placing my hand on her arm.

"Alina, not now," She says, focused almost too intently on the computer screen. I back off, motioning for Lindsey to follow me into the hall.

"What's her problem?" He asks, swaying with Layla.

"You can't just burst into a recording session that isn't yours."

"Oh, come on," He scoffs. "It's not that big of a deal."

"For you it isn't. She's already agreed to work on the Mac project, she doesn't want your input on this one."

He looks at me, totally serious now.

"Okay then. No input from me. I'm just here for the baby time."

I roll my eyes, pursing my lips to hide my smile.

"Not a word," I warn as I open the door. He nods, plopping back onto the couch. I sit beside Stevie again, and she looks over at me.

"He's not gonna be an issue."

"He's always an issue."

"Not when I have leverage," I smirk, nodding towards where he's baby talking to my daughter. She watches him for a moment, a wistful smile on her face before she shakes her head and turns back to me.

"You're a genius."

I laugh, a little surprised by how badly I want to kiss her right now. What is up with that? Christ, I need to get it together.

"Alina?" Dave asks, snapping his fingers in front of my face.

"Don't snap at me," I growl, slapping his hand. He laughs, pointing at the headphones sitting in front of me.

Stevie's hand on my arm pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Are you okay?" She asks softly. I nod, not meeting her eyes. Layla lets out a shrill cry, and I whip around.

"She's hungry," I announce, grabbing the diaper bag and the baby, making a swift exit to an empty studio down the hall.

"It's okay, my love," I coo, getting my shirt pulled up. She latches immediately, and I close my eyes, letting out a deep sigh. I pull her swaddle over my chest, ensuring that we'll be in and out as soon as possible. I smile softly at the little noises she makes. There's a light knock on the door.

"Yeah?"

"Alina, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah."

Stevie slips in quickly, flashing me a small smile. She sits beside me, careful not to disturb Layla. She gently strokes her soft curls, humming when Layla closes her eyes.

"She usually gets distracted when anyone else is in the room," I say, stroking my thumb over her little foot. Her toes curl, and I giggle.

"Well, you said it yourself, I'm the baby whisperer."

I roll my eyes, playing idly with her fingers when she lays her hand on my thigh.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I answer, too quickly apparently, based on the look she gives me. "It's nothing, I promise."

"Mmhmm, and I don't believe that for a second."

I look down at Layla, who is finished eating. I burp her quickly, telling Stevie to wait a second before I head out of the room. I pass Layla to Lindsey, who looks at me weird.

"What's going on?" He asks.

"I just need to talk to her for a minute."

He nods, but I feel his skeptical eyes follow me out of the studio. I close the door behind me, sitting next to Stevie again. She takes my hand, silently encouraging me to say what I need to say.

"I love you. You know that."

She nods, her eyes searching mine for any sign to where this is going. I slide my fingers into her hair, cupping her face with both hands as I crash my lips against hers. She lets out a surprised squeal, her hands fisting my shirt as she pulls me closer.

"I love you," I mutter between kisses, trailing my lips down her neck. She tilts her head back, her hands cradling my head against her. Her pulse is racing beneath my lips, and I smile. She lets out a soft, breathy moan, swiftly straddling my lap. One hand slides under my shirt, the other gripping the back of my neck. She yanks my hair, causing me to pull back. Her eyes are nearly black, her lips parted as she pants.

"Fuck, I missed you," She breathes, tracing my lower lip with her thumb before she captures my mouth with hers. I close my eyes, gasping when her tongue traces my lip. Her tongue darts quickly into my mouth, and my fingers dig harshly into her hip.

She peppers light kisses down my neck, nuzzling her face in the curve of my shoulder. I stroke her hair, melting back into the couch cushions, my eyes opening slowly. I can't help the tears that are streaming down my cheeks, hiccuping as I try to stifle my sob.

"What's wrong, baby?" She asks, pressing a light kiss underneath my jaw.

"Hormones," I excuse, making her laugh. She looks up at me, gently swiping my tears away. "I just missed you."

She nods, kissing me slowly this time. Her hand slides under my shirt, but I stop her.

"We can't, Stevie."

She whines, pouting at me.

"We don't have time. They're waiting for us."

She frowns, trailing the pad of her finger over my brow bone.

"We'll be making time later," She says, pressing a kiss to my forehead. I nod, lacing my fingers through hers and trailing kisses from her wrist to the crease of her elbow.

I sit back, smoothing her hair down so it doesn't look so much like we just made out. She tucks my hair behind my ears, looking totally focused as she tries to untangle my hair from my necklace.

"You go first," I say when she slides off my lap. "I don't want them to be suspicious just yet."

She chuckles, leaning down to press one last kiss to the top of my head before she slips out. I giggle, hiding my face in my hands. Finally, everything feels normal.