Prologue:

Oliver didn't want to be here. Everything Digg was saying went completely over his head. The sounds of his longtime friend and the other music execs were nothing more than a buzzing drone in his ear.

"These are the ten people we narrowed it down to."

All the videos they were playing for him blurred together. The company ran a contest over the summer and now he was supposed to choose the new debut artist for Queen Records. It would be his first act as CEO now that his father has relinquished the reins. So far he was doing a terrible job at it. He hadn't come back for this, but his sister Thea had told him that if he didn't' stop moping around she'd stop talking to him. He's lost so much already, he couldn't lose her too. So he had agreed. It didn't mean he was happy about it.

Digg finally noticed his unfocused eyes and sighed.

"Oliver," Digg called his name. By the time he finally looked up, Digg must have said it at least three times. "You have to choose one of them."

He didn't want to be here. Everything about the room reminded him of Tommy. He glanced to the left and saw Tommy's old guitar, still hung up where he had last left it. Digg followed his line of sight and motioned for someone to remove it. An assistant stood up and moved toward it, but before he could touch Tommy's guitar Oliver shot up in his seat.

"Leave it," he growled. He didn't mean it to sound so harsh, but he did, judging by the terrified look on the assistant's face. The kid glanced nervously at Digg and Digg merely shook his head and the kid backed off.

"We should've met somewhere else," Digg muttered under his breath. "Everything here triggers you. You gotta learn to let go, Oliver. It's been five years."

Has it really been so long? Oliver felt the pain as raw as if it were yesterday.

Digg sighed again, his millionth one, all he does is sigh with Oliver now. There used to be a time when he laughed instead, but Oliver could barely remember that now.

"Let's call it a night," Digg said, facing the other music producers in the room.

Just before the screen flicked off a familiar note filled the room. From the stricken look on Digg's face, Oliver knew that he recognized it too.

"Turn that thing off!" Digg commanded, but Oliver cut him off.

"I want to hear it!"

Digg glared at him, his expression full of his own grief and frustration, but a bit of understanding too. Finally his gaze softened and he nodded, sinking back down in his seat.

Oliver felt his heart pounding as he watched the blonde on the TV screen smile shyly at the camera, readjusting the glasses on her face. Her hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, the end in wisps around her shoulder. She had been playing a few notes, the ones Oliver recognized, but her fingers stumbled and she smiled sheepishly at the camera.

"Whoops, sorry. Butter fingers there…" she said. "Let's try that again…"

She took a deep breath and began strumming again. Oliver leaned forward in his seat unconsciously.

*My baby don't mess around

Because she loves me so

And this I know for sure...

It's the same words, but the tempo is slower. And it bowls Oliver over that Tommy's words, his lyrics, could sound so different and yet…

If what they say is "Nothing is forever"

Then what makes, then what makes, love the exception?

So why you, why you

Why you, why you, why you are we so in denial

When we know we're not happy here...

The girl on the screen closes her eyes for a moment, as if in prayer, and she sings…

Hey ya, hey ya...

Oliver didn't realize he'd started crying until the tear drop hit his clench palms. The girl finished the song with a few repeats of the chorus and some final strums and then silence filled the room. Everyone was watching him.

"Her," he said, his voice more hoarse than he'd like. He cleared his throat and tried again. This time his choice was clear. "I choose her."

xxxxx

* This song is not actually written by Tommy Merlyn (I'm just going to pretend it's his for the purpose of this fic), it is 'Hey Ya' by Outkast and the version I'm referencing here is a cover by Sarah Blasko which you can listen to here! youtube /Mf339KTTdUA No copyright infringement intended. I will be doing this with other songs in future chapters because I can't write original songs… but I will be sure to credit the original artist and/or cover artist in the author notes so please do check them out!