Free The Winner Takes It All (Love in L.A. Book 3) by Audrey Harte Page B

and hide her face again.
    When Lara finally peeked out at them again, she asked Annie, “What are you going to sing?”
    “ Georgia on My Mind .”
    “I don’t know that song.”
    “Well, I hope you like it. It’s one of my favorites.”
    “Does it make your mommy cry?”
    Annie laughed and nodded. “Yes, it makes my mommy cry, but she says they are happy tears as well.”
    “Mommies are supposed to say stuff like that, cuz they’re growed up,” Lara informed her matter-of-factly.
    “Well, I’m glad we both make our mommies cry with our singing.”
    “Yeah, Daddy says that’s how you know you’re really good. When you can make the chicks cry.”
    Lara’s dad cleared his throat, his cheeks reddening slightly as he patted his little girl and smiled weakly at his wife who was now looking at him suspiciously. “Okay, precious, let’s not tell the nice ladies all of daddy’s secrets.”
    Annie and Erin both giggled again and smiled sweetly at Lara’s parents before turning back around in their seats.
    Just then, Kyle Atkinson walked out on stage and everyone applauded enthusiastically. The TV host briefly explained that the next round of eliminations was about to begin, starting with the dancers.
    The first dance act was a hip hop group made up of six guys and four girls who specialized in breaking, popping and locking. They had been performing together for two years and called themselves the East LA Dance Crew. The ELADC was good. They were so good that after they finished, Annie looked a little worried and exchanged glances with Erin whose expression mirrored hers.
    “Wow. That’s going to be a tough act to follow,” Erin said. “They were really good.”
    “I know…”
    “But hey, you said Casey and his crew are awesome, right?”
    “I said Casey is awesome, but I’ve only seen him dancing back-up for Kayla. I’ve never seen him perform with his crew. I mean, I’m assuming that they’re amazing or they wouldn’t have gotten this far, right?”
    Erin laughed as she put up her hands. “Whoa, girl, I’m not dissing your boy or his crew. No need to get defensive. All I said was that the ELADC is going to be a tough act to follow… for anyone, though. But I’m sure your man’s got skills or he wouldn’t have gotten this far, like you said.”
    “Sorry, I’m just nervous for him. I want so badly for him to wi—” Annie stopped herself. “For him to do well,” she finished lamely.
    “Girl, I don’t enjoy you at all. I don’t know if I could compete against the man I love. But you’re here, which tells me you want this. So go big or go home, chick, but don’t give him the crown before this shit has even started. If he’s meant to win, if you’re meant to win—it doesn’t matter. You make him earn it either way.”
    Annie smiled at her new friend. “You’re pretty awesome yourself, you know? And I’m not even talking about your vocal talent, girl, which you’ve got in spades.”
    “Aww, are we having a mushy girlie girl moment?” Erin said teasingly as she scrunched up her nose at Annie.
    Laughing, Annie shook her head. “We were, but don’t worry. It’s over now, I promise. You’ve fulfilled your quota for the day.”
    “Oh yay,” Erin said right before the lights flickered, indicating that another performance was about to start.
    The next act was four tiny ballerinas in pink and purple tutus who performed a piece from The Nutcracker . Julia and Olivia, as the two eldest girls introduced themselves, were ten-years-old, and their younger sisters, Lilah and Mya, were eight-years-old. And the four of them looked nearly identical. The only noticeable difference between them was that the older sisters were about an inch taller than their younger siblings.
    During the next break, Annie sat there with her eyes squeezed shut as she prayed silently for Casey and his crew to absolutely murder their first performance in the finals. Erin seemed to sense that it would be wise for her