r Tha

lin'

't stop

. The stage lights had faded, but their warmth stayed on my ski

eras, influencers, and strangers who whi

've been

I was s

sn't from

was

an C

l backstage crowd like he belonged here-which, of course

, his eyes we

to my chest like it could prot

see the flecks of gold in his eyes. Close enough t

remembered. No smirk and no smug grin. Ju

dry. "What do y

. Barely-bu

say... you were in

-complime

ng the back of his

he insult hidden under layers

e looked..

a second too long on the hem of my jacket. His tongue darted

urprised me,"

'm not supposed to be g

ickly. "That's n

d that it did. "You laughed when I fe

ory physically hurt. "

said, higher t

argue, j

ed between us l

"But I saw you up there, and for the first time, I didn

ing I didn't realize

lway emptied. People moved past us like backgroun

you, Carolin,"

dn't have to. You let eve

down. "I r

t didn't feel rehear

more: the apology... or the par

hy are you real

hem messier. "Because... I didn't expect

. A very inconvenient

another video, are you?"

. This wasn't for TikT

owed. "Why d

an inch. But it was en

on't know. Maybe because I saw someone re

eath

the crowd. When he wasn't playing Lancaster's golden boy. When his walls

t's why I did

Mabel texted me and I

? We're heading to the

n't re

of me... a selfish part I

d to

hesitate. "You d

. "Funny. That's a

on't,"

n us wasn't awkwar

ed at m

aw

hould'v

ething clever or dis

inst

anyone," I said, vo

surprise. Not mock

n closer. "Wou

in my ears now.

of hair behind my ear, ling

in ti

if you change yo

something that felt an a

e walk

hless, still unsure if what just happened was

sitting in the music r

the notes. It was on him. The warmth of h

couldn't stop t

drink. "Okay, spill. You've been walking

fter the auditi

raw. "Please tell me

lked t

s widened. "Like

red. "And he...

ings. "Touched your-? Carolin! That

You sound li

ing: do not let that boy back into y

lling for h

e the

f me alr

on came late

sive aft

regional

ted at a hotel s

You've been in the background for too

s and combat boots. My hair

e when I was nervous, so I

lowing people and music tha

th

e he

ri

boots that probably

saw

ession softe

the room.

going to,"

you

boy from the hallway was real.

been pretending so lon

broke open. And it mad

a quiet

ights flic

t the railing, I

e... you're too broke

me, his voice raw

at him. He

s and no mor

eane

me, I didn'

lips

ireworks or

nd everything I didn't k

ed back, he

oked

was

if this wasn'

beginning of somethin