Eric laughs. “He’s right, you know. That was good—better than, actually.”
“And we’re not easy to please,” Brandon adds with an encouraging smile.
I glance at Grayson. He doesn’t say anything, but he doesn’t have to. The pride in his eyes says it all.
“Okay,” I sigh. “I can do this, but there’s no way I’m going out there looking like this.”
I look down at my well-loved, faded jeans, Chuck Taylors, and my favorite Catastrophically Charismatic tee that I’d stolen from Grayson. I’ve never cared much about looks or an outfit, but if I’m going to start, now seems like the time.
“Let’s go find the girls,” Grayson suggests, already putting his guitar down. “They’ll know what to do.”
Moments later, I’m in the dressing room with Rylee and Johanna, who are barely able to contain their excitement. Rylee takes control of my makeup, opting for a soft smokey eye and bold lip while Johanna curls my hair into soft, effortless waves. Thankfully, although she toned down her choices and softened her edges, Johanna hasn’t completely ditched her affinity for designer clothes after deciding to come on tour. Between a black leather mini skirt that hugs my hips, an intentionally distressed gray tee, the most eye-catching black heeled combat boots, and some statement jewelry, I finally feel like I look the part that I’ve been cast for the night.
When Grayson returns, his eyes widen. For a moment, I worry the girls have overdone it, that I’m unrecognizable to him.
“Just when I thought you couldn’t be more perfect,” he beams.
“You don’t think it’s too much?” I ask.
“Never, beautiful,” he assures me. “Let’s get your mics put back on and get you on stage.”
My heart is pounding in my chest. Rylee takes my usual place in the crowd to take photos, but Johanna stays close, whispering encouragement as the techs clip a mic to my new clothes and do a final adjustment on my monitors. The band just walked out on stage, and the roar of the crowd is more deafening than it has ever been from where I stand backstage.
“Philadelphia! Let’s make some noise!” Grayson’s voice rings out. “How are you guys doing tonight?”
The crowd erupts again, their energy washing over me, my breath catching.
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he continues. “My Mia is going to be joining me on stage for a few songs tonight. How does that sound?”
Each time I think the crowd has reached their peak, they take it to another level. My pulse radiates in my ears.
With a little push from Johanna, I step forward. I figure they haven’t seen enough of me yet, that there’s still time for me to bolt, but when I see Grayson smiling at me like I’m the only person in the room, I move into the spotlight.
I walk toward him, heels steady but legs shaking, and somehow I make it close enough for me to take his hand. The lights are hot, the crowd electric, but I just keep my eyes on Grayson and try to tune out everything but the music as Eric begins the intro toCollapse Into You.
Grayson starts singing, and when I join in, our voices melt together perfectly over the speakers like we’ve done this a thousand times before. I don’t dare break our eye contact as everything else—the crowd, the lights, the anxiety—blurs into the background, and when we hit the chorus, the audience roars and sings it right along with us. And then I realize, the crowd isn’t just cheering for the song.
They’re cheering for us.
In this moment, deep down, I know this is only the beginning.
Chapter twenty-four
"Constellations" - Jade LeMac
Grayson
Backstage is even more chaotic than usual after the show. After a normal night, we’d be doing the post-show meet and greets, hanging out with fans, and maybe jamming with the other bands. But tonight, the crowds are so crazy after seeing Mia and me perform together for the first time that our team is strongly suggesting against leaving the safety of backstage.
I’ve already taken to Instagram to try to calm the waves as we’re greeted by a tense conversation with Jake the minute we come off the stage.
“Congrats on the vocals,” he says to Mia. “Now brace yourselves.”
I stiffen, my protective instincts in overdrive. “What happened?”
Jake hands me his phone and says, “You’re trending. But not all of it’s good.”
“You guysbrokethe internet!” Rylee screams, interrupting the intensity. “Look at this reel! Two million views already!”
