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"Or admit to liking the commoners' music." He digs into his eggs. "These are good."
"You made them."
"Still, didn't expect them to turn out this good."
I reach over to run my fingers through his hair. "You're good at lots of things."
He looks me in the eyes. "Do I make you happy?"
"Yeah, you do."
"Then I'm good at the two things that matter to me."
"Making eggs and making me happy?" I tease.
"Music and you." He takes another bite. This time, he chews slowly. His voice gets soft, cautious. "We have to leave in a few hours. The show tonight is in Albany. They're three hours ahead of us."
"Sure." I take a few bites. The eggs really are good. And I really do appreciate Ethan cooking and making tea. He's really taking care of me.
Right now, life really is per
fect.
The next few days with Ethan are a blur of afternoons on the bus, evenings at shows, and nights in his room.
Joel is no longer arranging his own transport but he isn't talking to Mal either. The two of them seem content to give each other the cold shoulder indefinitely.
Between studying and job applications, I stay busy enough to stay out of the fray. One of the genetics labs in Orange County wants to hire me, based entirely on my published articles, resume, and cover letter. Ethan will be home all summer. He'll be home whenever he's not on tour.
We could be together.
It's a great lab too. On paper, it's perfect.
I should wait to hear back from the labs in other parts of the country. They might offer better salaries or more responsibilities. They might be better for my future career.
None of that seems as important as being someplace that feels like home. My parents' place has plenty of room to grow on that front, but being with Ethan, that feels like home.
I force myself to arrange a Skype interview, to make sure it's a good fit, but deep down, I know I want to take the job.
This time, I'm ready to bend.
I just hope Ethan is ready to meet me halfway.
The show at Madison Square Garden is like something out of a dream, even from my spot on the side of the stage. That's Ethan, the man I love, the guy who grew up dreaming about performing on the famous stage, playing to ten thousand screaming fans. This show is huge, at least twice the size of any of the previous tour stops.
I force myself to take in all the Dangerous Noise guys. Mal and Ethan have a fun stage dynamic. They riff off each other's energy, tease each other, even swap places and guitars mid song. The singer stays coy and untouchable. Ethan stays energetic and welcoming.
Joel shows no signs of his frustration with Mal. He's an animal on his drum kit and he captivates the crowd every time he pauses to wipe his sweat with his shirt or blow kisses.
Kit is in his corner of the stage, rocking his bass guitar, inviting the crowd to look but not touch. Every time he brushes his mass of curly hair from his eyes or waves at the crowd, a thousand women scream his name.
Right now, there's no doubt in my mind that the four of them belong here. There's no doubt that the frost between Joel and Mal will fade. There's no doubt that they'll go on to record platinum albums and win Grammys.
After Mal and Ethan take turns teasing the headliners, the lights go down, the crowd screams, and Ethan goes straight to me.
His strong arms envelop me. His heart is beating so hard I can feel it against my chest. This is what he wants, everything he's ever wanted.
Can I really ask him to give up any of it?
