He stood, and Luka could see the tears in the corners of his eyes before he bowed and waved goodbye with a small smile. He hurried off the stage, a hand pressed against his face to hide his expression, before disappearing out of the line of the cameras. The video cut back to the host, and August slowly reached for their phone to take it back, and Luka realized he was crying.
August pulled him to their side and held him, and his hand dropped to his lap, uncurling to reveal the key. His palm was indented and red from its jagged edges, and when a sob forced its way out of him, Luka collapsed into August’s arms.
“I have to go back," Luka gasped, trying to catch his breath. “I need to see him.”
“I know," August said, a soothing hand in his hair. “Let’s get you packed.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Reno hadn’t intendedfor everyone at work to look at him a bit sideways when he walked through the hallways after the interview. But he’d expected it.
Actually, he'd expected worse. He’d expected outrage, to be pulled into the public relations conference room again and yelled at, or for one of his peers to retaliate because Reno might have just single-handedly made everyone’s life a lot more difficult.
He’d admit, it was tense in the building when he appeared, but no one said anything to him that was rude or unkind.
When the first person pulled him aside, Reno had nearly run away. But when he saw the look on their face, he was glad hedidn’t. By the time he left at the end of the day, he’d talked to at least five people he’d only ever spoken to in passing, and all of them had thanked him.
They were like him.
He wasn’t alone. Not even a little.
They’d told him he inspired them with his bravery on TV the night before with the courage it had taken to finally tell Sterling off for not letting him be himself. Someone had needed to take a stand against the label’s discrimination for so long, but none of them had the job security or the pull that Reno did. They were also excited, hoping that more artists would come forward in solidarity now.
Reno hadn’t done what he did for that reason, but he was so grateful his mother had been right. By being open to the world about who he was, he was already bringing a little bit of comfort to others. It made Reno feel like hebelongedin the world in a way he’d never known before.
He shared a connection with millions of strangers, knowing they fought the same kind of battles. They could stand together.
Already, the tabloids had shifted away from Joy’s contrived scandal to focus on Reno’s coming-out story. The news online and fandom discussions had forgotten the last few weeks’ drama in favor of either congratulating him for, or showing disappointment in, Reno’s decision.
Now all he had to do was convince Luka to come back.
If he had to beg and grovel to do it, he would. Luka had been right about everything, and he’d tell Luka he was correct every day for the rest of their lives if that was what it took.
It was earlier that week, when Jaewon had burst into Reno’s flat and dragged him out of bed, claiming that he’d been moping long enough and it was time to pull himself together, that Reno started tothinkfor the first time since Luka had left.
After Jaewon basically threw him into the shower, cleaned the flat for him, and forced him to eat, Reno could focus again; his head felt less stuffed full of intrusive thoughts, and he could look his friend in the eyes clearly once more.
Then, Jaewon stared back at Reno and said, “You and Luka are both absolute fucking idiots.”
Jaewon told him about his phone call to Luka, then gave Reno a stern talking-to. Reno saw the sense in what his friend was saying and asked what he should do.
Jaewon already had a plan in motion. They called Kandi, who came over immediately, and within a few hours, they had a list of demands and talking points for Reno to present to Sterling. Reno threw on his most professional-looking outfit and tied his hair back, then asked Kandi for a ride to work.
After a courtesy call to Arnaud to warn him that Reno was about to do the most insane thing he’d done in his entire career, and receiving delighted laughter and a promise to take him out afterward as a response, Reno marched right into the elevator and up to his bosses’ offices. He demanded an audience with each of them, one by one, and told them to meet him in a specific conference room. Then, once they were all seated, he laid into them.
He knew he was the only person in the building who could get away with doing something like that, so he shoved his nerves down and did it.
He threatened to quit,to go solo, to take himself and all of his profits away from the label. He told them no matter what they decided to do to Reno after this meeting, he would tell the world on live TV that he’d faced discrimination from the label, and had been advised to stay single and closeted. If Sterling didn’t cooperate with him now, it would look far worse than if they changed their ways.
They were furious with Reno, and he thought for sure they’d drop him, and maybe even Voltage too. But, somehow, Reno got his way.
Voltage was staying on the label, and Reno, along with all of their other signed artists, didn’t have to hold themselves to such outdated, rigid standards anymore.Finally, they could just be…people.
They agreed to make a public statement of support, agreeing to catch up with the times and not just to accept their ‘diverse array of musicians’, but to spotlight and feature them if the artist wished.
Of course, the musicians would have to behave like respectable members of society, avoid trouble with the law, and still maintain a degree of separation between themselves and the fans. But now more than ever, Reno looked forward to connecting with his fans more, showing the people who listened to his music that he was a real, whole person with his own thoughts and opinions, and that he was capable of loving and being loved.
It made Reno’s chest warm for the first time since Luka left.
