My pulse sped up. “Oh, okay.” Shit. I wasn’t sure I was ready to see them, but I didn’t want to cause issues just before they were due to go on.
Molly nudged me. “Go, Ade. I’ll stick around here with Mason until you come back.”
We pushed through the crowd toward the side of the stage and walked through the inconspicuous door labeled “Staff Only”.
The small backstage area was busy with roadies running around with cords and equipment. Barney led me past the open area with red leather couches where less than two months ago I’d sat with Liam, Elly, and Mason, freaking out about Bleeding Moonlight being in the audience. Now they were the ones performing, and I was about to meet them once again.
“They’re in here,” Barney said and opened a black door I hadn’t noticed during my previous time here.
It was a small dressing room. The four men stopped their conversation and looked at me in unison as I entered. Internally, I screamed at Barney for not giving me a second to compose myself before coming face-to-face with them.
They all looked good enough to eat, muscles and tattoos on display, their edgy appearance reminding me in an instant they were untouchable metal legends. I’d gotten used to their toned-down appearance over the past six weeks, but seeing them like this now took my breath away. Cole and Silas donned leather pants I hadn’t seen on them before and black T-shirts with different band logos. Ezra’s chiseled torso was bare—he was shirtless with just a pair of loose jeans held up by a leather belt. And Abel looked every bit the charismatic front man in a white tank top and fitted black jeans, his silky blond hair cascading past his shoulders.
“Ade!” Cole broke the momentary silence that fell after Barney closed the door behind me.
He crossed the small room to envelop me into a hug and ran his hands down my arms like he was trying to convince himself I was really here. I couldn’t help but return his hopeful smile, my heart fluttering at being close to him again.
Ezra and Silas took turns pulling me into their own embraces, all of them looking at me like I was a precious prize. It hit me just how much I’d missed them over the course of the past week—their easy companionship, energy, and affection.
Abel came up to me last and stopped a foot away, as if unsure of what to do. Up close, I noticed he’d lined his eyes with kohl, and the thin dark lines that took him from gorgeous to heartbreaking. I swallowed and closed the distance between us to give him a hug of my own. A heartbeat later, his arms snaked around my shoulders, and I could have sworn he let out a relieved breath into my curls.
“I can’t believe you’re putting on a show,” I told them as I pulled away, forcing a smile on my face. My gaze darted across their faces. “Barney said it was a last-minute thing.”
Ezra scratched the back of his neck, his blue eyes bright even in the dim lighting of the room. “Yeah. We thought we’d give the new songs a go.”
“You’re playing the new stuff?” I asked. “That’s fantastic. The fans will love it.”
Silas’s hand landed on the small of my back, as if to keep me steady.
“Barney said you guys wanted to see me before going onstage. Do you need me to give you a pep talk?” I joked nervously.
Cole was beaming at me as if he was barely holding something in. Ezra and Abel wore carefully guarded expressions, but their eyes glowed with intent. I swiped my clammy hands on the sides of my dress.
“No, no pep talk,” Silas said. “We are looking for a guitarist to perform with us, though.”
Understanding crashed over me so hard I thought my knees might give out. I was thankful for Silas’s grip on my back.
“Wait. What?”
“This is for you, Ade,” Abel said calmly, as if his words were making sense. “This concert is for you.”
“You want me to play with you live?” I asked in a hoarse voice, my eyebrows squeezing together.
“Don’t think we’ll find someone else in the next five minutes.” Abel had a sly smirk on his face.
As if on signal, the crowd erupted in cheers, the sound loud enough to penetrate the walls of the room.
“We’d love to stand and chat, but seems like we’ve got people waiting.” Ezra made a show of looking at his watch.
“Fuck.” My head was spinning. I wasn’t sure I could move my legs, let alone play a concert at the moment.
“C’mon, Ade. You’ve got this.” Cole came up to stand on my other side and tucked me under this arm. “You’re a pro.”
Right. I was a performer, and although I definitely wasn’t a pro, I knew how to pull myself together and put on a show.
Abel’s green eyes danced as he took in my expression. “Let’s get out there and do this. Then, afterward, you can let us know what you’ve decided on.”
I let out a breath and shrugged off my jacket. “Let’s go.”
