Page 86 of I Fell for an Alien Popstar

A breath hitched in her chest.

“I didn’t understand that you were choosing me too,” I said. “Not just biology. Not just aura. You. Every time you looked at me instead of the crowd. Every time you reached for my hand first. I was so busy being afraid of being dragged that I didn’t notice I was already walking toward you.”

She stared at me, her eyes bright and wet.

“I want forever with you,” I finished, my voice breaking. “Not because the universe said so. Because I do.”

The bond pulsed between us, warm and sure.

For a long moment, she just looked at me.

“You should have said that before,” she said finally.

“I know,” I whispered. “I’m saying it now.”

Her gaze dropped to the sign, still clutched in my hand, the glitter slowly shedding onto the backstage floor. Something in her expression softened.

“You made a car with a smiley face,” she said.

“It’s a solar car,” I said, sniffing. “It runs on feelings and poor decision-making.”

A small, helpless laugh escaped her.

“You are the most infuriating person I have ever met,” she murmured. “You make me so angry I want to throw something, and then you show up at my concert with a glitter sign and my heart does—”

She gestured at her chest.

“Something very inconvenient.”

“I can give you the sign so you have something to throw,” I offered.

She took it from my hand instead. She looked at it for a long moment, then leaned it carefully against the wall.

Then she reached for me.

“Come here, my little noodle,” she said softly.

I went to her.

Her arms closed around me again, tighter this time, and I felt something in my chest finally loosen.

Behind us, the arena erupted into confused noise as the band slipped into an improvised instrumental. Somewhere, a stage manager was probably having a full-body crisis.

Zhari rested her forehead against mine.

“I still need to finish the show,” she whispered.

“I know.”

“And I still need to be angry with you for at least another few minutes.”

“That seems fair.”

“But I do not want to do it while standing backstage.”

“Also fair.”

“Sira will arrange a private exit. We can go to the hotel after the show.”