Page 108 of Anything But Lonely

The way his shoulders straighten with every line. The way he stops looking to Mateo for reassurance and starts looking out at the crowd instead. The smile that keeps threatening to break across his face when he realizes the words are coming out exactly the way he wants them to.

Every lyric is clear. Every syllable lands exactly where it's supposed to. There's no hesitation. No struggle. Just Crew's small voice carrying through the speakers, strong and certain.

Mateo is staring at him like he's never been prouder just as the chorus begins, and he joins him, singing along with him. Theo, Silas, and even Eddie come in with harmonies, adding a whole new layer to the song, making it feel like I’m hearing it for the first time.

My hands come to my mouth as Mateo stands, holding Crew’s hand as they sing together with the band behind them, and even though the crowd goes absolutely wild, I barely register it.

Right now, it’s me, Crew, and Mateo.

And it’s too much.

I’ve spent weeks trying to convince myself that Mateo and Crew were just a detour—something beautiful, maybe, but temporary. A distraction. A place to get lost in for a while before moving on. I told myself they were never really mine, no matter how natural it felt to belong with them.

But watching them now, that lie finally falls apart.

Something inside me that had been fading for so long I barely noticed it was gone suddenly roars back to life. Like a dying ember being doused in gasoline, impossible to ignore and even more impossible to contain.

Because the truth is, I need them.

Not in the fleeting, convenient way I’ve tried to frame it. Not as a comfort or a distraction or something to help pass the time.

I need Crew’s laughter filling the silence. I need Mateo’s steady presence beside me. I need the way they’ve somehow carved out a place for themselves in every corner of my life without me realizing it was happening.

And the worst part is finally understanding that.

Because now I know what I’m about to lose.

I know that every moment with them has been quietly teaching me how much they matter, and now every smile, every glance, every memory feels sharp around the edges. The thought of walking away suddenly feels impossible. The thought of saying goodbye feels less like closing a chapter and more like losing a piece of myself.

And for the first time, the end feels real.

For the first time, I don't want to let them go.

Ava’s arm loops around my back, holding me up as if she knows I’m seconds away from falling to the ground. Rumi’s head finds my shoulder, leaning against me, reminding me that she’s there—and it’s exactly what I need.

The last lyric rings out, the music behind Crew and Mateo fading, and for a moment, there’s silence. An entire venue of thousands of people. Completely silent.

And then the ground shakes.

My ears begin to ring at the volume of the screams in the crowd, but my eyes are glued to the stage, seeing the way Crew looks up at Mateo, grinning as he bounces up and down. I can see him saying the words I did it over and over again as he raises his arms to Mateo. Mateo lifts Crew in a hug, holding him tightly before the two find me in the crowd again, beckoning me with a wave of their hands.

“Go,” Ava says, and she and Rumi give me a gentle push forward.

The spell breaks.

The world rushes back into focus all at once—the music vibrating through the floor beneath my feet, the roar of thousands of people surrounding us, the sting of tears still clinging to my lashes.

I drag the heels of my hands beneath my eyes, silently praying I haven't completely destroyed my makeup, and the crowd in Mateo's VIP section seems to part for me without a word. Faces blur together as I move through them, my heart pounding so hard I'm convinced everyone around me can hear it.

Then I spot Talia. She's standing tucked against her husband's chest, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist. Her smile is so wide it almost makes me cry all over again. Her eyes glisten beneath the stage lights, and when our gazes meet, she gives me an encouraging nod, as if she knows exactly what I'm thinking and exactly where I'm headed.

My chest tightens.

"Emerson!" I hear before I see her.

Mia’s already waiting at the barricade, practically bouncing on her toes as she waves me over. The second I reach her, she grabs both of my hands.

"Come on," she laughs.