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She laughs. “My dad. I remembered he had some contacts in the music industry. Went to see him at work before I flew to meet you in Mississippi. I was just the buffer. I sent him the video of tonight. I guess he likes you enough of you to pass it on. Him and I together were just the middleman. The rest was all you and the band. You guys are good. I knew it from the start.”
I tighten my hold on her, bringing her in for a hug. When my mouth is close to her ear, I confess, “And I knew you were meant to be mine from the start.”
Because love—it fucks you up, sometimes for the bad, but always for the good.
EPILOGUE PART ONE
LANDON
Four years later . . .
“Sav-age Saints. Sav-age Saints. Sav-age Saints,” the crowd chants as the light show bounces around the audience. Our final opening band just came off stage. It’s go time.
As I look out into the crowd from backstage at all the heads throughout the space, my nerves start to backfire. Custom signs made from poster boards are being waved over heads. It’s surreal knowing all these people are here to see us play.
I always get nervous right before we go on. I’m hoping it will fade the longer we do this. It’s our first headliner tour, and we’re in Miami, so it holds more meaning than most, which is why I have plans for later.
Four summers ago, our lives were changed. We had that meeting Paxtyn’s dad got us, and within twenty-four hours we were being signed by the record label. I went in with no expectations, and when it was over, nothing was the same. I had to quit my job offshore and we had to move to LA immediately.
That summer was busy, and really fucking overwhelming for a group of country boys. Thank God Konnor, Presley, and Paxtyn were at least a buffer in ways being from California, because none of us knew what the hell we were doing when it came to getting an agent and a real manager for representation. We also had to get a publicist. Paxtyn’s mom helped us understand all the contracts and legal shit. I’m not sure what we would have done had we not had intelligent adults like Presley and Paxtyn’s parents in our corner that were familiar with the industry in ways.
When the tour bus showed up shortly after Maddox and Gabby’s daughter Katerina was born—Kat for short—we knew it was all real. By that fall, we were on tour with another band—our do-over—and we made sure not to fuck it up this time. The new music we were working on before that in Miami became our first album drop. It went platinum. We were mind-blown, and we’ve worked our asses off ever since. We’ve had two album releases since then.
Looking back, I’m not sure how we pulled it all off, honestly. God, grace, and good girls, I guess, because now, we don’t have to tour with and open for other bands anymore. They come with us. We fucking made it.
Tonight, where it all started with her, I’m going to give back to the girl that made it all happen. The same girl that hasn’t left my side through any of it, knowing damn well it hasn’t been easy, especially during her senior year. It was a weight lifted off my shoulders to watch her walk across that stage in her cap and gown. She chose to go to college in LA, majoring in music management, just like she said all those years ago. Thank God, she’s almost fucking done.
And she’s remained faithful through it all, age gap restrictions be damned. Her twenty-first birthday was freedom . . . for both of us. I’ve had more peace in my life since then than I’ve ever had, more so than when I made up with my mom, which was all because of Paxtyn too. I forgave her, and I let it all go. Both of my parents are remarried now. Both are happy. I haven’t been bitter in a long damn time.
She doesn’t suspect a thing. I made sure of it. She doesn’t even know her best friend Navy is in the crowd with a very specific job. In the place we met, and so close to her twenty-second birthday, I’m going to dig fucking deep to make this the best night of her life, because she changed mine.
When the stage lights go out and the pyrotechnics begin, we run out on stage and take our places, just like we rehearsed. Konnor’s guitar plays first. The stage spotlights come on. “What’s up, Miami?” Riggan shouts in the microphone, his guitar strapped to him. “Make some noise!”
The drums ease in with the cymbal. Screams start low and get louder all over the venue. Phones go up in the air to record. My heart rate increases, just like it always does when I see the crowd from the stage. It’s an impalpable feeling. With the strum of my fingers, I throw in the bass. Bodies start jumping, and everything falls into place. Riggan’s deep voice booms all over the space from the sound system, and like this is what we were meant to do, we all come together and play our first song.
Paxtyn
I remain backstage and watch as they finish their final song, singing along. The pyrotechnics have been on point. I love the effects they add. The guys are all sweating by the glistening sheen on their faces and necks. They’ve worked hard, and the way the crowd is reacting to the show, it’s paid off. They’ll all be tired when we get back to the bus. I internally laugh. Then they’ll all have to deal with excited kids.
“That’s a wrap, Miami!” Riggan singsongs. “Thanks everyone for coming out. Don’t forget to tag us on social media with videos of the show.”
The lights go down, but only for a second before they come back up, dimmer this time. My brows come together, unsure of what happened. When the lights go down, they are supposed to leave the stage. This wasn’t what was rehearsed.
I glance around me at Gabby, Sayler, and Presley, but they all give me a shoulder shrug. “I have something to say,” Landon says into the microphone, his voice carrying all over the building. You would have thought he just told everyone to shut up the way the crowd went silent, which is likely because henevertalks to the crowd. Anyone who follows them knows that. He comes in singing when he’s supposed to but interacting with the audience isn’t his thing. He likes being off to the side and staying to himself. “Y’all want to see me embarrass my girl?”
My eyes become saucers as the crowd goes wild. Uh . . .What are you doing?I mouth when he glances at me, removing his guitar and setting it on the stand. “Come out here,” he adds, still talking into the mic.
What the fuck?
I shake my head, warning him to stop. Damn lunatic. They’re the celebrities, not me. They were trained for this. “You ready to get married?” he adds when I don’t budge. My heart stumbles over itself to speed up, and I smile when I realize that he’s reaching into his pocket. Oh, my god! No fucking way. I was expecting him to wait until I graduated college for this. There are so many female screams it’s insane. “You have to come out here to get the ring.”
“I’m going to kill you,” I whisper-shout from backstage, just behind the edge.
He chuckles. “After four and a half years, you knew this was coming. I’ll even let them see me hit my knee.”
Clapping, screaming, stomping. Every sound you can think of is coming from the crowd. God, he’s sexy when he loves. “Get. The. Ring. Get. The. Ring,” comes out in the perfectly timed chant.
Someone bumps my shoulder, pulling my eyes away from his. It’s Gabby, wearing a big goofy grin. “Go claim him publicly before one of these other girls tries to jump on stage for you and you have to fight.”
