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“I’m always here to support you,” he replies, stepping back, his eyes still warm with pride. “But you better say thanks to this guy here. He thinks really highly of you.”
I turn to Jake, my expression a mix of a grateful smile and a playful glare.
“I’m sorry,” Jake begins, his lips pinching to the side of his mouth. He takes my hand and pulls me close. He wraps his arms around me, enveloping me in his warmth. “I’m so fucking sorry for not being there to take you, for forgetting my phone to not be able to contact you, for not being here to support you. I’m going to make it up to you, I promise.”
“Where the hell were you?” I ask, my voice soft but insistent, even as the music from the next band starts up, and Dad moves back to join the audience.
Trev and Lily are mingling with other bands backstage, but my entire world narrows down to just Jake and me.
He stares into my eyes as he sighs.
My heart drops that it’s something terrible.
“So, my brother calls me, right?” he starts. “The call was all fuzzy, and he sounded so anxious. He just blurted out something about Mom and the cancer, then the line went dead. My mind immediately jumped to the worst. I thought... I thought her cancer had returned. I just lost it, Em. I grabbed my bag and bolted. I wasn’t thinking straight at all. I drove home like a lunatic, needing to see her, to know she was okay.” He pauses, running a hand through his hair.
“Oh, shit.” My gut tightens.
“And then I get there, and it’s like the complete opposite. Mom’s smiling, celebrating because she’s cancer-free. Turns out my brother’s frantic call was just him being in a bad signal area. I swear, Em, at that moment, I could’ve strangled him for making me panic like that.” He chuckles weakly, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.
“I feel like such an idiot for overreacting and missing out on being here with you.” His eyes meet mine, filled with a sincere plea for understanding. “Can you forgive me for this mess? I fucked up twice. The first time at the party when I left you and now. And both times, it was a call about my mother being sick, and I freaked out. I-I’m not ready to lose my mom.”
I’m taken aback by the intensity of his confession, by the stress he must have felt.
“I’m just so glad to hear you’re safe and your mom is cancer-free.” There’s still the pang of empathy for the scare he went through. “And, of course, I forgive you,” I say softly, reaching out to touch his cheek. “I can’t even imagine how scared you must have been. But next time, take your damn phone!”
He looks at me, his eyes searching mine, probably looking for any sign of anger or disappointment. But all I feel is a deep sense of connection, a realization of how much he’s come to mean to me.
“Let’s just forget about all the craziness of today,” I suggest, trying to lighten the mood. “Your mom being cancer-free is the best news we could have hoped for. And hey, you’re here now… that’s what matters.”
His expression softens, and he pulls me closer, leaning down to my face.
“I adore you so much. You are incredible. You have no idea how panicked I was that I missed taking you, and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember your phone number to use my brother’s phone to call you.”
I laugh lightly, the tension easing between us. “I am pretty amazing.”
He nods, his gaze intense. “Never again. I’m here for you, always. And by the way, up on stage, you fucking killed it. The judge’s faces were pale, in complete shock at seeing you perform. I was so proud of you, pretty girl.”
Suddenly, we’re kissing, and even if I don’t get the gig, the fact that we came this far, that I feel closer to my family, that I have Jake, I know my band and I can keep trying.
We were told the judges were deliberating, so that meant they needed alone time. So, we’re at a nearby diner, all of us starving. The air’s filled with the scent of sizzling burgers and fries. Jake, my dad, and I are huddled in a cozy booth, Lily and Trev across the table from us, and we’re all laughing at one of Dad’s jokes. He’s on a roll tonight.
“Why did the football team go to the bank?”
Jake and I exchange curious looks, eagerly waiting for the punchline.
“Why?” Trev asks.
“Because they wanted to get their quarterback!” Dad says with a laugh, clearly enjoying the moment.
Jake and I burst into laughter. “Okay, that’s a good Dad joke!” I say through my chuckles.
“That’s definitely going into my collection,” Jake adds, still laughing, as he gives a thumbs-up to my dad.
In the midst of our laughter, my phone buzzes on the table, disrupting the casual flow of our dinner. I quickly glance at the caller ID—it’s an unknown number. Curiosity piqued, I excuse myself from the table and answer the call.
“Hello, Emily speaking,” I say, a bit uncertain.
“Hi, Emily, this is Alex from The Midnight Echoes’ judging panel. I hope I’m not interrupting your evening.”
