With the crowd’s roar of agreement, Reid jumped into the opening verse. With each word, each note, the feeling of euphoria took him higher and higher until he felt like he was floating above the stage. It was a high he’d only experienced with drugs. It was both exhilarating and terrifying. It was that feeling of fear that caused something to shift. Another layer of potential additions to Chloe’s rewrite began to trickle in, slowly at first, then all at once. In his mind, newly formed chords and rhythms burned behind his eyes.
He wanted to scream. He wanted to tell the past year to go fuck itself. But most of all, he wanted to put pen to paper so he didn’t forget a single note. The pull was almost unbearable. It wasn’t until the sweet smell of lavender invaded his senses that he realized he had moved directly beside Chloe. For a brief moment, he wondered if the pull had more to do with her than his desire to put his thoughts down. When their eyes locked, she smiled. The silver of her lip and nose rings glinted from the bright, flashing lights. He couldn’t take his eyes away. He wasn’t sure how she did it, but somehow she’d found a way to chip away at the wall standing between him and his music.
When the final notes of the song faded and the lights dimmed, Reid didn’t hesitate when he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her from the floor. He spun her around, happiness making his skin feel as though it were on fire.
“Thank you,” he whispered, his nose pressed against her hair. “Thank you so fucking much.”
Chloe dropped her cheek to his chest and returned his embrace, the pair smiling and giddy from the manic applause. “You’re welcome.”
The din of excited voices filled the small room backstage. Reid smiled for pictures and signed autographs. It was a familiar scene, normal; it was the same as always. For Reid, however, everything was different. He was different. The sheet of paper in his front pocket covered in messy notes was proof of that. Proof of the spark Chloe had ignited. His fingers itched to pull it out and look at it, add to it, see that it was real. He’d only had minutes to grab the paper from his dressing room and scribble down his notes before he was due for the meet-and-greet with fans.
Reid fidgeted with the Sharpie he held as he waited for the next fan in line. Uncomfortable with the girl’s desperate attempts to make eye contact, he kept his gaze down, focusing instead on the lines of his jeans.
“You were great tonight! Even better than the last time you were here!”
Reid jumped in surprise and turned his attention to the girl in front of him. “Thanks. Do you have something for me to sign?”
The girl giggled and leaned forward, her eyes glassy and her smile too wide. “I do, but I was hoping you could do it later. In private.”
Reid chuckled in an attempt to hide his discomfort. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible tonight, sweetheart.”
“Are you sure? We had an amazing time at an after party last time you were here. I even got my cousin to score some killer snow just for you.”
Reid stiffened and his stomach dropped. The room was suddenly unbearably hot. Using his shirtsleeve, he wiped the perspiration from his forehead before scanning the room for the closest exit. No one had moved, but he felt like everyone was closer, their sweat-covered bodies reeking of alcohol. He felt caged. Cornered.
Trying to regain his composure, he took a moment to study her face, to remember her name. It was pointless. To him, she was a stranger. It was clear, however, that she remembered him quite well, or at least the guy he used to be. With a small shake of his head, he forced a smile.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m afraid I’ll have to pass.”
A look of disappointment crossed her face. “You must not remember much about last time, then. I can’t decide if I should be offended or feel sorry for you. That was a night I’ll never forget.”
Reid looked away and shrugged. There were a lot of things he didn’t remember about the last tour, and for the most part, he was grateful.
“Time’s up,” a bouncer announced, moving to Reid’s side. “You need to move along, miss.”
The girl scowled at the bouncer before turning her attention to Reid once more. “If you change your mind . . .” She trailed off, dropping a folded piece of paper on the stool next to him before reluctantly walking away.
“Thanks,” Reid exhaled.
“No problem. Blondie over there thought you might need a hand. I’ll stay close until you’re finished unless you tell me otherwise.”
Reid turned to where the bouncer pointed, his shoulders relaxing when he locked eyes with Chloe. “Thanks,” he mouthed.
She smirked and lifted her hand to her mouth before blowing her nails and brushing them against her shoulder. Reid huffed out a laugh and rolled his eyes, but it was exactly the distraction he needed. All he had to do was make it through the next hour, then he could escape to his room and the music flowing through his mind.
Time dragged. Reid became more and more anxious with each passing second. The girl from earlier seemed to be everywhere he looked. When Tom finally stepped beside him and announced it was time to go, Reid’s entire body sagged with relief.
“I didn’t think tonight would ever end,” Reid said, standing from the stool and stretching his arms overhead.