Maggie pushes at me, “Go after her,” as passing crew members, roadies and groupies amble by, curiously watching the drama unfold.

I start to do as she says, but then pause, running a hand through my hair as I watch Ben running after her.

Growling I head back into my dressing room.

“What are you doing?” Mags demands as Carrie shuts the door behind us. “Are you sabotaging this on purpose, Gabriel? God, the look on that poor girl’s face. You’re going to let Ben make her feel better? I saw how he was looking at her. It’s not friendship he’s after.”

Grabbing a beer off the coffee table I smash it against a wall and shout, “He’s better for her than I am!”

The girls are quieted until Maggie says, “Gabriel, if you care this much about her…”

“You don’t understand!” I shout, rubbing a heavy hand down my face. “We’re leaving for Canada tomorrow. Three cities there! Then London, Ireland, Paris! You think I can carry on a long-distance relationship when I’ve never even had a steady girlfriend in my whole fucking life?” Pointing in the direction they went I bark, “He’s stable. Ben’s here. He’s got a nice quiet farm that’s perfect for someone like her. Someone who’s grounded. Kind. Smart. Beautiful.” Grabbing my head I groan through my fingers, “Jeezus, he does fucking yoga like she does! They’re perfect for each other!” I collapse on the couch I meet Maggie’s eyes. “And I’m just…me.”

Carrie shuffles her feet and glances to her girlfriend as she crosses her arms. “So what are you going to do tonight?”

“Go home and sleep.”

Snorting she shakes her head. “That’s not what I thought you’d say.”

“What, you expect me to invite a bunch of dancers to my loft?”

“After what you just did, yep!”

I glare at her. “Go home, Mags.”

She marches to door and holds it open for Carrie, slamming it behind them.

My torso is in knots, eyes dead. Can’t even see the room. Don’t remember the show except for Paige’s face staring up at me like it was just us out there. She doesn’t know me like my brother and sister do – I’m not the type of guy you can hang a fragile heart on. I’ve never called anyone my girl.

The door opens and I glance over to see Olivia is back. “Word backstage is I caused some mad-drama.”

I clasp my hands behind my head. “This place is worse than my family’s grapevine.”

Clicking the door shut she enters with an apologetic look. “Hey, I’m sorry, I just did our normal routine after a show. I didn’t know you had a girl out there tonight.”

“It just happened. You couldn’t have known.”

“Is it serious?” she asks, stunned. “When I took off my shirt and unzipped your pants, you whacked my hands away.” Under her breath she says, “And me half-naked like a dumbass. I mean, at first I thought it was because you thought I danced badly out there or something.”

Dropping my hands I throw a boot on the table and mutter, “Nah, you always dance great.”

“You like this girl?”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Olivia stares at the floor a second, then motions between us as she raises her eyes. “So nothing’s going to come of this, is it?”

“I thought you knew that.”

Biting her lip she shakes her head. “Now I do.” She goes to leave.

I jump off the couch, walking fast. “Olivia, hang on.”

“It’s okay, Gabriel. Forget it.”

Planting myself between her and the door I bend my knees to engage her attention, forcing her to look at me. “Don’t do that. I know you’re tough, but don’t act like that.” She stares at me. “Don’t quit on me. The show needs you. You and the girls are family now, right? We’ve got a long run ahead of us. I need you. Don’t look away. I mean it. I need you here.”

She swallows and nods. “I don’t want to leave everybody.”

“Then don’t.” I pull her to me and kiss the top of her head. She pats my back as the door opens and runs into me.

Hannah says, “Oh, sorry!”

Olivia hurries out. Tobias and Hannah watch her and as soon as we’re alone, Tobias says, “Let me guess. Unrequited love.”

“Just something that had to end.”

Hannah laughs as she heads to grab beers for them out of my fridge. “The day you fall in love will be the day Dad hates politics.”

I mutter an irritated, “So never, Hann? That’s harsh shit right there.”

“When you have women throwing their panties at you, who literally will fuck you anywhere you demand it, how can you settle down with one? I mean, maybe when you’re in your fifties and all of this doesn’t matter to you anymore.”

I stare at her, numb. “I’ll never retire from music.”

“And you’ll probably never retire from being a player.”

“Tobias gave up women to be with you. He has almost as many fans as I do.”

She laughs, “Half as many.”

Her husband takes a beer from her and pops the top, handing it back before taking one for himself. “He’s right. I could easily fuck anyone I want.”

“Tobias!” she cries out, eyes wide.

He shrugs, “But I choose not to, because I’ve got someone who’s worth being faithful to.” Locking eyes with me he says with a frank tone, “Never gonna be anybody I could love more than your sister. It’s just not possible, so why fuck this up?”

She melts and slides her arms around him, kissing him like I’m not here. “I adore you.”

“I know,” he smirks, slapping her ass.

They’re always like this.

I normally don’t care.

This time it’s painful.

Shutting my eyes I lean against a wall and curse Ben.

“Where is everybody, Gabriel?”

“What?”

“I asked where the family is. Where’d you go?”

“A lot on my mind,” I mutter. “Uh…Elijah’s dining with God. I told Mom not to come. It weirds her out seeing panties thrown at my head. Dad took her out to dinner to make her feel better for missing it. Max and Caden were here. They said hey then split because they had dates with them and didn’t want the girls ogling me. Eric’s with the Falcons for Spring Training I guess. Lexy…”

When I don’t finish the sentence Hannah says, “Lexy what? And where’s Emma, Zoe, Nicholas, Wyatt, Hunter, Nate? Sofia isn’t here and she’s just one town over.”

“What’s your fucking point?”

“They should all be here. You’re in Atlanta for one night.”

“I offered them tickets. Everyone’s got their own lives.”

“I’m sorry, but the cousins who are in high school would normally die to be at something like this. But…”

“But what?!”

“You’re an island unto yourself, that’s what!”

Walking to the door I correct her, “You know what, Hann, it was just me and Elijah before he went to Yale.” I grab the knob with my beer bottle barely hanging on as I search for my keys. “When you’re a twin, you arrive in life with a best friend already attached. You, Ben, Ethan, Sofia Sol, Emma, and even Eric most days, all you guys stuck together growing up. Elijah and I weren’t in that group. Same with Max, Caden, Nicholas and their siblings under them. They stuck together. So it was me and my brother and that’s it. Get off my fuckin’ case because if anybody is aware that there’s someone’s missing from this room, and that there’s a hole in my life, it’s me. Because my twin should be here right now. And I don’t need you kicking my dick in the dirt over how the cousins feel about me. You’re making me feel like a piece of shit. Good night.”

Long strides take me out of my dressing room. Along the way friends try talking to me. Shaking my head I mutter, “Tomorrow, guys. Hit me up then.”

Hannah shouts, “Gabriel!”

“No!” I throw my arm up without looking back or slowing these angry footsteps down.