29
Pacey
New Year’s Eve
Holding Adam’s hand was weird. Not because we hadn’t held hands before, just not in public.
We were at the beach across from my house, waiting for the annual fireworks to celebrate the New Year.
What was weirder was not wearing my glasses that shielded me from the world. After Adam had called me out on them, I didn’t buy another pair or wear the spare ones I had at home.
Every morning I woke up next to him, he always told me that I was beautiful which helped me feel more confident.
People stared at us holding hands but Adam didn’t seem to care, so I didn’t care either.
News had gotten out that Adam had quit the band since he wasn’t going to be in Los Angeles for his show. Since then, there had been pandemonium everywhere, as people started speculating why.
Sponsors who had been working with Adam had pulled out of their contracts. Some fans protested outside his empty home in Los Angeles.
Then, photos of us together at the music hall surfaced. They were the ones that were snapped by the paparazzi as we were leaving the venue. I was painted as the evil boyfriend who had destroyed Kingdom 4.
But despite what other people were saying, neither of us seemed to care. We had each other and that was all that mattered.
We found a spot on the beach and sat down, the sand that evening felt more like snow because of how cold it was.
I wedged my body in between Adam’s legs and leaned against his chest. He wrapped his arms around my torso which felt like the warmest parka I’d ever worn.
I turned my face and gave him a kiss on the lips. Then, I could see in his blue eyes that something was on his mind.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked.
The question brought him out of his daze. “I was thinking of an idea for a song about how crazy it is that I’m here right now...with you.”
“Do you regret canceling the show tonight in Los Angeles?” I asked.
“Not at all, I’d cancel ten more shows to be with you.”
He squeezed tighter around my torso as if I was a fish who’d slip away into the water if he didn’t hold me tight enough.
“Have you thought about what you want to do now that you’re here?” I asked.
“Well, I’m hoping I can sell my house in Los Angeles soon and have closure,” he said.
“So you’re quitting the band for sure?”
“Yeah, it’s not the right fit for me,” he said, in the quiet and confident way he always said things. “Do you think I can move in with you?”
“If you want. Of course you can,” I said, thinking of our teenage years when our family had taken him in. “But…I thought you’d want a bigger house in Midtown, or a fancier loft downtown.”
“No way, I’ve fallen in love with your house, Pace. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere other than here with you and Cadence, looking out onto this beautiful beach.”
This time, Adam kissed me and my body softened up even more into his.
“I’d love that,” I said. “We can make so much music together.”
“I was thinking we can turn that spare bedroom you have into a studio space,” he said.
“What? You’re already thinking of redecorating?”
“No, well sort of. It just makes sense, you know? We’d have this beautiful music studio that’d look out into the quiet water in the winter and go to some sweet bonfire parties in the summer.”
“Well, we can talk about it,” I said.
“And I want a French bulldog as well so that we’d have two dogs.”
“What? The house is going to be so cramped with us and two dogs.”
“The more the merrier,” he said with his lopsided smirk that made it hopeless for me to say no to.
“You can do whatever you want,” I surrendered. “I’m just happy you’re here with me.”
“I should be the one who’s happy to have someone who’s as talented and as loving as you.”
The beach got more crowded as midnight approached. There were people all around us, curled up under blankets.
There were murmurs of people counting down in the crowd. Though no one on the beach was in sync with the countdown, the first firework in the sky made the crowd erupt in cheers.
Adam tilted my face to his and kissed me with so much tenderness that I forgot to breathe.
“I love you, Pace,” he said, followed by another kiss.
“I love you, too,” I said, looking into his beautiful blue eyes.
I looked around and there were couples holding hands and kissing under the stars. Kids were all bundled up in their hats and scarves. Old couples sat in some lawn chairs that they brought onto the beach.
Then there was Adam and me.
Six years ago, I’d never pictured him back in my life.
Adam Black, who I thought I’d lost forever.
My childhood best friend, Adam.
It took six weeks for us to realize that we were meant to be together.
Adam, who had decided to come home and share forever with me.