EFFA
Walking hand in hand to the back of the stage, I sense I’m a little out of my depth. The girls are giggling behind me, and I feel like I’m the last to be let in on some big secret. “Okay, what’s going on here, guys?” I ask.
“You’ll see,” Alana’s sweet voice rings out as Kaden brings my hand up to his mouth tenderly and kisses the back of it and then lets it go, walking off leaving me with the girls. Raising my brow, I slump my body.
“What in Gaia’s name is going on here?” I ask as he jogs gingerly to the back of the stage, and the girls hustle me up the front of it. I take short, but quick steps, as they rush me along. Stepping up the few steps to the stage area, I look out to where we will be performing tonight and see the most beautiful sight. I gasp. There’s candles placed out, petals lining the entire floor, and the thing that really makes me smile is cupcakes placed sporadically on little rainbow boxes. It’s so cute and definitely me. It’s also very romantic as Kristy pushes my back and I stumble out into the middle. A spotlight beams down on me shining brightly. The rest of the room darkens, and only the spotlight shines with the gentle glistening of the candles lighting the room. Excitement fills my chest, and as I look at the back of the stage, I notice Kaden walking toward me holding a bouquet of daisies and a stuffed unicorn. I giggle, not knowing if I’ve stepped into some kind of dream world, or if this is all my dreams coming to life.
Looking at him through my lashes, he stares at me intently. The look in his eyes determined. Strong. Steady. I have no idea what’s going through his mind right now, but he looks calm, and in control. Mercs steps in, closing what little space there is between us as he places the daisies and unicorn on a box beside us.
“The moment I saw you for the first time in that crazy giraffe onesie, I knew.”
I tilt my head in confusion. “Knew what?”
“That you were going to impact my life in a way I never saw coming.”
I smile and shrug. “You changed my world, too.”
He shakes his head taking my face into his hands. His warmth filtering down my entire body. “No, you don’t understand, Effa. You didn’t change my world. You changed me. You make me a better man than I ever thought possible. You make the world brighter. You make everything better when you’re around.” He inhales sharply, then takes a step back as I look at him furrowing my brows and wondering why he’s stepping back from me.
He takes my hand in his, his thumb gently stroking over my skin as suddenly he drops to one knee. The quick movement making me gasp as I open my eyes wide, and he looks up at me with a genuine smile.
My heart’s racing in my chest as I wonder if he’s about to do what I think he’s about to do. My chest is heaving while he holds onto my hand tightly as it shakes against his.
“Vespa. I love you. More than words can say. You mean everything to me, and I know now that life’s so desperately short. So, I want to live every day to the fullest. I want to love, and I want to love fiercely. I want all of that love to be for you. I know this is soon, but why wait? With what happened with Hex, I know life can be over in the blink of an eye, and I want to spend every moment I can with you by my side, as not only my best friend, but my confidant, my rock, and my wife…” My heart explodes with excitement as I gasp at his words and he continues, “You’re everything. My beginning. My end. You’re my life, and I want you to marry me. So… will you… marry me?”
My eyes glisten, my body shaking all over as he looks into my eyes, his not wavering for a second as he looks at me with intention. I feel all of his emotions as he smiles. Mercs’ free hand reaching into his pants pocket as he pulls out a ring box. My eyes open wider as I let out a shocked gasp. He chuckles letting go of my hand and brings it up in front of me.
“You have a ring?” I ask, and he smiles nodding his head.
“I’ve had it since I asked your father’s permission to marry you.”
I scoff out a bewildered laugh as I shake my head. “When the hell did you ask my dad?”
He smiles. “When they were in Ligonier. I asked him the night we went to the pub, and you all met Fort Affliction.”
Swallowing hard, warmth floods through me, and I smile so full I want to burst. I feel like a giddy school girl as he shifts slightly on the floor, a look of unease washing over his face. My smile falls slightly, and I swallow hard as I furrow my brows at him wondering what’s caused his change in demeanor.
He lowers the ring box and sighs. “So, I’m gathering by the lack of answer it’s—”
I almost jump on the spot as I shake my head, realizing that I haven’t said anything yet, and this is why he’s looking unsettled. I grab the collar of his jacket and yank him up as I stare into his eyes. He looks at me as I chew on my bottom lip and move in closer to him. “Yes, Kaden Mercury. I will marry you.”
A round of cheering, cooing and applause echoes from behind us as his eyes widen in obvious joy. Mercs’ arms swoop out wrapping around me so tightly. Then he hoists me up by my hips and swings me around in a circle, and I notice him wince with the strain to his ribs. I squeal as he slams his lips to mine and I kiss him, hard. I need him, just like he needs me. Our tongues find each other as we kiss. We kiss like there’s no tomorrow. Forceful, passionate, lustful, and with so much love I can’t get enough.
I’m undeniably happy right now as he slides me down his body and my feet finally touch the floor. Slowly, he pulls his lips from mine as my body tingles all over from the excitement, and the amazing kiss. He looks into my eyes letting out a long sigh as he swipes some hair back from my face.
“You’ve made me so fucking happy,” he whispers, and I smile, my arms wrapping around his neck. He detaches from me, the ring box still in his hand. Moving it in front of me, he slowly pulls the lid open. Glancing down, I see a single round diamond, set in a white gold band that looks twisted, and one strand of the twist is inset with diamonds. It’s simple but absolutely perfect for me. Just a little bit of quirkiness which is exactly what I like.
He’s done amazing.
My body relaxes as I look at my ring and I smile widely as he tenses slightly. “I know it’s not a massive diamond, I know it’s not extravagant or very rock star. I don’t have much money, and if you want something better I can—”
“Stop!” I interrupt him. “Kaden, it’s exactly what I want. It could have been a daisy chain for all I care. It’s absolutely perfect. I love it so much. You know me better than you think you do. I can’t wait to marry you.”
He relaxes and takes the ring from the box, his fingers shake slightly as he positions it on the tip of my ring finger and he slowly slides it on. A sense of warmth floods over me as it moves into position, and I smile wide as he leans in kissing me again, but much softer and gentler this time.
This kiss is more romantic, it’s calmer, and I know we’re going to make it. After everything we’ve been through. The ups. The downs. The crazy fucking roller coaster of a life, we’re going to be the lucky ones.
“So, I’ve been thinking about buying another house for a while. And now we’re getting married, I want to make a second home in the States for when I’m not on tour with the band, so I can be with you and your family. I’d like to chat with a land agent and see if we can buy a house in Ligonier. What do you think?”
His eyes light up then he closes his eyes, leaning his forehead against mine as he lets out a long sigh. “You really want that?”
I smile. “Yes, Kaden, I really want that. I love it in Ligonier. I want a home there. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone bought a home in Ligonier, to be honest. We all love it that much.”
He chuckles and opens his eyes. “Yeah, I can see that happening. And you know what? I would fucking love it.”
“Well, if you’re buying in the States then I guess I am, too,” Alana calls out, and I grin. “Are there many homes for sale in Ligonier?”
Mercs chuckles. “More than you’d think,” he suggests looking past me to Alana. “But there is land, and you can build if you want.” Everyone tilts their head like they’re thinking hard.
“Well, if my two best friends are buying then count me in,” Kristy calls out.
“If half the band is having a second home in America, then I guess we should, too. Right, Andi?” Casey asks, and Andi looks from Casey to Tank and back to Casey.
“I guess I have a couple of reasons to set up another home in America,” Andi offers. Tank tries to hide his smile.
“Do I get a say in this at all?” Luke blurts out as he walks into the room, and we all look over at him, his normally stern face seems a little shaken.
“If we want to move our band forward, Luke, the best place to do that is in the States. Yeah?” I ask, and he cracks his neck to the side.
“Yes… it is.”
“Then isn’t this the best option for all of us? We can all have our holidays in Australia, but it makes sense to spend most of our time in the States,” I assert, and he lets out a long huff as Alana sinks into herself.
“He has kids back in Australia,” she murmurs, and we all glance to Luke. We can’t lose him, but the band has to keep moving forward, and honestly, we will be spending most of our time in the States anyway for the foreseeable future.
He shifts uncomfortably again. “Look, this is something I’ll need to discuss with you all in a more private setting. Now is not that time...” He rubs his fingers through his hair.
I glance at the other girls, who all look as worried as I feel, but I decide to lighten the mood with my excitement. So, I hold up my left hand and twinkle my fingers. Everyone looks to my hand, and they all race forward. Alana jumps on the spot and giggles to herself. “Oh my God, Mercs, it’s beautiful,” Alana calls out.
“I’m so freaking excited. I better be a bridesmaid,” Kristy demands.
“Can’t believe she said yes. She must really be crazy,” Tank teases, and I turn, shaking my head.
“Crazy in love,” I reply, and a resounding gagging sound echoes around the room making us both laugh as he leans in kissing my lips.
“I’m so happy for you both. I know Kiera will be ecstatic for you, too. This is all she wants… for you two to be together,” Alana says.
“I know, I wish she could have been here for this,” Mercs sighs while looking at her.
“This calls for drinks… on me,” Luke offers.
We all smile as he heads off to the green room, and I finally feel like everything’s falling into place.
We have a great family. We may not be all blood, but all of us together—this Luminous crew—we’re bonded, and together we can achieve anything. Once this tour is over, I have no idea where we will be headed. New albums? New tours? Record deals? I have no idea, only Luke knows our schedule, but one thing I do know is we’ll be doing it all together. Each of us a valued member of the team. Not one of us more important than another.
And now I’m engaged to the man of my dreams. Life couldn’t be any better than this!
MERCS
Two Weeks Later
Getting back into the rhythm was easy. Although, I’m not able to go into the rafters like I used to, being on the ground and managing the rest of the crew has actually been a great way to see how things are running for the show and to interact with the other guys. It’s also good to let Tank step up and take charge, so he can get a feel for running his own shows. He’ll be great at it, he just needs a little more confidence. Things are running as smoothly as can be expected. Effa is performing to the best of her ability, the crowds are loving the shows, and we’ve moved into Canada to continue the tour.
It seems everything is back on track and even I’m feeling a little better. I’m still not healed. Not by a long shot. My ribs hurt like a bitch, and sometimes just breathing is hard, but I can move around with more fluidity now.
The tour is breaking up in a week, and I’ll be heading home finally to spend some much needed time with Gran and Kiera. I know Kiera’s been itching to see me. But I’ve been so tied up here that I haven’t been able to leave any earlier. Plus, I don’t want to piss off Luke any more than I already have, but more importantly, I don’t want to leave Effa. Even though she seems to be doing okay, I don’t like the idea of leaving her to fend for herself. Sure, we have medics around all the time who can support her if she needs it, and they helped give her the injections she needed when I was in the hospital, but still… I can’t be everywhere. As much as I want to be.
Glancing at my cell, I see a text from Gran as I finish up the lighting from tonight’s show. Furrowing my brows with slight concern, I get texts from Kiera all the time, but hardly ever from Gran. She always calls me if she wants to talk. I glance to Tank as he goes about shutting down the stage lights. The crowd is all but disbursed, and I nudge him. “You good for a sec?” I ask, and he nods.
I spin, turning my back to Tank and open the message, the time stamp reads 8:47 p.m., and I wince hating that I missed it for this long.
Gran: Kaden, I know you’re busy with the tour, but I think if you can get a chance to come home early you probably should. We’d love to spend some quality family time together, and Christmas is such a special time of year. I know Kiera would love to see you right now. If you can, please come home. Love Gran xxx
Furrowing my brows, I exhale tilting my head slightly as I re-read the message a few times trying to see if there’s something I should be reading into that. I glance at the time to see it’s past twelve and way too late to call Gran now to find out if everything’s going okay.
I have to admit, I’m a little on edge.
My heart begins to race faster, and I rub at my chin taking in a deep breath.
Tank slaps my back and looks over my shoulder. “What’s got you going all quiet?”
I swallow hard and turn my head to look at him as I pull my cell down out of his sight. “No, nothing. Just Gran asking when I’ll be home.”
He smiles wide. “Bet you’re looking forward to seeing Kiera?” He pulls out a cord and wraps it around his elbow and hand.
There’s an uneasy feeling shifting in my gut. “Yeah.”
He glances at me as I turn and start to walk off. “Hey, where are you going?” Tank calls after me.
“Sorry, I gotta go talk to Effa.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, yeah. Getting out of cleanup duties to see your lover. Sheesh, Mercs. I need to break my nose and ribs too,” he teases as I ignore him and go in search of Effa.
I head for the green room first, I’m pretty sure she’ll be there winding down from her show. Rounding the corner, I walk in to see her on the sofa, guzzling down some berry water. I weakly smile as she looks up and her eyebrows raise in what looks like surprise.
“Hey, you. I thought you’d still be working?”
I shrug. “I should be.”
Her face falls as she stands up and grabs my hands. “Are you okay? Don’t you feel well?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m fine. But I got a weird message from Gran and reading between the lines, I think something’s wrong.”
She frowns and gnaws on her bottom lip, glancing around the room then back to me. “What do you mean?”
“Gran seems very eager for me to come home.”
Effa purses her lips and exhales. “Shit. Okay. Have you spoken to her?”
My head shakes as I slump my body. “No. I only just saw the message, and it’s too late to call her now.” I lean over and show Effa the message.
“Well, I’m not sure what that means, but honestly, I think it’s best to not panic. Wait until the morning when you can call and find out what’s going on.”
“You think?”
She nods. “I do. If something was going on, I’m sure Gran would have told you. And if she couldn’t get in touch with you I’m sure she would have texted me as well.”
She’s right. Gran would.
“How about we skip the after party tonight and go back to the hotel and go to bed. Try to have a decent sleep, and we can wake up at an early hour and get a hold of Gran in the morning and sort this out?” Effa asks.
“Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Probably fall in a heap.”
I chuckle. “Probably, yes.”
“Right, let’s go back to the hotel now. We’ll sleep it off and wake up refreshed.”
I nod and grab her hand as we head for the door.
We find Raoul easily, and he takes us back to the hotel without a fuss, while the others continue on to the after party without us. We made our excuses of being too exhausted, and they were all fine with it seeing as we both are not one hundred percent well.
So now, we’re both tucked up in the hotel bed. Effa’s cuddled up against my chest as she sleeps soundly, and I lay here staring blankly up at the ceiling. I have no idea why, but I feel like something serious is going on like my world is changing. I feel like there’s a shift, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. I’m seriously worried about Kiera and Gran, and I’m in half a mind to just make the damned phone call anyway for my own sanity. But then if everything is fine, I’ll wake Gran scaring her half to death for no reason at all. So I lay here and stare at the shadows on the ceiling wondering about why I have this concern buried deep in my guts.
My jaw is clenched tight. My teeth almost grinding in apprehension. My muscles taut with tension. Effa is the only sense of relief I feel right now as I try to hold myself together. The unease washing through me is immense, and I can’t seem to get my thoughts together when suddenly, the room lights up to my cell ringing on the bedside table.
What the fuck?