Cameron took his place on the dark stage, darkness enveloping him. Now that he wasn't by my side I was able to think clearly again.

I'd just walked in on Cameron doing… that… with a girl, and there he was, already flirting with someone else.

I couldn't help but be flattered that person was me.

It had been long enough between my awkward adolescence and my now burgeoning adulthood that I was no longer the baby sister. With a hot pink minidress, high heeled pumps, and expertly applied makeup — I'd finally mastered the art of contouring — I was as hot as any of the other girls who'd been waiting in line to see Darkest Days.

A sense of something like accomplishment filled my chest, replacing the nervous excitement that Cameron's proximity had caused.

I found a spot backstage to watch the concert. I made sure to stay out of the way of the busy event staff and band members of the other acts who were still milling around.

My brother was front and center, his low voice growling and crooning into the microphone. His hands stroked the mic stand up and down, a sensual caress. The spotlights reflected in his black hair and eyes, the same features I shared. It turned his gaze into an almost fiery look.

I'd lost count of how many times I'd seen him perform, but every time I couldn't help feel a sense of pride. Maybe it was odd that a little sister felt a sort of maternal pride for her older brother, but Noah had come such a long way. He'd always been reserved. Closed off. He rarely showed a smile, except for the times when we were alone together.

The man he was on stage, the raw passion he exuded as he sang — that was the Noah I knew. Growing up, I'd always hoped Noah would someday open up to people. It seemed being on stage freed Noah to be the man I knew he was inside. In the limelight, he channeled his emotions and offered them freely to his audience.

It remained to be seen whether Noah's off-stage persona had also made progress. I hadn't seen my brother in years. It was difficult to know how much he'd changed without seeing him in person. The last few months I'd sensed a change though. Maybe that had to do with his new girlfriend. I hoped she was a good influence on him. I couldn't deny I was dying to meet the girl who managed to break down my brother's guarded walls.

The other members of the band, the twin guitarists and platinum blond drummer, looked much the same. The twins were both broader in the shoulders and full of frantic energy as they ran around on stage. The drummer's face was more well defined, almost regal with its angular jaw. His ice blue eyes were narrowed and focused, his arms a blur as he pounded away on his drum set.

They were all a handful of years older now and had filled out. They were no longer the young boys I'd remembered, but fully adult and wholly masculine.

With that thought, I let my attention turn to Cameron.

Gorgeous as ever, he stood at the edge of the stage. Hands reached out of the crowd to grab at him. He crouched low over his bass, slapping his hand out to brush a few fingers. A chorus of female voices started a chant.

"Take it off, take it off!"

Cameron put a hand to his ear and cocked his head, as if he couldn't quite hear. They shouted louder in answer. The grin on his face told me he knew exactly what they were asking.

The girls screamed their lungs out over the noise blasting out of the speakers. Cameron played at the hem of his shirt and gave the audience a teasing look.

Anticipation fluttered in my chest. Was he really going to—?

When the voices reached a fever pitch Cameron smirked and tossed his shirt over his head.

Heat flooded my system. My cheeks must have gone bright red. The well defined torso outlined through his thin t-shirt had done nothing to prepare me for the sight of Cameron's bare chest and abs. The man must live at the gym. There was no way playing bass on stage was enough of a workout to produce a body that exquisite.

The girls in the audience, and even a few young men, flipped out, screaming and hooting. They fought each other to rush the stage, reaching their hands out again, nearly causing a riot.

With a satisfied smile on his face, Cameron returned smoothly to his bass guitar, barely missing a note. He sauntered away from the left side of the stage, making his way over to the right, making sure each fan had the chance to gaze upon the glory that was Cameron Thorne.

It was such an egotistical move. If anyone else had done it, I might have felt a tinge of distaste. But there was something about the bassist of Darkest Days. His teasing smiles, his sultry stares. It seemed perhaps he wasn't doing it to boost his own ego, but simply giving the fans exactly what they wanted.

Paying any attention to the rest of the concert was impossible with Cameron shirtless like that. It was all I could do to keep from drooling. I fought to stop myself from melting into a puddle.

By the time the concert wound down, the flush on my cheeks had abated and my breathing was steady. I didn't want to be a frazzled mess when I surprised my brother.

The last song of the encore finished and the audience erupted into cheers. The other band members stayed on stage to throw guitar picks and drum sticks to the crowd. Noah, as always, stalked off first, not basking in the adoration of his fans. The perfect opportunity for me to ambush him alone.

"Noah!" I called out.

He stopped. His brows furrowed as he tried to place the familiar voice. I ran up behind him and threw my arms around him. He stiffened immediately.

"Surprise," I cheered, before he could shrug me off, thinking I was a stranger.

He turned, his face wide open with shock.

"Lily? What are you doing here?"

"Since I got accepted into the summer program I decided to come home early."

"But you're not supposed to—"

"Shut up and give me a hug."

He paused, scowling for a brief moment, before the lines on his face relaxed. He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing tight.

"You're not supposed to be here for another few weeks. I thought you were still at that artists' retreat."

"I couldn't wait that long."

I didn't want to wait and risk him changing his mind.

"I'm still not sure if this is a good idea," he began, like I knew he would.

I smiled to myself. Always so overprotective.

"I'll be fine," I reassured him.

Noah pulled back and took a good look at me. "What the hell are you wearing?"

"There's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing."

So what if the dress was a little short?

"You look like—"

"It's nothing worse than what the other girls at this concert have on," I pointed out, cutting him off.

He grunted, but didn't continue arguing. A small smile graced his lips as he stroked my hair. "I'm really glad you're here. I missed you."

A sting of tears hit the back of my eyes. "I missed you, too."

"I want to hear about everything. The artists' retreat and your summer course."

"The retreat was…" I searched for the right words. "Interesting. The other women there were very much the hippie, Bohemian artist types."

"I hope you didn't feel out of place."

"It was kind of fun actually. Like having a bunch of cool older aunts."

Noah and I both went silent for a moment. We were no doubt both thinking the same thing. We didn't have aunts, or uncles, or any other family that we knew of. It was just the two of us. It had always just been the two of us.

"I'm sure I'll have a lot more in common with the students at college," I continued. "They'll be around my own age, at least."

"And you're absolutely sure you don't want to go to college in London? It's not too late to change your mind."

"I'm sure. It's been long enough. It's well past time for me to come back home."

"It's even worse than last time," Noah warned. "The band is more popular than ever. There's media following our every move, and crazy fans. Not to mention, you're an internet celebrity now. After that stunt you pulled, everyone knows you're here."

Ever since I'd gone on a social media spree, posting selfies and updating the world on my whereabouts, my brother hadn't stopped lecturing me.

"You know why I did that," I told him reasonably. "If I hadn't, you would have kept me locked away like Rapunzel. I've had enough of that already." The all-girls boarding school I'd attended through high school hadn't exactly let me spread my wings.

"After what happened last time…" he began.

A small spike of adrenaline hit me. Anxiety raced through my body. I twisted my hands together to hide the shaking.

"I can handle myself," I said with a surety I didn't feel.

Noah looked doubtful and opened his mouth to argue. Before he could, one of the assistants ran up with a bottle of water and a towel. He eyed me for a moment before taking the towel. While he soaked up the sweat droplets in his hair and chugged down his water, I surveyed the backstage.

The place was even more crowded now that the concert was over. Roadies and crew took down the equipment for my brother's band and set up equipment for the band going on after them. There were a few bands playing at the venue that night, which explained why I'd seen more leather pants and eyeliner than usual.

Across the room my eyes caught Cameron's. His attention immediately switched from the girl in front of him with a water bottle and onto me. Our eyes locked. A wicked grin crossed his face.

My heart thumped loudly in my chest. Those butterflies were starting to become a familiar companion.

Cameron strode over with confident steps.

Now hydrated and dried, my brother turned back to me.

"How did you even get backstage, anyway?" he asked.

"I had help." I nodded to Cameron, who was now steps away from me.

"Hey there, Angel," Cameron said with a teasing glint in his eyes.

"You helped Lily get backstage?" Noah asked him. "Thanks for that."

Cameron stared at me with confusion. He turned his gaze to Noah. Recognition dawned on his face.

He went pale.

"Shit."