The club venue Darkest Days was playing at looked only slightly bigger than the club Jen had booked for my welcome home party.

"It's a special VIP event to help promote the new album," Cameron explained. "Exclusive tickets were only sold to super fans. Management wanted to keep it low key for now, since the album still isn't released. We're going to be playing a few new songs."

"Aren't you worried people will take video and leak it?"

"That's the whole point. We want to hype people up."

"So it's all sneaky marketing."

"That's how the game is played, Angel. I'm just happy it's not me who has to worry about all that shit. All I need to do is show up and play."

Cameron led me to the back entrance of the club, away from all the fans lining up.

"Don't want to cause a stampede by just walking in the front doors," he said.

We passed by a bouncer, who nodded to Cameron in greeting and opened the door for us. It was much easier getting into the concert with a rock star by my side.

The moment we entered the club, butterflies took wing in my stomach.

This was it. I was going to tell my brother about me and Cameron.

"Hey, you okay?"

Cameron gave me a squeeze with his arm around my waist. He must have sensed how nervous I was.

"I'm okay," I said through a tight throat. My breathing was speeding up. It wasn't like my usual panic attacks. It was nothing that bad.

But I was definitely feeling anxious over the thought of confronting Noah with the truth.

"However he reacts, we'll deal with it," Cameron reassured me. His thumb brushed the hollow of my hip. "We'll make him understand."

"Even if he tries to murder you in public?" I asked, only half joking.

Cameron frowned. "I'm not going to let him get in the way of us being together."

The possessive tone in his voice chased away some of the butterflies, leaving only a gooey, sappy feeling in my chest. Cameron was determined to fight for us.

I wanted to be just as determined. I really did.

But the instant we stepped backstage and I saw my brother's tall form and dark messy hair, those butterflies returned full force, threatening to spew out of my mouth.

Noah began to turn.

"Here we go," Cameron murmured, tightening his hold on me.

I ducked out from under Cameron's arm in a panic.

Cameron turned to me, disbelief on his face.

I avoided his eyes, playing with the hem of my shirt.

Noah approached us, already dressed in his rock star best, leather pants and eyeliner included.

"Lily, Cameron. You guys came together?" he asked.

"We shared a taxi," I rushed to say. My heart pounded in my chest. "I was planning on coming to watch you guys anyway, so it just made sense to come together."

Noah nodded. "I should have thought to get you a staff pass earlier, sorry." He handed me a lanyard with a yellow card inside a plastic sleeve. I put it around my neck.

"It's cool," I said, my voice wavering. I was still avoiding Cameron's eyes. "So what time are you guys going on?"

"We've got about another half hour before show time. Sound crew's doing their last checks."

"Are the others here? August and the twins? It'd be cool to hang out with them again for a bit. It still feels like I've barely seen them."

I continued to babble nervously. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Cameron standing stock still. His eyes were dark. His face was blank.

My heart sank. I hadn't meant to dart away like that. It had just been instinct. I was so worried about Noah finding out. I thought I was ready, but now I wasn't as sure.

"Cameron, the guitar tech guys told me they needed to speak with you when you got here," Noah said.

Cameron nodded shortly. "Right. I'm off, then."

He stalked away without another look.

The panic in my chest that I'd felt when seeing Noah turned into a completely different type of panic.

I'd really hurt Cameron. I hated myself for it. I shouldn't have been so thoughtless, especially after the way his parents had treated him.

But the anxiety had taken over and I'd acted without meaning to.

I had to make this right.

I had to tell Noah.

"I've got something to tell you," I blurted out.

Noah was scanning the room, looking distracted. "What is it?"

"It's about me. And Cameron."

He nodded distantly, as if he were listening with half an ear. "Yeah, I really should thank him for letting you stay with him all summer." Noah's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out. "August says he needs to see me about changing the set list. Fucking perfectionist."

"Cameron and I—"

"Shit, he's really insistent this time." Noah's attention was still on his phone. "I'll see you after the show, okay?"

"But…"

"Go find Jen. She'll know the best place to stand to get a good view." Noah hugged me briefly. "Make sure to stay away from the pit. It can get crazy out there."

Noah walked off, thumbs texting away, not waiting for my response.

My chest deflated. My chance to tell Noah was gone. I'd have to wait until after.

Cameron would have to play through the entire show thinking I'd rejected him.

I was still cursing myself up and down, guilt and self loathing swirling inside me, when my own phone went off.

I checked it half-heartedly.

It was Cameron's mom.

She was texting me the details for the fundraising dinner.

That only set off another wave of shame coursing through me. I was as bad as Cameron's parents.

He'd spent years being ignored in public by his mom and dad. Of course going through the same thing with me would cause him pain. If it hadn't been for them putting him through years of this, maybe he wouldn't have been so upset at my hesitance.

My anger began to turn outward.

If it wasn't for them, Cameron wouldn't have been so upset over the idea of keeping our relationship a secret.

I rapidly typed a string of messages before I could talk myself out of it.

Why did you disinvite Cameron from the fundraising dinner?

Why did you invite me but not him?

Why is he not welcome at your events?

Didn't you think about how that would make him feel?

I didn't get a response for several long minutes. I began to feel a little embarrassed at having gone off on Sharon. It wasn't my place to question their decisions. To pick apart their family dynamic. Maybe I'd be disinvited, just like their son.

When my phone finally buzzed again, I looked at the screen reluctantly.

I frowned as I read the first few replies.

My mouth dropped open as I continued reading.

By the last message, understanding finally dawned on me.

I thought quickly. I thumbed a rapid series of texts, trying to explain everything as fast as I could. The concert would be over in a few hours. I didn't have much time.

When Cameron's mother gave me her last reply, my heart finally felt light with relief.

I'd hurt Cameron tonight with my actions.

Maybe with this I could start mending that wound.