Epilogue
Charlie
Jonathan and Gabby are killing it on stage. And this festival crowd is eating it up.
Being in the mix, part of the insanity, is a new experience for me.
I haven’t been to a concert and not been on stage in like … ever.
It’s refreshing. And this new short hair, dyed a medium brown with some lighter highlights to brighten it up paired with glasses is working. No one recognizes me. Even though I was just on stage last night.
Going from having hot pink streaks in my natural blond hair to wearing a wig over my new pixie cut was weird. And sweaty. But I rehearsed with it enough to be confident I wouldn’t sweat the glue off. Though washing that shit out is a major chore.
It’s worth it, though, if it means that I can take time off once this summer festival circuit is over.
Gabby and I are basically switching places. She left college to go on tour. I’m leaving my tour to go to college. I’m even moving in with her former roommate, Lauren.
When Gabby and I finally had time to sit and talk about everything and she answered all the questions I could come up with, I decided to audition for the music department. They even offered me a scholarship, but I turned it down, telling them to save the money for someone who needed it.
I’m enrolled under my real name, Charlotte Baxter. James is my dad’s middle name. When I was a kid, we wanted a stage name that was different enough that I could still go by my real name if I wanted to at some point. That I wouldn’t always be trapped by just my name.
With a different last name, and going by Charlie with friends, plus my new look—I should be able to blend in as a college student. Even if I’m starting as a freshman at twenty-one. At this point, I don’t know if I’ll complete a degree. But I want to at least get some normal experience. See what it’s like to be a normal college-aged kid.
Not superstar Charlotte James.
It’s been so long since I’ve been normal that I don’t know what that feels like anymore. Or how I’m going to relate to my classmates, whose life experiences will have varied wildly from my own.
But Gabby assures me that Lauren is a willing guide to all things college life. Or just normal life in general. Which is what I need.
“I have an announcement that I think you’ll all appreciate.” Jonathan’s voice carries over the noise of the crowd surrounding me, amplified by the towers of speakers flanking the stage. He pulls Gabby close to him and wraps his arm around her waist. I smile, knowing what he’s going to say.
She holds up her left hand, a wide grin stretching across her face. I can’t really see her from this far back, but there are giant screens above the speaker towers showing everything up close and larger than life. The camera zooms in on the diamond sparkling on her left hand.
A collective gasp goes up from the crowd, and they’re as quiet as this size audience ever gets.
“Gabrielle has agreed to be my wife.”
Whatever else he tries to say is lost as thousands of voices cheer, hands clapping, and, I’m sure, more than a few girls shedding a tear that they won’t be the one to catch Jonny B.
He bends her back and kisses her to the screams of their audience. A clench of jealousy spikes through me. Of both of them. What they have. No one has ever looked at me the way they look at each other. And with my life so far, I’ve never had the opportunity to meet anyone that normal. That real.
I clap and cheer along with everyone else, happy to have been able to witness their unfolding relationship, even from the distant sidelines where I normally was. I got to play a more active role a few times—helping them find their way together when things looked like they might fall apart and distracting Gabby so Jonathan could fly to Dallas to get her parents’ blessing in person.
That was the day she and I flew to Spokane so I could meet Lauren. We also scoped out houses for Lauren and I to live in. I’m going to buy it to save the hassle of renting, but it’s going to be a smaller house, only three bedrooms, cute and cozy and not far from campus. I want to feel like a normal student, but it’s stupid to go to the hassle of dealing with leases and landlords and all the headaches that entails when I can just buy us a place outright and sell it when I’m done. Or hang onto it as a little getaway when I need one in the future.
We’ll see.
Jonathan starts their set, but Gabby’s not playing. She’s on stage so Jonathan can sing to her the new song he wrote to celebrate their engagement. If I didn’t like them both so much, I might hate them for how happy and cute they are together.
I wind my way through the crowd, satisfied with the results of my little test, looking forward to starting the new chapter of my life. Only two more months, and I’ll get to be a normal girl.
As a freshman. A piano performance major at Marycliff University.
A bubble of nerves and excitement fills me. I can’t wait.
Congratulations! You made it to the end of Jonathan and Gabby’s story. I know lots of people dislike books that aren’t standalones, so if you started with Double Exposition before the other two were released, thanks for taking a chance. I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey. I have.
Some of the early reviewers are wondering if Charlie is getting a book. And the answer is yes. She’s getting two, actually. Make sure you join my Book Club and/or my Facebook group if you want to stay up to date on the release schedule there.
As always, I have many people to thank. Deb Markanton and Leslie McAdam, who are both awesome in their own right, and make me more awesome just by knowing them. Thank you both.
Julia Heudorf for her quick and tireless beta reading, as well as the fun conversations we have when she’s done.
Colleen and all the ladies at Itsy Bitsy Book Bits. Thanks for your hard work helping me promote this series and reach more readers.
To the other bloggers and readers who’ve shared and promoted this series and/or any of my other books—you guys are awesome. Thank you so much for your support.
To my family, thank you for being supportive, even though you’ll probably never read this. Because I told you not to read my books. Ha.
To my Book Junkies. You guys are the coolest. Thanks for hanging out with me.
And to you, dear reader. Thanks for taking the time and effort to read this story. If you loved it (or hated it, or just though it was meh), please go leave a review at your favorite retailer!