"You're coming to the show."

Once again, August hadn't been asking a question.

I'd leaned back in my desk chair, ducking a little to avoid Matt's creepily intense gaze as he walked past me heading for the door. "I might," I finally exhaled when he'd finally left the building.

"Thank fucking god," August exploded. "Christ, Ewan's been such a mopey bitch in rehearsal these past four days. What the hell did you do to him?"

"What makes you think I'm to blame?" I demanded, while at the same time I felt a tug of guilt. All week I had been waiting for tonight to come so I could have an excuse to see him again without having to call or text him first. I felt like the worst kind of coward and that feeling made me defensive as hell. "He was a dick too you know."

"Mmhmmm," August drawled in a suspicious sigh. "Look, whatever weird fuck-me dance you two are waltzing over here, I need you to figure it out. Tonight is a huge fucking deal for them and they need to have their head in the game. Ewan in particular."

My heart started racing without my permission. "Are they excited?"

"Well, Hudson is ready to climb Mount Everest right after the show is over. The dude is that pumped. But as for the rest of them?" I could almost hear her shrugging. "They're a bunch of Brits. I think Niall smiled a little bit on Thursday so yeah, obviously he's super stoked." She raised her voice over the sound of my laughter. "No seriously C, I need to know. When you guys fucked, did Ewan make any noise at all? Or did he just say "jolly good show" and offer you tea afterward?"

I nearly choked on my drink of water. "Um..."

"Yeah?" August was immediately on to me.

"Stop!" I laughed.

"Oh my god, is he a dirty talker? I bet he is, the repressed fuck."

"August, please!" I hissed, lowering my voice. "If I promise to come tonight, will you please stop asking these kinds of questions?"

She was quiet for a lot longer than I expected. "Fine...." She finally huffed in a drawn out whine. "You're no fun, but that's okay because tonight I'm having enough fun for both of us."

"By ogling Jules with his shirt off?" I teased.

"Hey!" August snapped. "I'm not ogling anything, that guy is a pain in my ass."

It was my turn to drawl out an "Mmhmmm." But at least that got her off the phone faster. I had hung up and immediately tried to convince myself that I was coming out tonight to support August.

But as I stood in the VIP section and watched the crowd surging in front of the stage, I knew all at once that I was full of shit. I was here for one reason only, and that reason was walking onstage right now with his guitar slung down low around his waist.

I gaped at how casual it was. No dimming lights, no pump-you-up music, just the four of them casually sauntering onto the stage in front of us like they had nothing to hide. It was the opposite of rockstar pretension and the sheer sexy confidence it required made my knees weak. The crowd was on their feet already, and Hudson waved with an aw-shucks grin that sent the ladies screaming, but my eyes were on Ewan, bending lovingly over his guitar.

"Just like the old days," August crowed, leaning into me. "You and me, C-dawg!"

I laughed and leaned into her. "We're in the VIP section, Junebug," I shouted. The watered down beer we'd already pounded was making my head spin around deliciously. "We're about to watch the band I signed and you manage. How is this anything like the old days?"

"I know!" she laughed. "It's nothing like it, isn't it great!"

It was nothing like the old days. I held my breath as Jules tapped out a four-count and I waited to hear one of the old standbys, maybe Smoke and Embers, a crowd favorite.

But then the first shimmery note of Jagged pierced the chaotic applause, sending a rippling murmur through the crowd.

My song

They were opening with my song.

I took a deep breath and my heart fucking stopped.

Breathlessly, I stared as Ewan teased out the opening melody, my hands pressed to my mouth. I could feel each note knifing through my body, sending out alternating ripples of guilt and longing and I swore he was playing it just for me. Each note held some kind of message, a promise. An apology he shouldn't need to make.

My chest hitched. With his music, he was opening me up and laying me bare for myself to finally, clearly, see what I was made of.

I pulled my fingers away from my face and was surprised when they came away wet.

"Damn," August muttered next to me. She was watching closely too, swaying a little as Niall's bassline thundered up seemingly from the abyss. She turned and scanned the crowd. "Holy shit, are you seeing this? They love it."

I barely turned my head, unwilling to take my eyes from Ewan. Hudson sauntered up to the mic and sang the first verse in a slow, quiet hush. "A crack in the mirror / a thin jagged line / you're on the other side / but I'll make you mine."

Jules kicked out three beats on the bass drum that sounded just like my heartbeat thudding in my chest and then suddenly the band slammed together in perfect unison. They were tight, polished. Hudson's voice had never sounded better and he confidently stalked the stage, singing Ewan's words to all the girls in the front row, leaving them breathless and squealing before moving on to promise another one, "for you I'll piece the jagged parts together," but all the while I was watching Ewan because those words were all for me.

Goosebumps marched along my arm even though it was stiflingly hot in the theater. Emotions that had no names swirled around, brought to the surface by the music and I felt each one keenly before the next one lined up to take its place. Joy, sorrow, sadness, ecstasy and some kind of nostalgia for a life I'd never lived and a love I never experienced took hold of me and suddenly my face was completely soaked with tears.

August's fingers brushed back my hair. "You want to go to him?" she asked me, her voice gentle in spite of the need to shout over the music.

I nodded, feeling like my heart was too tight for my chest.

She nodded in return and gestured with her hand. "Go," she said. Then grinned. "I'll stall the rest of them as long as I can."

At least that's what I think she was saying. I couldn't hear her very well because I was already starting to move.