I walk off stage and my atoms are charged and vibrating through me at such a fast rate that I feel like I could float through the air. I’m on such a high from performing that all I want to do is run into the green room and celebrate with my bandmates. I just wish Indi was here to help celebrate with me. I rush back to the area and everyone is there all as happy and jubilant as I am.

“Caleb, you were on fire tonight. You’re always great, but tonight you had a new energy about you,” Dad says and I nod because I know why.

“Yeah, I’m in a good place right now Dad and everything just feels right,” I reply and he grins and slaps my shoulder as Mum comes up and hugs me warmly.

“Well done, honey, you worked the crowd so well,” she says.

“Thanks, Mum.”

“Caleb, you son of a bitch. Where the hell did that stage dive come from?” Chad calls out from across the room, and I chuckle as I remember when I jumped off the stage and crowd surfed for the first time ever.

“I don’t know, it just felt right at that moment,” I say and the whole room laughs.

“Well, the crowd ate it up. That’s what true rock stars are made of Caleb,” Colt tells me.

I beam at those words from him because they really mean a lot to me. I can only hope that one day I can be in the same league as the great Colter Slade.

“Thanks, mate,” I reply.

I love these people, my family. I’m so glad I have them, even though the only reason I came to know them was because I was so desperately sick. Without my kidney’s being so bad, I would probably still be living a life of squalor, and I would never have met these amazing people. Who knows what my life would have turned out like if we didn’t come and meet the Slade’s when I was seven? Thank God for my kidney failure. I never thought I would say that. But as I look around the room in awe of my family, I can honestly say that being sick was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Even though it was hard with everything I went through with Mum and Colt. That was a horrible time, but still all these years later it seems worth all the heartache and pain. I ended up with a family, a mother who’s happy and a great father. Sure, he may not have been the one I wanted, but he’s still amazing nevertheless. The father I wanted is my uncle and mentor, and that’s still pretty amazing in itself and then I have my cousins and friends that I couldn’t imagine being without.

“I love you guys!” I yell out and everyone looks at me and smirks like I’m a complete idiot. “What, isn’t a man allowed to announce his feelings?” I ask and they all laugh at me.

“You’re weird,” Annie says and I nod.

“Yeah, I am.” I walk over to Annie taking her into a headlock. She squeals while Aston laughs at me, then she slaps at my arm around her neck and I let her go scruffing her hair.

“Oh my God, Caleb, I’m not five anymore. I’m seventeen for crying out loud. How is it okay to scruff my hair and headlock me you big dick?” She pushes against my chest while she glares at a laughing Aston. “And stop laughing, you!” she says to Aston, who stops laughing immediately, but his eyes suggest he’s still laughing internally.

“You’re my little cousin, I’m allowed to treat you like a little kid. It’s the rules,” I say and she frowns and rolls her eyes at me.

“Whatever! Why are you in such a good mood anyway?”

I smirk and gesture to zip my mouth shut.

She opens her eyes wide and gasps. “Oh. My. God. You’re seeing someone?”

“No, I’m not,” I say sounding a little too defensive.

She laughs as Aston looks at me and smirks knowing I’ve been caught out.

“Yes, you totally are, you big fat liar,” she whispers leaning in closer to me. “Who is it?”

“No one—”

“So, it’s Indi—”

“What?” I say opening my eyes wide.

How the fuck did she guess that?

“You said in the hospital Indi was no one. So it’s Indi, right?” she asks quietly so only she and Aston can hear.

“Shit, Annie—” I reply running my hand through my hair in frustration.

“I knew it!” she yells and I duck trying to be inconspicuous.

“Annie, shut it! She doesn’t want anyone to know,” I whisper and Annie and Aston both raise their eyebrows.

“What? Why?” she asks and I exhale and lean in close so no one can overhear.

“It’s complicated. Her past is not great, and we don’t want the tabloids bringing it up. It’s just…it’s complicated. It’s only new, and we are taking it very slowly. You can’t tell anyone guys, not your parents, not Ella, no one. Okay? Promise me? Indi would kill me if she knew you guys knew.”

Annie frowns. “Is the little pixie ashamed of you?”

“No, it’s nothing like that, I promise, Annie. One day I’ll explain it all to you, but not here and not now, okay?”

She nods seeming satisfied with my answer. “Well, I like her anyway. I’m so happy for you, cuz,” she says and leans in hugging me around my neck tightly. I chuckle and hug her back as Aston just looks on smiling.

“Yeah, it’s nice to see you happy for once, mate. I’m stoked for you.”

Annie starts to sway me from side to side.

I laugh and she laughs with me. “What are you doing you, crazy git?”

“Dancing! I’m happy dancing. I’m so damn happy for you.” After swaying with me some more, I break free as Aston shakes his head and laughs loudly.

“Dude, you really wanna date her?” I ask Aston and he shrugs as Annie backs up and scoffs slapping my shoulder.

“Hey, you love me,” she says while I tilt my head raising my lip slightly. “Hey! Say you love me!” she demands and I laugh as she slaps my arm.

I back up and laugh. “Okay, okay, I’ll say I love you just so you don’t have one of your hissy fits.”

“I do not have hissy fits,” she exclaims and Aston and I both raise our eyebrows and smirk. “Okay fine, I hate you all. I’m going for a wee,” she says and turns around and rushes off.

“Too much info, cuz!” I yell out as she rushes off.

I look at him as he watches her leave and he absolutely looks at her like he’s a lovesick fool. I like that I see that in him.

“So how’s it going with you two?” I ask and he turns to look at me.

“Amazing! She is my light, man. I’m so lucky she saw how good we could be together,” he replies and the smile reaches his eyes. He really is one love sick fool.

“So, is it really serious then?” I ask wanting to know how far they’ve gone.

“As in, have I put your information into practice?” he asks with a broad grin that tells me he has.

“Yeah.”

He nods. “Yeah, all the advice you gave has been flawless. Every spot you said to touch works perfectly. We haven’t…you know, had sex yet though. We’re waiting a while for that, but everything else we’re working on and holy shit, I never knew being in love could feel so—”

“Orgasmic?” I say and Aston laughs.

“Yeah exactly.”

I slap his back and smile at him. “Well, just take good care of her. I know I don’t need to do the whole if you hurt her speech, ‘cause I’m sure Colt’s done enough of that for both of us. All I am gonna say is be careful and always use a condom. When the time comes, of course.”

“Yeah, will do. But yeah, I think Annie wants to wait. She wants to keep a promise to Lia and I respect that. So I’m willing to wait. I just hope it’s worth it,” he says and I smirk.

“Oh mate, it’s worth the wait. Trust me,” I say and slap his back as Annie comes rushing back in and jumps in front of Aston and cuddles into him.

“What are you two wanks talking about?” she asks and I roll my eyes.

“You have developed such a potty mouth, you know that?”

“I’m a rock star, Caleb. You should try it.” She laughs as I smirk, and she looks up at Aston with love in her eyes. “The after-party is on. You wanna go?”

“Yeah, let’s go, I need to watch people getting drunk,” I say and Annie laughs as Aston shakes his head. We all walk out of the green room and toward the ballroom for the after-party. Luckily, it’s in the same venue as the concert for tonight. The other bands will be there, some of the VIP’s and a few other people who I don’t care much about. I’ll stay here for a bit, and then make my way home. It’s late, getting close to one in the morning, and Indi finishes her shift at three. So hopefully, I’ll be able to message her then. I might send one when I get to the party just to let her know what’s happening.

We walk into the small room and it is decked out in older style décor, almost like a 1920’s ballroom. It’s really cool, and all the waiters and staff are dressed to match. I have no idea why they’ve done it this way, but they have and I like it.

“Wow, this looks really pulchritudinous,” Annie says and Aston and I both look at her raising our eyebrows wondering what the hell she’s just said.

“Umm, say what now?” Aston asks and I chuckle.

“What? It means beautiful. Susan, our homeschooling teacher taught us the word, remember Aston. I always wanted to use it, now just seems like a perfect time. This room is pulchritudinous,” she says and Aston and I crack up laughing and shake our heads as Annie smiles and straightens her posture like she’s proud of herself.

“God, I love you, kid,” I say and she scowls and goes to talk, but I interrupt her.

“I know. I know, you’re not a kid, blah, blah, blah. Let’s go watch wannabe’s get drunk,” I say and they both nod as we walk over to a booth and take a seat. Ella and Chad walk in followed by all the parents, and they move over to us and all cramp into the one booth with us. Lucky, it’s a big booth.

“Where’s the twins?” I ask Sia, Chad’s mum.

“Asleep at home with Dingo’s mother. Thought it was a bit too much for them to come out here tonight, but we wanted to be here for Chad, seeing as this is all still so new to you all,” she says.

“You know they’re not asleep, right? Mum will have them up with her watching movies and keeping her company,” Dingo says and Sia opens her eyes wide.

“No way!” she says. We all laugh as Dingo nods and she shakes her head as she looks at the time on her phone and then slides out of the booth typing something frantically into her phone. I chuckle to myself as Dingo shakes his head.

“Crap! I just caused another argument with Sia and Mum,” he says and I chuckle.

“Wives hey,” I say and he nods his head.

“Yeah, sometimes they’re just as bad as your mother. Then get them together with your mum, and holy hell, it’s like a bloody time warp. Suddenly, you’ve lost all your ability to be a man and your nads are on the floor shriveled up and hiding under the furniture,” he says and I laugh out loud and shake my head.

“Sounds like fun,” I say and he smiles at me and shakes his head.

“Fun, it’s fucking ecstasy,” he says and I raise my eyebrow at him confused.

“You like it?”

“Being married?” he asks. “Mate, I fucking love it. Have you met my wife, woof, she is fucking hot! Even after all these years. When you find the one, Caleb, don’t let her go. Marry the fuck out of her, and then let her chop off your balls and throw them under the furniture. Your life will be much happier that way,” he says and then smiles as he walks off toward Sia.

I turn back and look at Aston and Annie and then at Lia and Colt, and I see the love they all share as couples and it’s exactly what I have with Indi. That deep unbreakable bond that will always be there no matter what life throws at you.

I pull my phone out from my pocket and swipe the unlock screen to see a picture of me with Indi from the other night. I took it of us lying in bed. She’s in the crook of my arm and she is makeup-less and all disheveled from making love and to me, she looks utterly fucking perfect. Undeniably beautiful. I smile and open the message app and type in something quick.

 

Me: Hey baby, I know you’re working. Just wanted to let you know I’ve finished the show. It was incredible. I’m at the after-party now, and I’m hoping to leave in an hour so I might be able to chat with you when you get off work. That is if you’re not too tired. I hope you’re having a better night tonight. Miss you. xo

 

I hit send and decide seeing as how everyone has paired up and is talking amongst themselves, I may as well get a drink. I slide out from the booth and walk up to the bar looking at Facebook on my phone. I sit down on a red velvet stool and wait for the bartender to serve me. The room is packed and there’s a heap of people here, and I have no idea who they are. I notice the other bands and people with lanyards around their necks with VIP written on them. I guess they sold VIP tickets to this concert and seeing as we filled in and aren’t well known yet, the VIP guests are leaving us alone. The room has a nice feel about it and everyone seems to be having a good time. I feel like I’m on quite a high when I get a shiver run up my spine. You know that feeling they say when someone walks over your grave and it makes you shudder. I look up from my phone as I feel a set of eyes roam over me and I look up to see a woman sitting on the stool next to mine. She’s brunette and her figure looks familiar, but her hair has fallen down around her face. I turn back to my phone and then the waiter comes over.

“What can I get you?” he asks.

“Just a coke thanks, mate.”

He comes back and the menacing vibe I had is still with me. I think I need to get back to the booth, so I take my glass and move to walk off when the woman beside me speaks.

“Caleb, don’t you recognise me?” a familiar voice chimes and I turn toward the woman. She turns to face me and I notice immediately that it’s Sasha. She’s dyed her hair a darker brunette, so much so it’s almost black. That’s why I didn’t recognise her.

“Oh, hey, your hair, it’s darker,” I say and she smiles so wide it kinda freaks me out.

“You noticed?” She flicks her hair over her shoulder.

“Yeah. So ah, what are you doing here?”

Her smile falls. “Not happy to see me?” she asks and I furrow my brows.

“No, it’s not that. Just surprised is all.”

“A good surprise?”

“Yeah, well, anyway, I better get back to my mates,” I say and turn to walk off.

She grabs my arm and forces me to stop. “Wait, don’t you want to talk?”

“About?” I ask and she frowns.

“Well, don’t you want to come back to my place?” she asks quietly.

I let out a small laugh, I think I’m in shock. “No Sasha,” I simply say.

“Well, I’ll come back to yours then?”

“No, I don’t think you understand me. I’m with Indi now, and I’m not going to cheat on her. Not with you, or with anyone. I’m sorry, I love her too much to throw it away.”

“If you really loved her you wouldn’t have slept with me,” she says really loud, so loud that people stop and look over at us.

I take a deep breath and bite my bottom lip as my heart starts to race. “Sasha, I know you want more from me, but I can’t give that to you. I’m sorry,” I say and pull my arm forcefully from hers and go to walk away.

“You’ll be back,” she yells out loudly.

“Leave me alone,” I call back to her. She scowls and huffs and then turns away from me and walks to the other side of the room.

Suddenly, my great mood has dissipated and now I just want to get to Indi. Sasha seems a bit like a wild card and right now I need to feel like I’m in control. I walk over to the booth and say my goodbye’s then make my way to my car to start the just over two-hour drive back to London. I need to be with Indi tonight. Sasha has unsettled me, and I just want to hold Indi in my arms and know that everything is okay. I’ll have to keep my eyes pinned for Sasha though. If she keeps showing up at our shows, we might have to put a ban on her. I would hate to do that so early in our career, but if it’s the only way from keeping my dark secret from Indi, then that’s what I need to do. Because Indi finding out I slept with Sasha the night I almost slept with her, would break Indi’s heart. I don’t know if she would forgive me for that, no matter how hard I begged, and in some ways I wouldn’t blame her.