Ethan

Ear-splitting screams and cheers echo behind us as we exit the stage. All five of us are high on the adrenaline that comes from playing our first concert after the release of our first album. We’re backstage now and the energy flowing off my band mates washes over me and I stand back to take it all in.

Everyone is high-fiving and hugging now. I lift Caroline up off the floor. “Holy shit. That was incredible. You were incredible. The crowd loved “Forever Just Us.” Pride swells in me. My beautiful girlfriend just brought down the house with her voice and her stage presence.

“You were amazing, too.” Her voice is full of emotion. “Can you believe that all of this is real?”

“No, but we just lived it.” I press a firm kiss to her lips and the familiar flames I always get from kissing her light up my insides.

If someone had told me two years ago at the reunion that Caroline and I would end up back together with a house back in my hometown, and that our band would get signed to a major record label and we’d end up touring the country together, I never would’ve believed it. Yet here we are, our dreams a reality now.

Rachel comes up to us, her smile wide and a gleam in her pretty blue eyes that match her sister’s perfectly. “You guys, we just played to a crowd of thousands of people, and they knew our songs, and sang along.”

Tom comes up behind Rachel and slips his arms around her waist. She clasps her hands around his and her diamond ring—that quite possibly costs as much as my car—shimmers in the lights.

“Congrats to all of us,” Tom says. “Our show was epic.”

“Damn straight,” Darren chimes in.

Mallory, Marcus Campbell’s assistant, comes backstage and joins the group. “You guys brought down the house. We’re all so proud of you. We need you to follow me. Craft Services have a big spread set out for you. It’s time to celebrate.”

We all follow Mallory around the maze backstage to what looks like a conference room. It smells like grilled meats and garlicky vegetables, and my stomach growls. I was so pumped, I didn’t realize that I was starving. There’s a bar set up at one end of the room and tables and chairs are scattered around.

The opening band of the night, The Saints, are already in here, enjoying the food and drink. Darren’s wife and daughter are also here along with Caroline and Rachel’s mother. Marcus Campbell is here drinking a glass of amber liquid. He sees us coming in and stands and starts clapping. Everyone else follows suit.

“Mom,” Rachel cries and runs to her mother, throwing her arms around her.

Caroline follows behind, and she and her mom share a moment together. She’s put on a few much needed pounds and seems to be taking better care of herself. Her clothes and hair look clean and she’s wearing makeup. It’s been nearly a year since she quit drinking. It makes me smile seeing my girl building a relationship with her mother again.

Marcy, Darren’s wife, and their three-year-old daughter, Layla, make their way to Darren and they get together in a group hug.

Tugging my phone out of my pocket, I see that it’s bad timing to call my parents. With the time change in Maui, they’d be in their cooking class by now. As soon as they sold the insurance agency and the house, they packed up the basics and found a small home in Hawaii. They couldn’t be happier and my dad has had a clean bill of health since they got away from the stresses of the agency. They enrolled in cooking school as a hobby and they love to call me up and tell me about all the exotic foods they’ve learned to make and how I need to get there as soon as possible to visit. They couldn’t possibly be any happier for me and I for them. Turns out Caroline was right, everything did end up working out.

“Are you hungry? I’m starving.” Caroline puts an arm around my waist and pulls me into her.

“I could eat.” I curl my fingers around hers and we make our way to the buffet line.

Filling my plate with steak, potatoes, veggies, and salad, Caroline and I find seats at the table where Marcus Campbell sits and take a seat.

“You guys were on fire tonight. Bravo.” He smiles before taking a sip of his drink.

“It was good of you to come see us play tonight,” Caroline says.

She’s right. It’s an honor for him to fly out to see our first concert. I never would’ve guessed that he’d come. “Yes, thank you for being here. It means a lot to us,” I say.

He gives us a dismissive wave of his hand. “I wouldn’t miss it. It was me who discovered you after all.”

I laugh on the inside. He did see us play at the Freemont last year, but he only wanted to give Caroline a contract. If it weren’t for her, the band wouldn’t be where we are today. But Marcus didn’t have to give us a chance and he did. For that I am forever grateful.

“Did you guys get all moved into your new house?” Marcus asks, his salt and pepper brows rising. “In your last email you mentioned trying to get everything finished before the tour started.”

Caroline glances at me and we share a contented smirk. “Barely, but we somehow did.” She rubs her hand up and down my arm. “Ethan made it happen.”

I melt seeing the admiration in her eyes. How I put it there, I don’t know. We bought a house back in Pennsylvania. Everyone in the band lives there and so does her mother. It made the most sense. We were able to put a nice-size deposit down on the perfect house in the neighborhood Tom and Rachel live in. With Caroline’s savings from her waitressing job—who knew that damn job would be good for something—and our advance, we were able to buy a home that we can grow a family in.

The rest of the band takes seats at our table and we all talk and laugh and enjoy each other’s company over the meal. I’m having a hard time taking my eyes off Caroline. Her dress tonight shows her smooth shoulders and a hint at the swell of her breasts. I can’t wait to get my hands on her later.

Caroline clears her throat and says, “Everyone, can I get your attention please?”

The room quiets down.

“I hope tonight was everything you hoped and dreamed it would be,” she says.

A few of us say yes and cheer.

She tucks a piece of her wavy blonde hair behind her ear and shifts her stance appearing as though she’s nervous. “That’s great. It was an incredible night, but there’s one thing that would make it better for me. It’d put the icing on the cake.” She shifts her gaze toward me. She’s got my full attention. “Most of you know that I’ve loved Ethan since ninth grade and I still love him today. He’s everything I could ever want in a man, but, I’m afraid if I don’t take the initiative and do this now, he never will.”

What the hell?

Caroline fumbles around in her pocket, pulls something out, and drops to her knee.

My skin flushes and my heart beat pounds against my chest. Is she honestly going to do this?

“Ethan Brooks, I love you so much. There’s nobody else in this world for me. Would you make me the happiest woman on earth and marry me?” She holds up a platinum band for me.

Holy shit. I tug her up and she sits on my lap. I bury my face in her neck, inhaling her familiar wildflower scent. “Are you kidding me?”

“I had to do it. I want to marry you and I don’t think you’d ever ask me. We were together for almost nine years before and you never did. So what do you say?” Her tone is playful and she’s right. I wasted so much time on trying to figure out the perfect time and the best way to propose that I never actually did it.

Pulling back, I admire the shimmer in her eyes and the sweet smile plastered on her gorgeous face. “Of course. Let’s do it tonight.”

“Oh, no, no. I get the fairytale wedding; the white dress, the flowers, the cake, all of it.”

I grab the ring from her and slide it onto my finger. It fits perfectly. “If that’s what you want. You can have it. Anything you need for the rest of our lives, I will give it to you.”

A tear forms in her eye and she leans in to kiss me, all full lips and tongue. I almost forgot that we aren’t alone until everyone in the room starts clapping and congratulating us.

There was a time when I felt stuck in my life and it seemed like nothing would ever go right for me again. That is, until Caroline waltzed back into town. Seeing her was exactly what I needed to propel me forward and start making changes. Now, here I sit with the love of my life on my lap, our band together on tour, and my parents happy and healthy in Hawaii. Life couldn’t get much better.