Page 117 of The Lodge

I’ll send all the links when I have a minute

Yes, there will be a release party. And yes, Sebastian will be there.

MOM

We’re so proud, honey. Congratulations. Mike, do you think we should order a new bookshelf for the living room?

Epilogue

EIGHT MONTHS LATER

It’s almost time.

Everything is red: the thick curtains serving as a backdrop on the iconic New York City stage; more than six thousand sold-out seats waiting to be filled;RADIO CITYspelled out in neon on the famous marquee, our names in white just below.

And everythinggleams—the brass railings throughout the building; the arched ceiling, brilliantly lit to resemble the golden rays of the sun as it sinks beneath the horizon.

Sebastian is dressed in a bespoke navy suit, looking stunning—a far cry from his usual preferences thanks to our publicist, who talked him into a more polished look for our book launch event. A gigantic poster of his book cover—ourbook cover—looms behind him, as if anyone needs reminding that it exists. It only just came out, but we’ve known for months that it would be an instant bestseller all over the world due to its record-breaking presales.

I watch from the wings as Sebastian steps forward to test themic. He’s a pro surrounded by pros, so it only takes a few minutes to get the levels right.

“I’m good,” he says, turning to the man behind him onstage. “You want a check?”

Tyler’s hunched over his guitar, making sure it’s in tune—a posture I’ve seen more times than I can count at this point.

“Sure,” he says, stepping up to the mic. “Thanks, man.”

It’s been eight months since our lives turned upside down that day in Vermont. There have been moments where it’s been a roller coaster—close your eyes and ride it out until it’s over—but never, not once, have I regretted the days leading up to this new life.

Leading up totoday.

“One, two?” Tyler’s voice reverberates through the room. His guitar gleams under the spotlight; his face is bright and beaming and radiant. “One, two, three—yeah, that’s good, Jack, thanks. How’s my guitar in the house?”

If he’s nervous, he doesn’t let it show.

Someone joins me in the wings, but I can’t tear my eyes from Tyler, who looks like he’s never been more comfortable on a stage. He lookshappyup there in the spotlight, just him and his guitar and a mic.

“You ready?”

I glance over to see that it’s Maribel Tovar who’s joined me, looking every bit the editorial powerhouse in her black tailored dress and stilettos.

“I think I will be once we get started,” I say quietly. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

Maribel gives me a comforting smile, her eyes twinkling even in the relative darkness of this backstage lighting. She’s calmed me down more times than I can count over the past several months.

“You’ll be perfect,” she says. “Just remember, everyone who’ll be herewantsto celebrate the book with you and Sebastian.”

It helps.

The stage is set with two wingback chairs where Sebastian and I will be in conversation about his book, along with a rug and a low coffee table to make it feel even cozier. Behind that whole setup is the aforementioned fifteen-foot poster of our book cover. After my talk with Sebastian, Maribel will introduce Tyler as our special surprise guest: he’s been working on some music over the last six months or so, and tonight he’s going to announce his upcoming solo album—and perform an acoustic rendition of its first single.

All of this, shockingly, was Sebastian’s idea.

He and Tyler have been working through their differences in the months since everything went down at the lodge. Once the shock wore off, they had an intense heart-to-heart (in Fiji, because Sebastian is incapable of staying in the same hemisphere for longer than a few weeks at a time). Turns out they have even more in common than either of them realized and actually do enjoy each other’s company now that no one’s manipulating them into a rivalry at every turn.

This will be the first time since before True North broke up that they’ve shared a spotlight—and the first time ever that they’ve shared onewillingly.

Maribel and our publicist thought the idea to include Tyler was genius, no doubt because there’s asecondenormous book cover waiting in the wings, ready to be revealed—tonight’s audience is about to be absolutely swimming in surprises.

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