Page 54 of Gabriel's Album

“When this tour is over, we owe that man a bottle of Glenfiddich,” I comment.

“Actually, he drinks Woodford Reserve,” Hayden tells me.

I laugh. “I won’t complain; that’s much cheaper.”

Harrison and Heather appear with Sebastian. Heather heads over to talk to Ariana while the guys join us. We talk about the concert until it’s time for us to group up for the pre-show pep talk.

Sebastian gives the talk to our group tonight, and everyone goes their separate ways as we wander over to the side of the stage. I look over at Ariana as she talks to Heather, and I can’t resist going to hug her one more time before I head onstage. When I walk out in front of the audience, the screams are deafening.

My heart pounds in my chest and I smile at our fans. Everything I’ve been worried about slips from my mind as soon as the concert starts. I throw myself into the performance, striding around the stage and grinning at my friends as we sing together. I can feel the audience’s excitement and I feed off it, using their energy as fuel and sending it back to them through song.

Just as we’re about to launch into “Midnight Rebellion,” I move to the side of the stage and grab a bottle of water, open it, and pour the cool liquid into my mouth. I nod at one of the roadies, and he walks away to get Ariana for me.

I’m singing the first verse of the song when I notice Ariana entering the Pit. I catch her eye and grin at her as I sing the chorus, loving the way the crowd sings along with me in unison.

As the song comes to a close, the lights dim so there’s only a spotlight on me. My heart is beating a thousand times per minute, and I can feel the sweat dripping off me as I try to catch my breath.

“I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight; you’re a great audience.” The crowd cheers at my words and I wait for the screaming to die down before continuing, “Next, I’d like to sing something new. It’s a song I’ve written while on tour, and this is the first time we’re going to perform it live. I hope you like it.”

The entire crowd goes wild. I know the fans love to be the first ones to hear a new song, but I only care about one person in this audience hearing this one. The lights shift so that the stage is in a soft, pink glow, and I start playing my piano. The guys sing a note in harmony over a repeating piano phrase, Hayden’s drums kick in, and I begin to sing the song.

After the first chorus, I stop playing the piano, and although I move around the stage while singing, I look directly into Ariana’s eyes the entire time. This song is about her, it’s for her, and I hope that at least some of it gets through to her. She stares back at me, and I think she might be crying, but I can’t see properly.

I sing about how beautiful she is to me, even though she doesn’t see it. About how sad it is that she can’t see herself the way that I do. I sing about how she means the world to me, and that she’s as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. I sing about the sacrifices I would make for her, and I pray that it gets through.

The guys sing the choruses with me, and by the time the song is nearing its end, I stop in the middle of the stage, just in front of her, and sing the last few words directly to her. It feels as though we are the only two people in the world.

She stares back into my eyes, and the look on her face is one of pure love. I smile at her as I finish the song. I wish on some level that Ihadsung this to her in private for the first time as the crowd starts screaming and I’m brought back to where I am. I thank the crowd for their response to my latest work and move on to another song.

I glance frequently at Ariana as I finish the rest of the concert. She stays in her spot in the middle of the Pit and has that look of love on her face the whole time. I can feel that I’m performing better than usual. I always do when she’s watching.

Near the end of the show, I watch Heather come to join Ariana in the Pit. I smile at my friend as she walks up, and she waves at me before she takes Ariana to stand in the area at the side of the stage where they normally watch the show.

The main concert ends, and I come off stage feeling as though I’m flying. I have time to give Ariana a quick kiss before we go back onstage for an encore. I give everything I have to the performance of our final song, and the crowd goes wild as we leave the stage a final time.

The adrenalin from our performance is pumping through my veins as I come off stage. I stride purposefully over to Ariana and crush her to me in a hug before kissing her more passionately than is probably appropriate in front of other people. I hear Heather and Sebastian snicker at us as I lead her away from the group. I take her to my changing room, close the door behind us, and turn to face Ariana.

“I don’t have long before the meet and greet, but what did you think of the song?” I ask eagerly.

She smiles up at me. “I loved it.”

I have to resist the intense urge to respond by telling her that I loveher.

“I’m glad,” I say instead, as I put my arms around her.

Ariana melts into me. I kiss her deeply, my hands roaming her back and cupping her behind as I pull her against me. She reaches her arms up around my neck and her fingers tangle in my hair. When the kiss breaks, I place my forehead against hers, and both of us are breathing heavily.

“I have to go do the meet and greet,” I tell her with regret in my voice.

“I know,” she replies.

I smile at her. “I don’t want to.”

It’s the truth. I want to stay here and be with her.

“I know,” she smiles at me.

“I need a minute to calm down,” I tell her as I set her away from me and move across the room to put some distance between us.

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