Page 62 of Once Upon a Boyband
“Yeah. But it’s time. I need to do this for Freddie. For all of them.”
Behind us, the barn door opens, and Sarah and Freddie step inside.
I’m still wrapped up in Adam’s arms, and I tense like I’m going to step away from him, but his grip around me tightens, so I stay put.
“Oh, thank goodness,” Sarah says, lifting a hand to her chest. “I was literally ten minutes away from calling the sheriff and demanding he organize a search party.” She looks him up and down. “Geez, what happened to you?”
“I fought a mountain lion,” Adam deadpans.
I stifle a chuckle as Sarah’s eyes widen. “Are you serious?”
“No,” he says, and she rolls her eyes.
“Adam. That’s not funny.”
“I fell into a ravine,” he says. “Up above the spring on theeast ridge. But I’m fine. Laney checked me over. Nothing’s broken.”
“Are you sure?” Sarah says. “Jake just left, but I can call him back to take a look.”
Adam shakes his head. “I’m sure. Laney’s a doctor, too.”
“Um, not that kind of doctor. I’d do better with the mountain lion,” I say.
“You did great,” Adam says. “And I’m fine. Just a little scraped up.”
Sarah puts her hands on her hips. “Well, in that case, you’re an idiot for running off and missing Jake but also I’m glad you aren’t dead and I love you and I hope you’re okay.”
Adam finally stands, and I shift to the side, making room for him to walk over to his sister. He pulls her into a one-armed hug. “I’m sorry I disappearedandthat I missed Jake,” He says. His eyes shift over to Freddie, who has been standing behind Sarah watching their conversation with a curious expression. “I just had some thinking to do.”
“And?” Freddie asks.
It’s a long moment before Adam answers.
He and Freddie just stare at each other across the five feet or so of space between them, the tension ratcheting up with every passing second.
“One concert,” Adam finally says. “But only one.”
Sarah lets out a little squeal, clapping her hands in front of her as Freddie moves to Adam and pulls him into a hug, pounding him on the back hard enough to make Adam flinch.
“You won’t regret this, man,” he says. “It’s going to be amazing.”
Itwillbe amazing. How could a Midnight Rush reunion show be anything but amazing?
Despite Adam’s initial hesitations, maybe this could be a good thing for him. To reconnect with his friends, reconnect with his music. But who am I to have an opinion? We’ve been on one date.
As a fan? It isn’t hard to conjure up how excited I would be if I’d never met Adam and simply found out about the concert like everyone else. I would lose my mind. Then I would force Percy to buy tickets with me, and I would go and sit in the nosebleed cheap seats because who can afford the expensive ones and also pay a mortgage, and I would watch the show with all the enthusiasm a twenty-six-year-old woman can reasonably express without losing her dignity.
But now…watching Adam on stage, knowing I might be the one he kisses after the show?
That’s a dream too fantastical to even consider.
Not that any of this is about me.
It’s absolutely not.
Still.
To quote Percy: Holy freaking fudgesicles.
