Page 59 of Discover Me
"Go get your man," Rex says, and there's no mockery in his tone. Just sincerity. "We know this isn't enough to make up for everything. But we get it now. We understand what Tom was doing to all of us, how he was using our success to control our lives. And we're done letting him."
"The breakup dinner is in two days," I say, the words coming automatically. "Tom already booked the restaurant and briefed the PR team. He's expecting me to end things publicly, make it dramatic enough for content."
"Then don't show up." Liam shrugs like it's simple. "Or show up and propose instead. Really give them something to talk about."
"I can't propose." I laugh despite everything. "We've been together less than two weeks, most of it fake."
"But it's not fake anymore." Jordan's voice is gentle. "You said it yourself. He's your mate. So stop pretending and make it real."
They’re right. And after all this mess is sorted, I'll have Micah. And I'll have my band, making music on our terms. And that's worth fighting for.
Micah
My heart nearly beats out of my chest as I push around the gourmet pasta on my plate, the expensive food turning to ash in my mouth. We're at the restaurant Tom booked for our breakup dinner, this upscale Italian place with soft lighting and intimate booths. The kind of romantic setting that would be perfect if we weren't supposed to be ending things.
But Kellan isn't ending things. He's explaining what they discussed at the label with the band, his words tumbling out fast and excited. How they found a clause in their contracts thatlets them all walk away together. How they're leaving Tom and the label to start fresh, making music on their own terms. How everything is going to change but it'll be okay because they'll have creative control and freedom.
"The label won't know what hit them," Kellan says, his eyes bright with possibility. "We can make the music we actually want to make. No more love songs about fictional Omegas or breakup ballads for albums we don't believe in. Just us, the four of us, creating something real."
I should be happy for him. Should be celebrating this massive step toward the life he wants. But all I can think about is how none of this includes me. He's talking about the band and their future and his career, but he hasn't said anything about us. About what happens to this relationship once Tom is no longer forcing us together.
"Kellan." I set my fork down, unable to pretend to eat anymore. "If you truly want me, you need to fight for me. Not just fight Tom or fight for the band's freedom. Fight for me specifically."
He stops mid-sentence, his expression shifting to confusion. "I am fighting for you. That's what all of this is about. Leaving the label so Tom can't control who I'm with anymore."
"No." I shake my head, frustration building. "You're fighting to save Lunar Ransom and return it to the band it used to be. That's great, that's important. But I need you to let everyone know that you chose me. That this isn't just about creative freedom or escaping Tom's manipulation. I need you to tell them that I'm yours, Kellan. That you're mine. That this thing between us isn't going anywhere."
My voice rises slightly and I force myself to lower it, aware of other diners around us. "I don't want to be another one-week fling or a mistake you made in a moment of rebellion. I don't want to be the gimmick that got you out of your contract. I needto know that when all of this settles down, when the band is established and Tom is in the rearview mirror, that you'll still want me. That I'm not just convenient right now."
"Micah—" Kellan reaches for my hand but I pull away.
"I don't want this to be the end." The admission comes out raw, exposing the fear I've been carrying since Tom announced the accelerated timeline. "But I also can't keep doing this if I'm the only one all in. If you're going to leave me eventually, I need to know now so I can protect myself."
I grab my coat from beside me in the booth, sliding out before I can lose my nerve. The restaurant suddenly feels too small, too hot, the walls closing in. I need air, need space to breathe without Kellan's sweet rum scent clouding my judgment.
"Where are you going?" Kellan's voice follows me but I don't stop.
"Outside. I need a minute."
The night air hits me as I push through the restaurant doors, cold and damp with impending rain. The parking lot is mostly empty, just a few cars scattered under the streetlights. I walk away from the building, needing distance from everything.
I hear Kellan come out behind me, his footsteps quick on the pavement. Then his hand catches my arm, spinning me around to face him. Before I can say anything, he pulls me into a fierce kiss.
Rain starts falling, light at first then heavier. It soaks through my shirt and plasters my hair to my forehead but I don't care. Kellan's lips are hot against mine despite the cold rain, his hands framing my face with desperate intensity.
"I do want you." Kellan's voice is rough when he pulls back just enough to speak, his forehead pressed against mine. "Fuck, I think I'm in love with you, Micah. Don't leave me. Don't walk away because I'm bad at saying the right things or because I get caught up in band stuff and forget to make you the priority."
He kisses me again, softer this time. "You're not a fling or a mistake or a gimmick. You're mine. I want everyone to know it. I want to shout it from every stage and post it on every platform until there's no doubt in anyone's mind that Micah Davis belongs with me."
The rain falls harder, soaking us both completely. Water runs down Kellan's face, mixing with what might be tears but could just be raindrops. His sweet rum scent wraps around me even in the downpour, impossible to wash away.
"Say it again." My voice is barely audible over the rain.
"I love you." Kellan's hands tighten on my face. "I'm in love with you and I don't care who knows it or how inconvenient the timing is or what Tom thinks about it. You're it for me."
I kiss him this time, pouring everything I can't say into the contact. Relief and love and desperation all tangled together. The rain continues to fall but we stay locked together in the parking lot, uncaring of the cold or the wet or the possibility of cameras catching this moment.
When we finally pull apart, we're both shivering and soaked through. Kellan grins at me, that genuine smile that transforms his whole face.
