Page 144 of His Greatest Muse

Sensing my reaction, he goes on. “You don’t have to forgive me today, or ever, really. But I know you and Dad have been talking, and I’m jealous of him. You’re my brother, and I don’t know much about you other than what I’ve known since we were kids. I want to be a part of your life—I always have—and . . . I almost lost that chance forever. You were bound to do amazing things with your life, and you’re doing them. I’m proud of you, little brother. So fucking proud. You can think about this for as long as you want, and I’ll be here. I’m not going anywhere ever again.”

Maddox waits patiently for my response, his eyes never leaving mine. I swallow hard, searching for the right words.

“I want to move on. With both you and Dad.”

His face breaks out into a relieved smile, and for the first time in years, I like the sight of it. “I’ve missed you.”

I don’t reply, but I don’t need to. He doesn’t seem to mind. We sit in silence, the weight of years of resentment slowly lifting from our shoulders. I’ve been carrying this burden for so long it feels odd to have it begin to ebb, little by little.

Maddox breaks the silence with a chuckle. “I always used to tease you about Tinsley, but we’ve all seen how much she means to you, especially over the past few weeks.”

I nod, my gaze drifting to the house. “She’s everything. I won’t waste any more time with her.”

Maddox claps a hand on my back, his smile growing wider. “That’s the spirit. Embrace what makes you happy, and don’t let anything or anyone stand in your way. I didn’t start to understand the meaning of that until I lost Braxton.”

“Now she’s stuck with you.”

He laughs. “Yeah, that she is.”

As the sun sets in front of us, an odd sense of . . . peace washes over me. The tension that had fucked with my relationship with Maddox is finally dissipating. The sun feels warmer on my skin.

The sliding of the patio door is the only warning that someone else has joined us. We look back and find Dad. I’m surprised when I don’t go rigid with discomfort when he sits beside me and clasps his hands between his legs, keeping quiet, just being here. With me and Maddox. The silence is enough. More than. I don’t need him to add anything.

“We’re proud of you, Noah,” Maddox says a few minutes later, his voice filled with genuine admiration. “You’ve always known who you were, even when nobody else accepted you for it. You deserve to be happy with your girl.”

“Thank you,” I mutter.

He shoves my shoulder with his. It sends me careening into Dad, knocking his as well. “You’re welcome.”

And with those final words, I rise from the step, needing to be back at Tinsley’s side.

Where I belong.

EPILOGUE

NOAH

The crowd roars,chanting my name. The music swells behind me. My earpiece dangles from my left ear from when I tore it out after the first song. I don’t want tonight to be muted. I want to be present for the last show of the tour. The last show for months to come.

I don’t like being sentimental. It’s not an emotion that comes easily to me, but I will miss performing. The rush and thrill of having thousands of eyes on me, watching, listening to my music. Worshiping.

Justice carries the beat with a passion that doesn’t go unnoticed in the crowd. He’s always the best musician of the three, but tonight, he’s beyond the best. He’s magic.

Dagger tries to outshine Justice, but even with his skill, it’s not possible. Josh plays like he always does. Like this is any ordinary job. Like he can’t wait to finish and go home. If I cared enough to get to know either of them on a personal level, I would ask why he doesn’t care about the opportunity that Sparks handed to him. But I don’t, so I won’t.

I find Tinsley in the crowd. She’s been flush to the pit barricade all night, alternating between reaching for me and flashing her homemade sign above her head. I smiled when I saw it the first time. Couldn’t help myself.

Noah Hutton Is My Boyfriend.

I’ve fought the urge to demand she be brought to the stage all night. She wouldn’t want that, though. She wanted to get the complete fan experience tonight, and apparently, she could only have that by getting crushed and pushed around by a hot, sweaty crowd.

She grins at me, and just like my first show in Edmonton, I crouch at the end of the stage and take her hand in mine. Her palm is slick with sweat. So is mine. I want to tug on her hand and force her up over the barricades but reluctantly let her go when the song trails off. Having her eyes on me while I perform is enough. Knowing she’s here and happy settles me.

The Toronto crowd is the loudest we’ve had on this tour. And they don’t hide their approval of Tinsley. The security guard I’ve placed beside her is on high alert when my fans try to paw at her, shouting things I can’t hear but don’t need to. Her blush is enough to tell me it isn’t anything upsetting.

I move back to my mic stand and slip the mic into place before tugging my guitar from across my back and leading the next song. The lights dim to a deep red that fans out over the stage. Justice thumps the bass drum as I play the first set of notes, and Dagger follows. Josh waits for his entrance, weaving his stare through the crowd.

I find Reggie lingering backstage, smiling at me. He’s been sticking close to us the last few weeks of the tour, and I haven’t hated it. His company is enjoyable. I like him, and he seems to like me enough to stick around. Garrison hasn’t been around as often, but when he is, I pretend he isn’t. That seems to work for the both of us. I plan on continuing to enjoy Reggie’s company, and I think he’ll do the same. When he tips his chin at me, his eyes soft, I know I was ridiculous to doubt him.

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