Page 1 of The Fangirl and the Crooner

Chapter

One

Pressley

Iblink to clear the road-hypnosis, realizing my mind had been wandering, and I have no idea where I am or how far I’ve driven. A road sign comes into view, telling me I’m only forty-eight miles from Portland, Oregon. I’m over halfway there.

Over halfway to my new home.

There are things I’ll miss about Seattle, sure, but everyone I care about is in Evening Shade. Keegan Carpenter, who used to be part of my friend group when she lived in the city. She broke free of the toxic friendships before I managed to extricate myself, and when I did, I earned her forgiveness for keeping a secret I had no business keeping. Keegan’s new fiancé, Trace Bardin. His sister Willow, who instantly took Keegan under her wing when she needed a friend the most, and did the same for me when I returned to town to beg for Keegan’s forgiveness. Gavin Reese, Willow’s one true love and a literalmovie star who turned out to be just a regular guy who’s in love with a regular girl.

And then there’s Bram. The gorgeous bartender who caught my eye the first time I came to Evening Shade on that fateful girls’ trip that went terribly wrong.

Keegan’s ex had been sleeping with one of our so-called friends, I knew about it, and I didn’t tell her. I should’ve. I know that. But there were risks involved with spilling the tea. Risks I wasn’t ready to face yet. When Iwasready, I ended my dependent relationship with that cheating bitch and found the person I truly wanted to be.

Afterward, when I returned to throw myself at Keegan’s feet and beg for another chance to be a real friend to her, Bram and I became friends, too. Each subsequent visit brought us closer, but nothing romantic has happened between us save for a little light flirting.

Okay, alotof light flirting.

But that wasbefore. Before I messed up, overstepped, and made Bram hate me.

I thought I was helping. I thought he’d thank me for it once he realized the amazing opportunity I was giving him. I thought my actions would bring us closer, showing him I’d do anything for him.

Well…I thoughtwrong.

And now, I’m nervous as hell about seeing him again. Has his anger faded? Will things go back to normal now that some time has passed?

Time heals all wounds, right?

I don’t know for sure, but somehow, I doubt it. And having Bram angry with me makes this huge step I’mtaking, moving to Evening Shade permanently, so much more nerve-racking.

I’ve always been a chronic people-pleaser, and while those tendencies have lessened thanks to the love and support of my friends––I know I don’t have to give up my own needs and desires in lieu of those of others all the time––there’s still a hollow feeling in my chest when I think of how catastrophically IdispleasedBram.

But at this point, I have to accept that it is what it is.

When the lease on my apartment in Seattle ran out, I didn’t renew it. I rented a storage locker for my furniture since I’ll be subletting Willow’s apartment––she moved in with Gavin once they worked out their own shit––and the place is fully furnished already. All of my personal belongings are packed in the trunk and on the backseat of my car.

And I’m over halfway to my destination.

A familiar song starts to play through the car’s speakers, and I reach over and twist the knob to turn up the volume. I start to bounce a little in my seat, my lips turning up into a smile. This is one of the songs Keegan and I danced to in the BingBang video that changed everything.

It was months ago, before we even thought of taking that weekend trip to Evening Shade that altered our lives. Before everything blew up between us. Keegan and I were fooling around, filming ourselves mixing cocktails and dancing ridiculously in our silly pajamas. We decided to upload that video to BingBang, and for some reason, it took off.

It went viral, so viral that Planter’s Vodka reachedout with a sponsorship opportunity, making Keegan and I legitimate influencers. Everything changed after that. Keegan, who’d lost her job in Seattle, didn’t have to struggle to find a new one that could support her. I was able to quit my own position as manager in our ex-friend’s boutique. I’d been making her business a success for years, hoping that one day we’d become equal partners, but that was never in the cards for me. Madison––the ex-friend in question––used me to make herself a ton of money and never had any intention of rewarding my efforts.

So, I quit. And, fuck, did it feel good.

I’ve been driving back to Evening Shade regularly to film BingBang content with Keegan, and I finally realized there was no reason for me to continue to reside in Seattle.

Everyone I care about is in that tiny tourist town where some famous werewolf movies were filmed over a decade ago. Where a new werewolf television series starring Gavin Reese will be filmed very soon, giving Evening Shade an even bigger dot on the map.

I just hope everything works out, and this decision doesn’t turn out to be a mistake.

I shake my head. I can’t think like that.

It’s not a mistake. Regardless of whether or not things between Bram and me will ever go back to normal, this was the right decision. My life is in Evening Shade, now. There’s nothing left for me in Washington.

Everything is going to work out, and I’m going to be happier than I’ve ever been in my life.

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