Her voice went faraway while anxiety clawed beneath the surface of my skin. Like little fire ants going on a crusade. It was muddled by the rush of euphoria that hit.
I felt as if I were being pulled in two different directions.
Split down the middle.
But Mel was right. This was big. Something that had seemed like an impossibility. For years, it had been so far out of reach that it had felt like a fantasy.
Now, the only thing I needed to do was jump.
The one thing standing in my way was finally getting the courage to stand up and hold that bastard accountable.
But what would that do to Richard?
A tremor of fear rolled down my spine.
And what would putting it out in the open do to me?
But I couldn’t go on allowing that man to exist as if nothing had happened.
Dread and belief staged a tug-of-war inside of me.
I could do this.
I could do this for the band.
I could do this for Royce.
Most of all, I could do this for me.
The door banged open.
Rhys and Leif barged in. Rhys tossed his arms into the air as if he were calling a goal.
“Holy shit, baby girl! Did you hear?” He was all burly grins and country twang and dollar signs in his eyes, which was just fine, considering the guy managed to do it without a lick of pretension.
He rushed me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and spun me around.
Joy bounded from him.
“We did it! Fuck yeah!” he shouted. “We did it!”
Then he froze, hugging me too tight. I thought he just then remembered that I’d thrown a wrench into our plans about three months ago.
Stalling.
Digging in my heels.
Freaking out in some small way every time I got on the stage, until it’d all come to a head over a week ago when I’d run from the stage having that anxiety attack.
Slowly, Rhys set me onto my feet, the man holding me on the outside of the arms as if he were offering to stay right there and be my support, though there was no missing the outright dread he wore on his handsome face.
I gave him a reassuring smile, glancing around in time to catch Richard walk through the door.
His green eyes flashed, my brother watching me so carefully, with so much hope, that my heart physically panged.
I knew right then that I was ready.
I looked back to Rhys, who waited with eager apprehension.
“We did it.” The words rushed from my mouth on a wisp. Pride and faith and hope. “I can’t believe it. We did it.”
Rhys hooted and spun me around again.
Laughter bubbled up from my spirit. Spilling out as I dropped my head back and let glee rush free.
The only thing I could feel in that moment was the joy spread out in front of me.
In front of us.
It was only amplified when I felt my brother’s relief pour into the room like a flood.
Leif’s relief.
Melanie’s relief.
It all surged and brimmed and overflowed.
“Yeah, baby!” Rhys shouted. “Carolina George is gonna go down in the record books. Month from now, every person on this planet is gonna know our names.”
My heart went soaring a little higher when I caught sight of Royce slowly making his way in.
In an instant, the man had shifted the air.
Caused my heart to go into overdrive with a glimpse of him.
His strong brow pinched in confusion as his attention bounced around, obviously trying to catch up to the meaning of the scene he was walking in on.
Freshly showered, black hair sleek and damp, the man wearing another one of his suits that made my insides go funny.
I was a puddle at the sight, though he was standing back, tucking his hands into his pants pockets and watching the moment unfold.
Skepticism riding high.
I tried not to wonder why he hadn’t told me this was coming last night.
Warned me.
Prepped me.
Or maybe he just wanted to offer me this moment.
For me to experience it for myself so I could realize how much I truly wanted it.
Because I did.
I did.
Melanie threw her arms around Rhys as he continued to bounce me, my best friend joining in. She hugged us tight as the two of them jumped around, the movement jostling more uncontained laughter out of me.
Leif joined them right before Richard did, too.
The whole group of us hugged so hard that I no longer held onto any questions or fears.
The four of them squeezing so tightly, the reservations and dismay no longer had any space within me.
Support staunch.
When someone knocked at the door, Rhys set me onto my feet, all of us sharing small smiles as we stood in the glow.
Royce opened the door.
A delivery person stood there with a huge bouquet of flowers.
All pinks and purples and golds.
Roses and lilacs and irises.
Royce signed for it and carried it over to the table, his energy invading the space.