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“Was that your resolution?” Justine asks, her forehead resting against mine.
“Part of it,” I say. “The other part is loving you for . . . shit, I don’t know, Justine. What I do know is I’m not waiting another second to start living a life with you.”
She laughs, tears spilling over. “That’s a hell of a resolution, Quinn James.”
“I mean every word.”
As the countdown to midnight begins around us—ten, nine, eight—I think about everything that had to happen to get us here.
Nola leaving.
The tour.
Finding myself in the music again.
Finding Justine.
Seven, six, five . . .
Sometimes the best things come from the worst moments. Sometimes you have to lose everything to realize what you actually want.
Four, three, two . . .
“I love you,” I whisper against Justine’s ear.
“I love you too,” she whispers back.
One.
The ball drops. Fireworks explode overhead. Confetti falls like snow. And in the middle of Times Square, on national television, with the whole world watching, I kiss the woman I love and know that this—right here, right now—is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
The road to forever led me straight to her.
TWENTY-SIX
Iwake up to my phone buzzing like an angry hornet. The sound cuts through the comfortable hum of the tour bus engine, and for a moment, I’m disoriented. Sunlight streams through the small window of my bunk, and I can hear muffled voices from the lounge area.
Then I remember. Times Square. The kiss. Going public on national television.
Yes!
I grab my phone and immediately regret it. Seventeen missed calls, forty-three text messages, and notifications from every social media app I’ve forgotten I have. The preview screen shows a constant stream of alerts—Instagram, X, TikTok, even LinkedIn, which I didn’t even know could send notifications.
Mom
Sweetie, your father and I saw the show. We’re so happy for you.
Relief floods through me. At least my parents are okay with it.
Peyton
OMG Quinn! Juniper was fussing and I turned on the TV just in time to see you kiss Justine! She stopped crying immediately. I think she approves. Also, Noah says to tell you it’s about damn time.
I scroll through the rest. Friends, family, even some numbers I don’t recognize. There are screenshots of entertainment news headlines, links to articles, and more congratulations than I can count. But it’s the entertainment news alerts not only make me smile but also make my stomach drop. I didn’t think about this side of things. I just wanted everyone to know how I felt about Justine.
“Sinful Distraction’s Quinn James goes public with new romance on New Year’s Eve”
“From heartbreak to happiness: Quinn James’ surprise kiss rocks Times Square”