Page 122 of Hard Rock Muse

Halfway through our set, after our eighth or so song wound down, the lights dimmed. A spotlight popped up, shining down on Julian. I turned to him, confused. It wasn’t his turn for a solo.

“Hey guys,” he spoke into the microphone perched over his keyboard.

The audience hollered for a full minute straight. He chuckled lightly.

“You excited?” he asked.

The hollering continued.

“Could you do me a favor?” he asked.

“Yes!”the crowd shouted back.

“I’ve got something important to announce, so it’d be great if you could be as silent as I usually am for a few seconds.”

The crowd clapped but didn’t voice any objections.

“What’s going on?” I mouthed to Seth behind his drum set. We hadn’t planned this.

Seth shrugged at me, but he was practically bobbing up and down on his stool. His lips were pressed together in a straight line, but the corners kept on twitching up, as if suppressing a grin.

“Our lovely Everly, my amazing girlfriend and lead singer, has been pretty fucking kick ass tonight, hasn’t she?” Julian asked.

I forced a cocky smirk, even as I tried not to flush.

“I know you guys have heard of our latest single,” Julian said. “It’s a song I wrote myself. I called itForever Love, and For Ever, Love.” Julian said. “But before we launch into it, I need to do one thing first. You guys okay with that?”

“YES!” they all shouted.

Julian left his keyboard and approached me where I stood next to the main mic on it’s stand.

“What are you doing?” I hissed quietly at him.

He gave me that unreadable, mysterious little smile that had first entranced me all those years ago at the music store.

Then I nearly ate my own tongue, eyes bugging out, as Julian got down on one knee. My hands immediately went to my gaping mouth. He held out a small black box, displaying a gorgeous, brilliant diamond ring.

“Holy shit!” I choked out from behind my hands. I heard my own voice, amplified and reverberating throughout the venue through the speakers. “Are you fucking serious?”

Julian laughed out loud, a grin spreading across his face.

“I’m fucking serious,” he repeated. “Ev, will you marry me?”

My mind went blank for a split second, vision turning black. When I came back to myself, I was in Julian’s arms, my mouth fused to his in a furious kiss, tears streaming down my cheeks.

“Is that a yes?” he murmured into my lips.

“Yes,” I said through gasping sobs. “Yes, yes, a million times yes.”

He pulled away long enough to take my trembling hand and put the ring on my finger. Then he clutched our clasped hands to his chest.

“I love you, Ev,” he said softly. “I always have.”

“I love you, too,” I replied, swallowing down tearful laughter.

Julian nodded his chin to the audience.

“I think they’re happy for us,” he said.