Page 123 of Hard Rock Muse

I scanned the pit and saw absolute pandemonium. Shouts of congratulations were almost drowned out by sheer noise as most of the crowd screamed their lungs out with pure delight. I was sure they hadn’t expected this when they’d bought their ticket to a reunion concert for Where Angels Burn.

I wiped the tears from my cheeks, trying to sop up the smeared mascara.

“Sorry, guys,” I said into the microphone, still half giggling. “I think I’m going to be a bit of a mess for the rest of the show.”

“I think that’s allowed, considering the circumstances,” Seth said into his own microphone standing next to his drum set, sounding loud to my ears.

“You dick, you knew and didn’t say anything?” I mock-chided him with a grin.

“I wasn’t going to ruin the surprise!” he said, outraged.

“And here I thought you were a shit liar,” I chuckled.

The audience howled with amusement at our banter.

Clearing my throat and drying my eyes one more time, I planted a kiss on Julian’s cheek, and pushed on his chest.

“Back you go,” I said. “The show must go on.”

He pulled me close and plastered one last passionate kiss on my lips before letting me go and returning to his keyboard with a satisfied grin.

I took in a few shuddering breaths, still overwhelmed. We’d talked about engagement and marriage over the last few months, but it had only been half-formed ideas and vague mentions. I hadn’t expected a thing.

“She’s right, guys,” Julian spoke into the microphone. “The show must go on. So let’s get to it. Here’s our next song.Forever Love, and For Ever, Love.”

Love.

I’d spent so long wondering when and if Julian would say it. Whether hecouldsay it. And here he was, announcing his love for me to the world.

I’d made the promise to myself a thousand times that I would stop thinking about the past and look only toward the future. But it was the past that had shaped me. Shaped us.

Now, whenever I thought of the past, I would only feel grateful. It was because of everything that we’d been through that Julian and I were now able to find our happiness. Not despite our past, but because of it.

I placed my hand on the neck of my guitar and pressed down with my fingers.

I couldn’t wait to see what our future held.

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