Page 28

TWENTY-SEVEN

ETHAN

This was the last event and I wouldn’t let what was going on between Andre and me impact the finale of the festival.

Where I wanted to be was at the empty rink firing off a bunch of pucks to clear my head and work out my frustrations.

That would have to wait until morning.

I psyched myself up as if this was a media event for the Riptide. A little autopilot so the audience wouldn’t be impacted by my problems couldn’t hurt. Most of them probably already knew what had gone down, but they didn’t need to see my feelings on display.

“Five minutes to go,” Brent said.

“Thanks.” I glanced at the card with information about the first performers. I’d already memorized this. Brent had also said he’d read me anything I needed him to.

I peeked around the edge of the stage. Festivalgoers packed the park. Blankets and chairs covered the grassy area right in front while others stood around the vendor booths. The vibe was pure happiness.

Directly across the stage on the side where the performers would enter stood Andre. Even from this distance, the tension in his face and shoulders was unmistakable.

He’d tried to apologize earlier, but I hadn’t been able to hear it then. Maybe I never would. The way he’d dismissed me this morning had the sixteen-year-old that still lived inside me crushed and angry.

But I couldn’t think about that now. I had a show to host.

Brent gave me the signal, and I stepped onto the stage. The crowd’s enthusiastic response as the spotlight hit me pushed some of the heaviness from my heart.

“Good evening, Maplewood!” My voice carried through the sound system. “Welcome to the finale of what has been an incredible Pride festival. For those who don’t know me, I’m Ethan Gallagher, and it’s been an honor to be your grand marshal this year.”

More cheers erupted, and despite everything I grinned.

“We’ve got an amazing lineup of talent ready to share songs of pride and songs of love with you tonight. And stick around as we cap off the festival with fireworks.”

I introduced the first band, The Maple Keys, made up of a vocalist, guitarist, and cellist. As I exited the stage, they launched into a gorgeous acoustic version of “I Have Dreamed” from The King & I .

As the melody floated through the evening air, memories of holding Andre close and sharing quiet moments washed over me. Just this morning, everything had seemed possible.

“You’re doing great.” Brent appeared beside me with a bottle of water. “The crowd loves you.”

“Thanks.” I took a grateful sip. “How long until the next intro?”

“About ten minutes. They’ve got three songs.”

I nodded, trying to keep my attention on the music rather than looking toward Andre. It wasn’t easy. Part of me wanted to go to him and enjoy this, just like we had at the dance performance.

The band transitioned into another love song, this one slower, more intimate. Couples in the audience swayed together.

My chest ached at the sight.

Would Andre and I ever have that? Or had this morning proven that some patterns were too deeply ingrained?

The evening progressed with a steady stream of beautiful music. Each time I stepped onto the stage, I transformed into the upbeat host. Between sets, I watched the crowd, drawn to the joy radiating from familiar faces.

Tommy and Milo slow-danced. They’d found something special.

My moms swayed together to a cover of “In Your Eyes,” which I could imagine them listening to when they first got together.

Mom’s head rested on Momma’s shoulder. They caught me watching and waved, their concern written across their faces.

I gave them a reassuring nod, though I knew they wouldn’t buy it.

“Next act in three minutes,” Brent said, appearing at my elbow.

I nodded, grateful for the distraction.

As I waited for my cue, I found my friends in the crowd. Caleb and Aaron shared a blanket, and Aaron was feeding Caleb bites of something from a Special Blend bag.

Nick and Shawn sat nearby, their heads bent together as they talked, probably discussing how a scene would work in Shawn’s next book. Kyle had his arm around Austin as they enjoyed the music. Miles and Cole, and Jason and Bellamy were dancing off to the side.

Everyone seemed to be paired up, sharing this romantic evening under the stars.

I’d planned to tell Andre, at some point tonight, that I was falling for him. I’d even considered using the L word. The parade debacle had blown all that up.

When I stepped back into the wings after the next intro, I stole a glance at the spot I’d been avoiding.

Andre was watching the performance, his body rigid with tension. Our gazes met briefly before I looked away. The hurt and regret in his expression made it hard to breathe. He looked as miserable as I felt.

The band started another song. Each lyric about second chances and forgiveness seemed aimed directly at me. I wanted to believe people could change, that the Andre I’d gotten to know over the past few days was who he truly was. But this morning had shown how quickly old patterns could resurface.

The sky had darkened. Pride-colored lights created a warm glow throughout the park. Soon it would be time for the fireworks, the grand finale of the weekend.

I should have been ready to hang out with Andre once our festival responsibilities were done.

Instead, I was caught between what my heart wanted and what my head warned me about.

“Ready for the fireworks?” Brent asked.

I nodded, mentally running through my last announcement of the night. The band finished their set with a flourish, and I stepped out one last time.

“What an amazing evening!” The crowd’s energy remained high. “Give it up one more time for all of our performers.”

Everyone came back on stage, and I moved to the rear to give them room to take their bows.

My voice caught as I continued. “This weekend showed why Maplewood is so special. We’re a community that celebrates love, that supports each other, that makes space for everyone to be authentically themselves.

It’s been our pleasure to share this with everyone who visited this weekend, whether it was in person or through the live stream. ”

The audience cheered, several of them waving Pride flags high in the air, including a couple of oversized ones. The sight took my breath away.

“So, are you ready?” I looked over to Brent, who gave me the nod that the fireworks team was ready. “Let’s turn off the lights and look to the skies. Enjoy the show!”

As I left the stage, the first firework exploded overhead. The crowd gasped in appreciation.

Under different circumstances, I might have sought out Andre so we could enjoy the show together. Instead, I thanked Brent and said good night before leaving to join my friends in the audience. We’d all planned to go to Red’s after the show as a thank you for spending the weekend here.

Making my way through the crowd, I nodded and waved at various people. My moms pointed to the sky, talking about the patterns in the fireworks just like they had every year since I was little. I stopped and hugged them but didn’t stay long enough for them to ask how I was doing.

As I approached the cluster of hockey players, Dix pulled Oscar close for a kiss as golden sparkles painted the sky.

“How are you doing?” Caleb asked.

I shrugged. “I’m okay, I guess.”

“We still on for Red’s?” His concern was evident, making it clear it was okay if I said no.

I hesitated, torn between escaping to home and being with these people I loved. “Yes, we’re still on, though I can’t promise to be good company.”

“Then let us be good company for you.” He squeezed my shoulder.

The short walk to Red’s allowed me to decompress. After the warmth of the stage lights, the air was cool and refreshing. The streets buzzed with jubilant people.

I’d pushed far beyond my comfort zone to take part as much as I had. And I had one person to thank for that nudge.

We brought a capacity crowd to Red’s, so we divided ourselves up between the counter, booths, and tables in the back. Joe and Mickey were awesome staying open late and hosting us.

Liam pulled me aside before I sat down. He wrapped me in a tight hug and clapped me on the back. “You okay?” he asked quietly.

“Hanging in.”

“Good. If you need anything…”

I nodded into his shoulder and he let me go with another back slap.

“Have a seat, everyone,” Mickey said, loud enough to quiet the chatter for a moment. “We’ve got appetizers coming and we’ll be around to take orders for drinks and food shortly.”

I’d parked myself at the counter so I could swivel and see everyone.

“You missed lunch, right?” Mickey stood in front of me.

I shrugged. “You caught me.”

He set a burger, fries, and a 27 in front of me. “I’m going to leave this right here.”

The first bite of the burger, chased with a drink from the shake, was exactly what I needed.

“You know, Ethan,” Kyle said, his tone casual but purposeful, “you and Andre remind me of when Austin and I first started dating.” He glanced at his boyfriend, who nodded encouragingly. “We almost didn’t make it.”

That caught my attention. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Kyle stirred his ginger ale with a straw. “I had a streak like Andre. I’m a stickler for punctuality, keeping commitments. And Austin…”

“Was a workaholic who had trouble being on time,” Austin finished. “We had several blowups over it.”

“And I got traded in the middle of all of it, which didn’t help.”

“What changed?” I asked, though I sensed why they were sharing this story.

“We talked. A lot.” Kyle made it sound so simple. “Not just about that specific issue, but about why it bothered each of us so much.”

“Communication is key in any relationship.” Shawn offered his perspective as an author of many happily ever afters. “But so is timing. Sometimes you need space to process.”

I ate a fry, considering their words. “What if you’re not sure you can trust things will be different?”

“That’s valid,” Nick said quietly. “But you also have to ask yourself if what you could have is worth the risk.”

That question hit home.

“I was going to tell him I was falling for him.” I stared into my shake glass, unable to meet anyone’s eyes. “This morning, everything felt so right. And now…”

“Now you know you both have things to work on,” Cole said gently. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

“I guess I need that space that Shawn mentioned,” I said finally. “Figure out if I’m ready to take the leap. Any chance you can script it all out for me?” I looked in his direction.

Shawn chuckled.

“Maybe you can make this story the basis of your next movie?” Nick raised his eyebrows at Shawn.

“Next movie?” This was news to me. “There’s a first?”

“Yeah, I got to announce it at the book event on Friday. A Christmas movie I wrote got picked up and goes into production in a few weeks. It’s actually shooting outside of Seattle, so I’ll be there for a couple of weeks.”

“That’s very cool. Congrats.”

“Thanks. I’m looking forward to seeing it come to life.” He gave me a sympathetic look. “As for you and Andre, given what I’ve seen of him today, he wants to talk too. If it was really over, I don’t think you two would look so miserable.”

My friends nodded and voiced their agreement.

The conversation shifted to lighter topics—plans for the rest of the summer, things they wanted to do when they returned for their coaching stints.

As things wound down and people started heading out, Liam dropped onto the stool next to mine.

“You glad you came out?” he asked.

I nodded, surprising myself by meaning it. “Yeah. I didn’t need to just go home and brood.”

“That’s what friends are for.” He pulled me into a quick hug. “You know where to find me if you need to talk.” Liam headed out the door. “See you in the morning.”

As I took a sip from my second shake of the night, an idea formed on something I could do to apologize for my silence.