Chapter 29 #2
He shrugged. “You can’t help someone who doesn’t want it. You fought for it.”
I let out a shaky laugh. “And then some.”
“I’m proud of you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. “Ah, fuck,” I muttered, the words cracking under the weight of everything. “Thanks, Sam. Really…thanks.”
He gave me a moment. Sat there quietly, that soft smile still in place, while I pulled myself back together.
A year ago, I would’ve taken that silence as proof I wasn’t worth the air in the room. But now? Now the quiet felt earned. Like something solid I could lean on.
The breeze from the open window stirred the curtain. It carried salt and sun, and I let it fill my lungs. My chest felt light—almost unfamiliar in its ease.
But I smiled through it this time.
Because I felt it.
Something had shifted.
I had.
Friday came—and with it, the show.
The crowd kept growing, and even though it did a number on my nerves, I was insanely excited. Pax told me we’d sold out the day they posted about it.
Samuel and I had gone over that in our last session this week—how to use my new tools when the big emotions hit.
He’d even suggested meditating before the show.
So I came in a little earlier, got ready, and then sat on the floor next to Pax, letting him guide me through it.
It probably wasn’t perfect, but I’d figure it out eventually.
We’d also agreed to go to a meeting the day after every show—to keep ourselves grounded.
Atty stood front and center again, and through every song, I kept my eyes on him.
He was my focal point. Singing to him made it easier—not for the crowd, but for us.
Still, the energy in the room was electric.
Unmatched. And when we finished, I found myself pressed against a wall, getting the freaking life kissed out of me. Again.
The crowd’s roar still rang in my ears, but it all dulled the second Atty’s mouth found mine. My pulse was jackhammering. I was sweating through my shirt. Everything was heat and static and the feeling of his lips moving against mine like I was something he’d craved all night.
“We’re going back to your place, right?” I asked as he trailed kisses down my neck.
“Whatever you want.” His words were hot and ragged against my skin. “I just want you.”
He kissed me again, and I tangled my fingers in his hair, driving all the leftover adrenaline into the kiss.
I barely noticed the footsteps until the sound of Ezra clearing his throat cut in like a splash of cold water. I didn’t pull away so much as surface. Breathing hard. Half-drunk on Atty’s mouth.
“Got a minute?” he asked.
I groaned, frustrated. “Why do people keep interrupting us? Do we look like we want company?”
“No, you do not,” Ezra said, clearly amused. “But Paxton’s freaking out, and he needs you.”
I sighed, pulling away from Atty. “Is it a good freak-out?”
“Looks like it,” Ezra said with a shrug.
Atty kissed my cheek. “I’ll meet you there—I’m hitting the bathroom real quick.”
“Need a hand?” I teased.
He winked and walked off, and my eyes dipped automatically, appreciating how well his jeans fit.
“Are you done with the eye-fucking?” Ezra’s sarcastic drawl snapped me back.
“I’m locking you out of the house if you keep being a cockblock.”
“Please. That’s all you two ever do anyway. The results came in, and the wall thickness in your house is subpar.”
“We’re staying at Atty’s tonight anyway.” I ignored the flush crawling up my neck. Was I embarrassed? Yes. Was that going to stop me from loudly enjoying the love of my life? No. Not a chance in hell.
“Poor Col,” Ezra sighed. “It’s nice, by the way.”
“Hearing us fuck?”
He barked out a laugh. “No, you idiot. Seeing you two together. You really found it, didn’t you?”
I smiled. “True love?”
“Yeah. And you didn’t fuck it up! Congrats on that—for now,” he added with a smirk.
I knew him well enough to recognize the joke. Mostly. “You know I totally grew on you, Tate.”
“The house by the beach grew on me.” He tried, but failed to hide a smile. “Also, you’re not terrible at giving out advice.”
“I helped?” I asked with a grin.
“Yeah, you might have helped. A tiny bit.”
We reached the door and found Paxton sitting on a chair, paper-white, with Jaden fanning him and Brice massaging his shoulders.
I laughed. “What the hell happened?”
Paxton looked up, mumbling something.
I stepped closer. “What?”
“They want to sign us,” he said, barely above a whisper.
“What? Who?”
Paxton stood, gripping my shoulders. “A scout from a record label. Someone told them about us. He came, he watched, and now they want a meeting. They’re interested in signing us.”
My brain stalled. “What does that mean?”
“What do you mean, what does that mean?”
“I don’t know, man. Nobody from a record label has ever offered to sign me. I don’t know what the fuck that means.” I was starting to catch his panic.
“Haven’t you ever seen a movie?” Brice asked.
Jaden shot a defensive look at Brice on my behalf. “That’s not fair. I bet Noah’s seen a bunch of movies—but not a record-label-signing one.”
“It’s big!” Paxton said, giving me a little shake. “A label heard about us. They saw us live. And they liked it, Noah. They liked it enough to set up a meeting. This could mean a deal. An album. Concerts. The works.”
My head spun trying to catch up. For half a second, I wasn’t in the room anymore. I was fifteen, releasing all of my anger on my kit. What in the actual fuck?
“Tours!” Brice added.
Wait.
“I’m going to school full-time,” I said quickly. “I can’t go on a tour.”
“This is once in a lifetime, man. School can wait,” Brice argued.
Paxton’s face fell, excitement melting into panic. Probably mirroring my own. Because yeah, this sounded amazing, and I knew this kind of thing didn’t just happen, and I fucking loved it here…but tours also meant—
The door creaked open.
We all turned as Atty walked in.
His gorgeous, shy smile was firmly in place. “What’d I miss?”
Fuck.