26. Dawn
Chapter 26
Dawn
S nowflakes stung my face as we huddled together, waiting for the bus to take us to Calgary. The residents, my sister, and Willow stood by my side, all of us bundled up in our thick winter coats. The air was biting, the temperature dropping fast as Christmas loomed just around the corner, making way for the harsh Canadian winter.
“God, how long is this going to take?” Willow groaned, tugging her beanie down so only her eyes peeked out. We were all stomping our feet, trying to shake off the biting cold. We’d arrived at the bus station around five in the morning, suitcases and tickets in hand, already freezing.
“Well, it was supposed to be here…” Billie checked her phone, her voice trailing off. “Thirty-five minutes ago.”
“Did we miss the bus?” Ben asked, his shoulders hunched as he tried to shield his neck from the cold.
I fumbled for the tickets, checking the time stamps. We’d made sure to arrive early, choosing the right station and planning ahead so we wouldn’t miss it. “It’s probably the snow,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Maybe it got stuck somewhere.”
Everyone turned to look at me, eyes full of expectation—waiting for an answer I didn’t have. It had seemed like such a good idea when I’d planned the trip to go see Nash at his first concert of the new tour. But now, with my fingers turning numb and my family looking like frozen snowmen, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d made a huge mistake.
Anxious energy surged through me, the first cold sweats creeping under my skin. I forced myself to breathe, refusing to let the stress take over. “We still have time,” I reassured them, trying to sound confident. “The show is starting in fourteen hours. We won’t be late.”
“We will if we have to walk there. It’s seventy-four hours on foot,” Simon remarked dryly, shifting from one foot to the other.
Just as the discouragement began to settle in, headlights pierced the darkness, blinding us. A collective sigh of relief swept through the group.
The bus had arrived.
We filed on, our suitcases stowed away in the luggage compartment beneath us. We took our seats at the back of the bus, settling in for the long journey. Ben and Clara were chatting in their seats, their voices blending with the hum of the engine. Billie and Simon had their headphones in, lost in their music. Willow and I sat just behind them, her vanilla coffee clutched in her hands as she tried to warm herself.
The low hum of the engine soothed my nerves. We were doing it—we were finally on our way to see Nash. I hadn’t thought much beyond that. What would happen once we got to the arena? I had no idea. But what I did know was that I couldn’t keep going without answers. I needed to know if Nash still thought about me. If he was still serious about his music. If I still meant anything to him. The questions had been haunting me for months, and I’d let my mind spin every possible scenario—some catastrophic, others like daydreams.
I had convinced myself this trip would be a good way to spend time with my family, especially before Billie left for the city with her boyfriend. Plus, we could finally afford this kind of trip, thanks to the money raised by the Skyline Acres foundation.
“Want some?” Willow broke me from my thoughts, offering half of her breakfast bar.
“Thanks,” I murmured, taking it as my stomach growled in protest. I hadn’t slept at all the night before and barely touched my dinner, too tangled up in stress and endless thoughts.
Hours passed as we rode on, the snow falling harder with each kilometer. The windows fogged, and the highway outside blurred into a snowstorm. Through the front windshield, the snowflakes looked like streaks of light, a dizzying blur that reminded me of warp speed from Star Trek.
“Damnit,” the driver suddenly shouted, his voice filled with panic. Before we could process it, the bus swerved violently. We slid left and right across the icy highway as the driver struggled to regain control.
Everyone fell silent, holding on for dear life. It felt as though even the smallest sound might make the situation worse.
And then it hit me—why hadn’t I just DM’d Nash on social media? Why did I insist on doing this the hard way? I wanted an adventure, a surprise. Too scared of words on a screen. It was always easier to talk face to face… if we could make it out of this alive.
The bus continued to slide, slower and slower, until it finally slid off the road and into a snowbank. The lights flickered before going dark.
“Probably seventy hours on foot from here,” Simon said calmly, his voice cutting through the chaos of shouting passengers.
* * *
The bus finally got pulled out of the snowbank a few hours later, but the storm didn’t let up. Snow continued to fall heavily, coating the roads in a thick blanket of white. The mid-day sun struggled to break through the dark, swirling clouds above, casting an eerie glow over the highway. We were still hours away from the arena, and time was ticking down before Rebel Rose’s performance.
My leg bounced uncontrollably as I stared out the window, the cold gnawing at my nerves. I couldn’t stop chewing on my nails.
“Will you eat your fingers next?” Willow asked, not even glancing up from the silly videos on her phone.
“Oh, cut me some slack,” I shot back, my words rushing out. “I planned this entire trip to declare my love to a guy I haven’t seen since the summer. For all I know, he could be in LA, dating some model right now.” The words were out before I could stop them.
Willow glanced at me from under her eyebrows, skepticism in her gaze. “You seriously think Nash is off frolicking with another girl? The man practically begged you to let him in, Dawn.”
I wanted to argue, but she was right. I’d shut that door so fast, I didn’t even realize I’d broken my own heart in the process. Maybe it was time to make up for that. To put on my big girl pants, silence the doubts, and finally do something for me.
“So, are you going to declare your love Romeo and Juliet style?” Willow teased, her eyes back on her phone.
“You know, I haven’t really thought that far,” I admitted. Honestly, it would be so much easier if Nash would just show up on his white horse, sweep me off my feet, and ride off into the sunset. His strong arms around me, his deep voice whispering teasing remarks in my ear...
“I’m thinking more Love Actually,” Billie said, turning to us with excitement. “You know, the big love declaration with huge signs at his concert. It would be perfect!” Her eyes sparkled as she added, “Can you believe Nash Rhodes is going to be my brother-in-law?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Calm down. I don’t even know if he still wants me in his life.” The girls exchanged knowing looks, their gazes lingering on me for a moment before they turned back to their seats.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the bus came to a screeching halt. We’d fallen far behind schedule, but there was no time to waste. I grabbed the crew and rushed us toward the luggage area, overtaking everyone else still waiting in line.
We dashed toward the hotel next door, which, while not the fanciest, would do for one night. We dropped our luggage on the floor of our room, and Ben and Clara immediately began looking for the signs they had prepared back home. The girls and I changed into something more show-appropriate while Simon, content as ever, settled on one of the beds to watch a documentary about newly discovered insects in French caves.
My golden watch flashed with urgency—if we didn’t leave now, we’d be late. “Come on, guys! We need to go!” I yelled, ushering everyone out the door as I dialed for a taxi.
The snow had stopped, but the roads were still slick and treacherous. My heels were already soaked from standing outside for just a few minutes.
“Wow, look at that!” Clara shouted, pointing toward a massive Christmas tree on the rooftop of a nearby building. The streets were lined with shops and restaurants adorned in colorful garlands of lights. It looked like something out of a Christmas movie—magical.
The taxi was predictably late due to the snow, and traffic was crawling toward the Saddledome arena. But after what felt like months of waiting, we finally made it. Safe and sound. Excitement buzzed through the air as we walked inside the arena, trying to find our seats.
“Oh my god, we’re here!” Clara yelled, her eyes wide with disbelief as she pointed to a row of seats just beside the stage. We were so close that we could almost reach out and touch the bright lights illuminating the stage.
We settled into our seats just as the lights went down, plunging the arena into darkness. The crowd erupted in a deafening roar, chanting and screaming in anticipation for Rebel Rose. The energy in the air was electric.
A steady beat of drums reverberated through the arena, timed perfectly with flashing white lights. The anticipation was at a peak. Two more drum hits, and the unmistakable strum of a guitar rang out, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Some fans were already standing, jumping in excitement, while others filmed the moment on their phones.
And then, the curtain fell.
There he was. Tall, strong, and impossibly handsome. His hair fluttered in the air as he tilted his head back, playing the first chords of the song. My hands were clammy, my mouth dry, and my heart was pounding in my chest, so fast I thought it might burst. It felt like my heart was about to jump from my chest and land on the stage right in front of Nash.
“Welcome, Calgary!” Easton shouted to the crowd, his voice cutting through the noise. Nash stepped up to the mic next, his footsteps slow but confident. He gave the audience a smile that made my knees weak, and I froze in place.
As he started to sing, a wave of warmth washed over me, a comfort I hadn’t felt in months. It was the kind of reassurance only his deep, soulful voice could bring.
I closed my eyes, letting myself get lost in the music, imagining that Nash was singing just for me.