ALEX
Bay presses his hands to his eyes.
"Holy shit, there are a hundred thousand people out there."
"Yeah, and they’re all about to see how talented you are."
We’re sitting in this tiny back room together, a little space made of plastic partitions behind the stage.
The concert is outdoors, the whole stage and its backstage area built from portable, foldable pieces, so it’s no surprise that Bay, as the singer performing the intro set, ended up with this miniature closet of a room.
"Don’t rub your face, remember you’ve got makeup on," I murmur as I crouch beside him and pull his fingers away from his cheeks.
Bay’s eyes are lined with eyeliner, which makes him look even sharper and hotter, and his long, dark red hair has bright red and black streaks. He’s wearing a black shirt with a red pattern that echoes his tattoo and black leather pants.
He lifts his gaze to me. I can see how fast he’s breathing, stress level maxed out.
"I don’t know if I’m cut out for this lifestyle. I’d rather upload videos on YouTube and stay safely behind a screen," he mutters, turning his eyes toward his guitar leaning against the wall.
A loud knock hits the door.
"Hey hurry up, we’re on in five," Malik calls, the drummer in Bay’s band.
"We’re coming," Bay calls back.
Then he looks at me and says, "I really don’t want to go out there, Alex. What if I screw up? What if they boo me…"
"Have they ever booed you? Have you ever screwed up?" I grab his hands and squeeze them tight, trying to lock down his attention.
His eyes flick nervously around the walls.
"A hundred thousand people, Alex…"
"Your last video hit a hundred and twenty thousand views. Just imagine it’s the same thing," I say, tilting my head a little and shaking his hands, tapping them, lifting them lightly to loosen him up.
Bay snorts a laugh.
He looks at me for a moment, then says,
"Thanks, Alex. Without you I probably would’ve fallen apart a thousand times by now."
"Hey," I purse my lips playfully, "that’s what husbands are for," and I wink at him.
His eyes spark. He lifts his hands and cups my face gently.
He leans in, and his lips brush mine.
"I love you."
"And I love you."
Another round of knocking rattles the door.
"Bay?"
This time it’s Eric.
Bay stands, goes to the door, and opens it.
"Ready?"
Bay nods.
He gives me one last look, and I purse my lips and send him a kiss through the air. He smirks, grabs his guitar, and heads out.
I hold up both fists with my thumbs tucked inside.
"I believe in you!"
He disappears beyond the doorway.
I head toward the side box, the small area where the performers’ families can watch the show.
Lake and Aiden are already there, having come to see their son perform at such a big concert.
Space is tight, but we squeeze together on a single bench.
From our angle the stage is slightly off to the side, but of course there’s a big screen.
I clasp my hands nervously even though I just reassured Bay. It doesn’t mean I’m not stressed myself. This is a huge moment for his career, a real shot at a breakthrough. Moments later I spot Bay stepping onto the stage, raising his fist in the air.
I know a large group of his fans gathered in one of the sections, and that’s exactly where the screaming and cheering erupts.
Bay waves toward them and walks up to the microphone.
He looks insanely good in that outfit, with his red hair loose and his makeup sharp. It actually makes me feel hot, thinking that he’s mine now, that we’re together forever.
Just the thought of it sends excitement and pure joy through me. I glance at Lake, who’s standing with his hands raised over his head, clapping. I’m tempted to tell him I’m married to his son, but Bay wants to keep it secret for now, so I’m going to respect that.
The music starts. He’s playing one of his best tracks, this powerful song about the darkness everyone has to live in and the very short flashes of light that feel like tiny rest stops on a long road.
The crowd quickly gets swept into the melody, and I can see they’re already reacting well to Bay. He has a beautiful four-octave voice and he knows how to use it.
"They like it, I can feel it," I say to Lake.
"I think you’re right, sweetheart!" he replies with a wide smile.
Bay performs three songs for the intro. All of them land well.
He’s had some stage experience over the past two years, even if not in front of a crowd this size, and I can see him drawing confidence from that.
He starts engaging with the audience, encouraging them to sing along and clap.
Hands are waving, and when the last song ends they send him off with loud applause.
Right after him the main acts take the stage and the crowd gets even more hyped. Well, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Lake, Aiden, and I head backstage, where Bay is standing with Eric and another man.
We wait a moment to let them finish talking, and then Bay comes over to us with a huge smile.
"I just got an offer to play another big concert next month!" he says, excitement written all over him.
"That’s wonderful, Bay," Lake says, wrapping him in a tight hug. "You were amazing!"
"Congratulations, son, you really did great," his father says, giving him a pat on the shoulder. He knows something about these moments. He used to be a boy band star himself.
Finally Bay comes to me and kisses me hard, not caring that his parents are watching.
Then he says goodbye to his parents and Eric, and we head out with his bandmates to celebrate.
◆◆◆
The end of the school year is approaching fast. We’ve got one month left.
But the biggest surprise hits me shortly after Bay’s second concert.
One evening Bay tells me to get in the car with him, and says we’re going to see something interesting. I have no idea what it could be, but of course his words make me excited, because every time he’s said something like this before, it ended in a happy surprise.
On the way we talk about the next few months.
Right at the start of summer, Bay has a two-week tour with one of the bands that performed at Sound Fest.
He’ll be doing their intro set, joining them for their concerts, and the pay is pretty solid.
The only issue is that I can’t join him on that tour, because I’m registered for two chess tournaments scheduled at the same time, both of which I signed up for more than a year ago.
Neither of us is thrilled about it, but life moves the way it moves, and sometimes we’ll have to split up for a while to push our passions forward.
We finally approach our destination. I’m surprised to see we’re entering the neighborhood where the college we chose is located. We circle around it. It’s a beautiful place, surrounded by little parks and groves, on the edge of town, quiet and peaceful.
Then Bay suddenly turns into a small street bordering the campus and… pulls into the driveway of the little house we looked at before.
"What are you doing?" I stare at him wide-eyed.
"Parking in our driveway," Bay grins.
"What are you talking about?"
Bay jumps out of the car, comes around, and opens my door. He reaches out, and when I take his hand he pulls me toward him, then lifts me effortlessly into the air.
"Yep, it’s official. We’ve got our second home right next to the college. It’s going to be amazing."
I can’t believe it. I let out a shout so loud it sends the pigeons walking around in the driveway flying in every direction.
"No way, how did you pull this off?"
The question makes Bay pause for a moment. He sets me back down, takes my hand, and we walk toward the house.
These little single-family houses are built on long, strip-shaped plots. They’re small but cozy, and if you plant a solid hedge or arborvitae, you can create a sense of privacy and seclusion.
We step inside. The house is move-in ready, with basic kitchen equipment and bathroom fixtures already installed. All we’d need is a bed to start living here.
"Holy shit. I can’t believe this. This is amazing, Bay!"
"And the whole neighborhood is monitored," Bay adds. "Two houses down there’s a security booth, so it’s safe here."
The view from the window isn’t great. On both sides, neighboring houses sit just twenty-three feet away, but that’s something greenery can fix. Plant fast-growing bushes, and you’ll change the whole feel of the place.
I look around. The layout is similar to Bay’s tiny house.
The open living room connects to the kitchen, there’s one bedroom and a bathroom. The stairs lead to the second floor, where there are two rooms and another tiny bathroom.
I let out a long breath.
"Thank you, Bay." I turn toward him and look straight into his face.
"You’re going to have to pay this house off, right?"
Silence.
"I know that because of its location it must have cost a fortune…"
Bay frowns slightly, then answers in a vague tone, "Don’t worry about anything. We’re married now, so the house is half yours too. Make yourself at home."
"Bay, I feel like you’re not telling me the truth."
He looks at me, his face strangely calm.
"Please trust me. I talked to Ennio and he agreed to give me a good deal in exchange for helping him with something. I don’t want to talk about the details, but it’s something I can do without any risk."
A chill runs through me.
"So he’s… collecting his debts? He hasn’t come to me yet."
Silence.
A sigh escapes me. "You’re not going to tell me what it is?"
"I will; I don’t want any secrets, but not today. Today I want this to simply be what it is, the joy of a new home, okay?"
I can see how much that matters to him, so I nod.
"I trust you. Bay… you have no idea how much this house means to me, thank you, I was so worried we’d have to commute or end up separated in the dorms, and this is just incredible news."
I pull him close and kiss him hard, pushing thoughts of Ennio aside. I promise myself I’ll press him about it later.
"Can we move in for the summer? To start getting used to the campus?"