Epilogue
Annie
Aston and I bought a house halfway between our parents’ manors. We didn’t need anything enormous, but it’s still bigger than most homes, and it suits us perfectly.
We still head over to Mum and Dad’s place to rehearse with Staked, just like we always have. After everything that happened with Loretta, we took a much-needed break, and thankfully, my thumb healed perfectly. It aches a little if I play too long, but nothing that stops me.
Now Staked is back.
And tonight, we’re kicking off our first tour in over two years.
Mum and Dad kept me close for a while after everything, and Aston was just as bad, if not worse, but I understood. So I let them.
Now, standing backstage at Wembley Stadium, that part of my life feels like a distant echo.
The roar of the crowd filters through the walls, already building, already waiting for us.
I glance down at my engagement ring and smile, a familiar shiver running through me as the reality of everything settles in.
We made it.
I look up just as Aston walks toward me, that big, goofy grin on his face, the one that always makes me smile back without even trying. “How insane is this, Lennox?” he asks, nodding toward the stage as the crowd starts cheering louder.
“I forgot how addictive this feeling is,” I admit.
He laughs softly and pulls me into him. I rise onto my toes and kiss him, slow at first, then deeper as he responds, his hand sliding into my hair, drawing me closer. The energy from the crowd hums through my veins, but nothing compares to this, to being here, with him.
He pulls back slowly, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“What?” I ask, breathless.
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “Remember when we were five, under the willow tree, and we promised we’d be best friends forever?”
I laugh softly. “And you saved me from that evil spider.”
“Yeah,” he says, his expression softening. “I think… even back then, I knew. Maybe not how, but I knew you’d always be my person. By thirteen, I knew I was completely gone for you, but if I’m honest?” He shrugs slightly. “I think I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember.”
My heart melts. “You’re such a romantic,” I tease.
“Only with you,” he replies, flexing his tattooed arm. “Don’t ruin my rock star reputation.”
I laugh, my gaze drifting over the ink he’s added over the years, the tribal work along his ribs, the bold design across his chest, the bird on his neck filled with music notes… and my name woven into the one we got together.
He’s breathtaking.
And somehow, he’s mine.
“It took me a bit longer to catch up,” I admit, meeting his eyes again. “But I’m so glad I did.”
He leans in and kisses the tip of my nose. “So… after everything,” he says quietly. “We’re solid now, yeah?”
“Always.”
I kiss him again, harder this time.
A hand smacks my back, breaking us apart, and I groan.
Caleb just grins. “You two can act like an old married couple later. Right now, we’ve got a stage to own.”
I laugh as Aston squeezes my hand.
“Come on,” Caleb adds, gesturing. “Hands in.”
We move into the circle. Ella and Chad are already there, followed by Caleb, Aston, and me. We glance around at each other, the energy buzzing between us, that familiar connection snapping back into place like it never left.
It’s time.
And together, we chant…
The music flows for all to hear.
You cannot help but stop and cheer.
The walls will tremble, shudder, and break,
‘Cause no one can handle the sound of Staked.
One, two, three…
STAKED!
We laugh, throwing our hands into the air, and God, it feels incredible to say those words again after so long.
We’ve got a brand-new album out, and tonight we’re playing that along with all our previous hits to a sold-out stadium.
It doesn’t get better than this.
As we break apart, Aston slips in behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and nuzzling into my ear. “I love you, Annie,” he murmurs, grazing his teeth along my earlobe.
I laugh softly, turning my head to meet his gaze. “I love you too. Now let’s rock it.”
“Let’s move,” Caleb calls, already hyped as we grab our guitars and Chad readies his sticks.
“We’ve got this… Staked forever,” he adds, grinning.
We all laugh, the nerves and adrenaline buzzing between us.
“All right, you’re up,” the stage manager says.
One by one, we head toward the stage, and the moment my foot hits the stairs, the crowd erupts.
The sound slams into me, loud, electric, alive, and I almost forget how intense it feels to be back out here. I wave as I step onto the stage, and when Aston follows, the noise somehow becomes even louder.
My blood is pumping hard, my heart racing, every nerve alive.
This.
This is the high.
The lights flare in deep purple as Chad kicks in the bass drum, the beat reverberating through the stage beneath my feet. I glance at Ella, who’s already smiling out at the crowd, and follow her line of sight to Mum and Dad standing with the rest of our crew.
I hit the first chords of “Don’t Mess With The Best.” Aston joins in, then Ella, and just like that… we’re back.
Exactly where we belong.
Caleb bursts onto the stage, and the crowd loses it completely. Screams echo, hands shoot into the air, and things are already being thrown toward the stage before he even opens his mouth.
“How are we, London?” he shouts. The roar that comes back is deafening. “Get ready to lose your minds,” he grins. “We’re back, and you’re about to be Staked!”
The music surges, and he launches into the lyrics.
I slam into my guitar, the sound vibrating through me, lifting me higher with every note.
I glance out over the crowd and, for a moment, it’s like everything blurs into color and movement, the music flowing, pulsing, alive.
I turn slightly, and Aston is right there behind me, solid and steady, just like he’s always been.
And in that moment, everything aligns.
Music.
Love.
Us.
There’s nothing in the world that compares to this feeling.
Aston is my everything. And standing here, surrounded by the sound, the lights, the people, I finally understand it completely.
I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
With him.
With this life.
With everything I’ve fought for.
I’m loved.
And for the first time without doubt…
I know I’m worthy of it.
I am worthy of him.
But most of all… I am worthy of myself.
And that is the best feeling in the world!