Epilogue
Ty
Eighteen Months Later
“Our first guest is the drummer for the multi-platinum rock band, Velvet Shadows, and his biography Long Live The King just became an instant New York Times best-seller. Please welcome, Mr. Eric Ambrose!”
I stare at the screen hanging on the wall backstage, grinning like an idiot as Eric walks out onto the studio stage.
He’s dressed in tight, black jeans that are torn and distressed in all the right places, and a faded heather gray t-shirt, flashing his stunning smile and waving at the screaming crowd before shaking hands with the host and taking a seat.
“Welcome, Eric, it’s great to have you back,” the host says.
“It’s great to be back,” Eric says, as the crowd cheers again and he laughs nervously. Almost twelve years in the spotlight, and he’s still uncomfortable with the attention.
“You are quite a busy man,” the host says, reading down through Velvet Shadows’ recent accomplishments.
“A sold-out stadium tour, back-to-back number one singles, two Grammy awards, your most recent record, Without You, went three times platinum,” the host pauses as the crowd cheers.
“And that’s all with Velvet Shadows, who will perform here a bit later in the show, but then there are all your recent personal accomplishments.
I heard you recently bought a new house with your girlfriend, and, as I mentioned before you came out here, your biography was an instant best-seller. Oh! And you became a father!”
I smile and kiss the top of our baby’s head, who is sleeping peacefully in my arms, as the crowd cheers louder.
“Yeah,” Eric says, letting out a dramatic exhale. “It’s been a wild few years.”
“You guys had a daughter?”
“Yes,” Eric says, grinning wide. “Evelyn. Thankfully, she takes after her mother and is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” The crowd collectively aww’s at Eric’s sweet words, and I blush.
“So how is fatherhood treating you?” The host asks, and Eric beams, sending my heart aflutter.
“It’s the greatest thing ever,” Eric says, a smile still plastered on his lips.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s terrifying, but in the best way.
And I’m so lucky because I get to do all of it with my best friend.
I might have all the Grammys, and the platinum albums, and the sold-out stadium shows, but Tyler’s the real rockstar of the family. ”
“Speaking of your girlfriend,” the host says. “Is it true you guys met when you hired her to write your biography?”
“No,” Eric says, shaking his head. He huffs a laugh and grins, and I recognize that grin.
I know exactly where his mind is right now.
“No, we actually met a few months before that. It’s how I knew she was a writer, and in a desperate attempt to spend more time with her, I, uh, yeah, I hired her on for the project. ”
“She’s here tonight, right?” the host asks.
“Yeah, she’s right backstage there,” Eric confirms, looking over to where we’re standing behind the curtains just off the stage.
“Can we bring her out? I feel like if we’re going to talk about the book she should be out here. Do you think she’ll…will she do that?”
Eric shrugs, and when the host calls my name from the stage, I panic. I turn to Dani (who had enthusiastically accepted our offer to become our nanny), my eyes wide.
“Go,” she says, scooping Evie from my arms to hers. “You wrote the damn thing. You deserve the spotlight, too!” I laugh and follow one of the stagehands through the curtain and out to the stage, my body shaking with nerves the entire way as the crowd cheers.
I wave awkwardly as Eric stands from his chair and wraps me in his arms.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers before stepping back, planting a quick kiss on my lips, and letting me go. He stands aside so I can take the seat he had been occupying nearest the host, and someone hands me a hand-held microphone as Eric takes the seat beside me.
“Tyler, welcome to the show!” the host says. “Sorry, I know this is a little unexpected, but I wanted to talk about the book, and since you wrote it, I figured I might as well have you out here.”
“Hi,” I finally say, shaking so badly you can see the microphone shaking in my hand. Sensing my unease, Eric reaches over and takes my empty hand in his, lacing our fingers together before pressing his lips to the back of my hand. The crowd aww’s again and I smile.
“So, what was it like, spending time with this guy and getting to know him? Someone who had, historically, been a relatively private person.” the host asks. I turn and look at Eric and can’t help the smile that forms across my lips.
Placing the microphone to my mouth, I say, “It was the best.” I squeeze Eric’s hand, and he smiles at me before I turn my attention back to the host. “If you’re lucky enough to know this man, you know what an incredible human he is, and spending time with him, getting to know him, writing his story… it was an absolute honor.”
“And when did you guys fall in love?”
“Immediately,” Eric says without hesitation, and I laugh. “Took her a while to get there, but I finally wore her down.” He pulls my hand to his mouth again, and I look over at him.
“That’s not true,” I say, my eyes fixed on his.
“I loved you from the beginning, too.” The crowd eats it up, awwing once more and sending a few wolf whistles our way.
I turn back to the host before continuing.
“It’s true, but I mean, he’s Eric Ambrose.
And I’m just…well, I’m nothing in comparison.
” I laugh awkwardly and look back over at Eric.
“Are you kidding?” Eric says. “Tyler, you’re everything.” He releases my hand and rises from his chair. The crowd gasps and a few people scream as he lowers himself to one knee, and I drop the microphone I’m holding onto the floor.
“Eric, what are you doing?” I ask as he reaches for my hand. “Holy fuck what are you doing?” I laugh and cover my mouth with my free hand, realizing I just swore on network television.
He grins up at me, tears lining his sapphire eyes as he pulls a small box out of his pocket and holds it in his hand.
“Tyler,” he begins. “When I met you three years ago, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.
I was just this guy, feeling lost and always looking for the next thing—the next city, the next show, the next anything.
I’d thought I’d been out there living my best life, but then you…
” he shakes his head and clears his throat.
“Then you walked into it, and everything changed. I’d realized that before you, the music fell flat, the crowds weren’t as loud, the spotlight didn’t feel as bright, and I knew the only thing that could ever make me happier than living my dream, was living it with you. ”
He pauses, releases my hand, and opens the box, revealing a beautiful, oval cut diamond ring sparkling so brightly in the stage lights that it’s almost blinding.
“I’ve never felt more at peace than I do when I’m with you.
You’ve given me everything I never knew I needed, and it would be my honor to spend the rest of my life by your side as your husband. Tyler Rose Norris, will you marry me?”
It's so quiet in the studio around us that I momentarily forget where we are.
Forget that behind the bright stage lights, a hundred people are staring at us and collectively holding their breath.
Forget that millions more will see this moment in a few hours when it airs.
Forget everything else except the man kneeling in front of me.
“Eric, yes,” I choke out. “Of course. Of course I’ll marry you.”
The crowd cheers and confetti falls from the ceiling as Eric slides the ring onto my finger before taking my face in his hands, kissing me senseless. When we pull apart, we’re both crying.
I look around us and realize that the stage is now filled with everyone we love—our families, the band—the newlyweds Josh and Kate, Max and his wife and kids, and Kevin and his wife and son—and Dani, handing Evie to Eric as he stands.
He reaches a hand to me, and I take it as I stand beside him.
I kiss the top of Evie’s head and look up at Eric, who leans down and kisses me again.
“Congratulations Eric and Tyler!” The host says above the noise. “We’ll be right back!”
The red lights of the cameras fade out, and the host claps Eric on the back.
“Thanks for doing this, man,” Eric says, pulling him into a one-armed hug around Evie’s still sleeping body wrapped in his arms as I wipe the tears from my face, trying desperately not to ruin my makeup.
We spend the next few minutes hugging everyone and listening to their sweet words of congratulations as the stage crew removes the confetti from the floor with giant brooms and prepares the stage for the guys’ performance.
Our families and I watch from backstage as Velvet Shadows performs “Without You.” It’s not their latest single, but no one seems to care.
The crowd is singing every word, and I’m smiling so wide my face hurts as I look down at the ring on my finger and listen to the words that were written just for me.