Epilogue
”Has anyone seen Aurora?” I asked.
”Not for a while,” Freya said. ”She went to the bathroom and hasn”t come back out.”
”But we”re on in”—I checked my phone—”13 minutes.”
Charlotte nudged my arm. ”I”m sure she”ll be here.”
”Of course, she will,” Viola said, practicing some last fingerings on her cello. ”Unless she ran away with a member of the band.”
”Or the stage crew,” Freya put in.
”Why would she do that?” I asked.
”Look around. There are some beautiful people back here.”
I could see what she meant. Backstage at a HERS show was nothing to scoff at. Besides the members of the band, who were each undeniably attractive in their own way, I saw a lot of important looking people floating around. The glitz and glamor of a real concert surrounded us on all sides. But I didn”t think Aurora would bail. Not for a second.
”Aurora would never hang us out to dry like that,” I said.
”She might.” Viola shook her head when I looked at her. ”Can”t you hear that crowd out there? You have to admit, Scarlett. That”s slightly terror-inducing.”
As the lights flickered and a member of the crew walked across the stage to check the amps then waved at the crowd, the volume level rose considerably. I felt some fear, yes. But for the most part, the sound of all those voices made me smile.
”It”s amazing,” I said. ”I never thought we”d play at an event like this.”
Charlotte shrugged. ”Guess we have Sam to thank for that.”
”And ourselves,” Freya added. ”There”s no way they would”ve accepted us, nepotism or not, if we weren”t at least passably good.”
”You”re right, Freya. And we”re better than that.” I gave her a nod. ”The Kent cousins are freaking incredible.”
Aurora came up to me then and stepped in close.
”I don”t think I can do this,” she whispered, eyes locked on what little we could see of the crowd from backstage.
”You can, Ror,” I said, turning her to face me. ”Don”t be scared. We”ll all be out there with you.”
”Yeah, but—”
”We”re playing the same set we”ve worked on for months. It”ll be a piece of cake.”
Aurora still didn”t look convinced.
So, I decided to try and distract her.
”Did I tell you the festival I organized went well?” I asked.
”No,” she murmured. ”How much did you raise?”
”A fair amount.”
Charlotte scoffed. ”She”s being modest. I heard it was at least double what Chariot High raised in any previous year.”
Triple.
But I didn”t correct her.
”People didn”t know we could do that either, but look how that turned out,” I said.
”You did that, Scar,” she said.
”I had a whole bunch of people helping me.”
I thought of Sam, and how whenever I”d had any doubts, he demolished them. I hoped to do that same thing for my cousin.
”Listen,” I said and stepped in front of her, blocking out her view of the audience. ”You are strong. You are talented. You are brave, and you can do this.”
Aurora blinked. ”What makes you so sure?”
”Because when you play, there”s absolutely no fear in you.”
She stood a little straighter.
”And even if there is, you conquer it every single time.”
I nodded.
”The best part is, Ror, you don”t have to do this alone. We love you, and we”re doing this amazing thing together, and we”ve got your back.”
”Wow,” she said with a smile. ”You”re really good at that.”
”I think I might cry,” Freya put in.
”I”m feeling a little weepy myself,” Viola added.
”If I ever need a motivational speaker,” Charlotte said, ”you”re hired.”
Making sure my voice was flat as a pancake, I said, ”I also provide heavy sarcasm and free hugs.”
”Did someone say free hugs?” Sam said.
Turning, I walked over to him, knowing that my cousins were all good to go.
”Are those for everyone or…?”
”No. Only for people I love the most,” I said, putting my arms around his shoulders. I squeaked a second later when he lifted me off my feet, spinning me around once, before placing me back on the ground. ”What was that?”
Sam gave me a shrug. ”I just missed you.”
Oh my heart.
”And I fully intend on taking you to a party after this so we can cross the last remaining item off your list.”
”Sounds good,” I said.
”Also, I wanted to solidify my place now before my girlfriend gets famous.”
Laughing, I gently shoved his arm. ”You know my feelings for you are solid, Bishop.”
”Are they, Kent?”
”Yes.”
Sam grinned, and unable to help myself, I put a hand against his cheek.
”Even if they weren”t, I still love Betty and Bennet too much to forget about them once my cousins and I are a household name.”
”Replaced by the twins,” he said, feigning a wounded expression.
”Speaking of which, did you tell Betty that I”m still coming to her dance recital tomorrow?”
”I did.”
The flowers I”d ordered from Mrs. Lee”s Flower Shop should be ready by then. I didn”t want to show up empty-handed, and I just knew. Betty was going to be brilliant onstage.
”I”m supposed to tell you she reserved a seat for you in the front row, center,” Sam added.
I tilted my head. ”I usually stay in the back, but whatever makes Betty happy sounds good to me.”
”She just wants you there.” Sam bit his lip and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. ”Pretty sure she”s more excited about you being there than me.”
”No way,” I said.
”Bennet has also requested your presence at his Boy Scouts ceremony.”
”Okay. When is that?”
”Right before spring break.”
I lifted a brow at him. ”You think we”ll still be together then?”
Sam”s gaze narrowed. ”I don”t know. Do you?”
”Hmmm, we”ll see,” I said airily. ”But no matter what, I”ll definitely show up for Bennet.”
His answering frown made me want to laugh.
”The twins are my favorite, after all.”
Looking away from him, I noticed a guy standing in the shadows. He was so quiet he just blended right in. The serious look on his face was anything but friendly.
”Hey,” I said, ”who”s that?”
Sam looked over and shrugged. ”That”s Ryker”s younger brother, Felix.”
”The Felix?”
”I thought I was the only person who got the ”the” before their name.”
”That was a mouthful,” I said.
”It was. And yeah, that”s him.”
I nodded, taking in more of his features now that I knew he was there. ”He”s the one who judged our kisses before.”
Sam looked like he was biting back a smile.
”Your friend gave us a two, if I remember right—which I always do,” I said.
”Yep.”
Following Felix”s intense gaze, I landed on…
”Why is he staring at Aurora like that?” I asked with a frown.
”Don”t know. Maybe he likes her,” Sam said.
”Funny way of showing it.”
”Glaring is Felix”s version of a smile.”
”Huh.”
As I watched, Aurora laughed at something Viola said, and Felix”s stare never wavered. She went to pick up her violin, nearly tripped, and that was the only time I saw him move. It was small, infinitesimal, but he came off the wall ever so slightly, looking like he”d rush over there if she hit the ground. But a second later, Aurora righted herself, and he went back to leaning broodily against the cement.
”He”s staring pretty hard,” I commented. ”If Aurora knew, she”d freak.”
”Why?” he asked.
”Because she doesn”t like good-looking guys.”
”Oh, so she prefers the ugly ones?”
”No, but…” I laughed as I looked back to him. ”Ror doesn”t like being looked at. Especially by guys like that.”
”Good-looking ones,” he repeated.
I stared up into his ocean eyes and wanted to sigh. ”Some people go for that type.”
”Do you?”
”Not really. My boyfriend is so stunning. I hardly notice other guys if I”m being honest.”
”Scarlett,” Charlotte called. ”They”re almost ready for us.”
”Be right there,” I replied then turned back to Sam.
His grin was back full force.
”Will you wish me good luck?”
”You don”t need it,” he said then leaned forward. ”But good luck anyway.”
”Thanks,” I breathed. ”Hey, Sam?”
”Yeah?”
”I lied before.”
He gave me a questioning look.
”You are my favorite. You always have been,” I said.
It was like watching a sunrise, seeing the bright look break over his features. The most beautiful smile rested on his lips.
”I love you too, Scarlett,” he said. His voice was tender and raw and all the best things rolled into one. ”I always have. Always will.”
”I love you, Sam.”
The kiss we shared almost made me late to my first ever professional show.
But it was worth it.
Sam Bishop was worth it.
My first fake boyfriend and my first real one. He was more than that too, but I wasn”t sure there were enough notebooks in the world to write it all down.
I was so thankful my list brought us together.
And I couldn”t wait to share so many other firsts, seconds, thirds, and all the times ever after with my best friend.
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