Epilogue
Reid
Two Years Later
The hustle and bustle of backstage is a familiar chaos that I breathe deep into my lungs. Stagehands run around, dragging lights and pushing amps that probably should’ve been in place an hour ago but got lost in the shuffle of preparing for the show.
Arun chats with the stage manager. The two of them are huddled over a clipboard as Arun gestures repeatedly to a line on a piece of paper.
The knowledge that he’s here to take care of all the logistics for us is something I never fully appreciated during our career but now am so grateful for. He’s been our biggest cheerleader these last couple of years as we’ve geared up to re-establish ourselves, but on our own terms.
He and Jane together have gone to bat for us over and over again with the label executives whose greedy hands tried to snatch us back up the second they heard the four of us were back in the studio together.
This fifth album, this reunion, this new chapter in our careers, came together on our terms. With only our, and our families, best interests at heart.
A citrusy scent hits my nose a moment before Aspen is in front of me, wrapping her arms around my waist. She smiles up at me, brighter than the stagelights I’m about to step under. “Craft services is awesome! They have an entire cheesecake back there for you guys!”
That would be Walker’s request. I snake one hand through her hair and hold her waist with the other. “A perk of the job.” I grin.
“That’s a hell of a perk. Will there be a spread like that in every city?”
“Yep. It’s in our rider.”
“Well then I’ll be ready to feast when I come out.”
Aspen’s not coming with on the bus for the tour and instead will be flying out to most of the shows. Between the cats and her job at the shelter, she couldn’t take months away. But it’s nice that she’ll still be able to be at most of them.
“Thank you for being here tonight.” The feeling of having her in my arms, the knowledge that at any point during the show, I’ll be able to look to the side and see her standing there, is a balm to my blazing nerves.
Her lashes fan across her cheeks as she blinks up at me. She cups my jaw, gently rubbing her thumb along the stubble. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else in the world tonight.”
She rises on her tiptoes to kiss me, but I duck my head and beat her to it. Her lips part for me, welcoming me home. “Besides,” she says once we break apart, “it’s about damn time I see the Reid Keely in action after all these years of wondering.”
“I think you’ll find I live up to all expectations.”
Her chest rumbles against mine with laughter. “Big talk for a rusty old rockstar.”
“Whatever.” I punctuate my words with a swift slap on her ass.
Her eyes widen and she quickly glances around to see if anyone’s watching, but everyone is wrapped up in their own world right now. “You’re gonna pay for that later.”
I grin at my wife. “I hope so.”
There’s a mischievous glint in her eye as she presses one last quick kiss to my lips.
“I love you. You’re going to kill it. And the kitties are all cheering for you back home, look!
” She pulls up her phone, one of our house cameras shown on it.
This one has a view of our living room, where Macaroni, Midnight, and Boo Bear are all sprawled across the couches.
Midnight and Boo Bear are snuggled in with one another, while Macaroni spreads out his full body length across the black couch.
He knows that one shows his fur the most, so I swear that’s why he always chooses to sit on that one.
Little fucker.
Arun’s voice calls out from my left. “Ten minutes to showtime!” He’s in a new maroon suit for the occasion. “Let’s not be late for the first show back, alright?”
He gives me a pointed look, and I give him an affronted one back. “I’m never the one who’s late!”
He purses his lips. “Mhmm.” With that, he takes off toward our green room.
“Good luck. Save a pick for me, will you?” Aspen winks at me, tapping my pocket where I keep my stash for the show.
“I’ll be sure to toss one your way.”
We kiss again before I stride over to the side of the wings where my favorite blue electric guitar waits for me. The dust has long since been rubbed off on it. Even though it sat stagnant for a couple years, this baby recorded every song on our new album beautifully.
And now, she gets to return to her full glory onstage tonight. I slip it over my shoulder, the weight familiar and soothing.
I look over toward my brothers, and none of them seem to have heard Arun’s warning.
Jane’s massive engagement ring sparkles even under the dim lighting off in the wings.
It seems since Nikolai gave her that a few months ago, that she’s suddenly left-handed.
Even now as she takes a photo of the two of them, she uses her left hand to hold the phone.
When she notices me watching them, she flips me off.
Again, using her left hand.
It’s probably a good thing we’re back in business because I’d be willing to bet their wedding is going to be the biggest of all of ours.
“Why’d my sister just flip you off?” Walker asks as he steps up to my side. A neon green drumstick twirls around his fingers.
“You’re assuming I did something wrong?”
He jabs a playful elbow into my side. “Always.”
I smirk. Scarlett joins Aspen off to the side, the two of them immediately jumping into conversation.
Probably about the shelter or one of the many animals Scar and Walker are fostering at the moment.
Ever since they got back from their honeymoon last year after eloping, they filled their house with more animals than even we have.
Walker says it’s been good for Scar, as well as working on her own music again.
Nikolai leaves Jane to join the girls and strides over to us, his gait calm and cool despite the gravity of the moment we’re about to have. He’s always been good about managing nerves before a performance, though. The perfect picture of a front-man. Ready to show off.
“I think you missed a few buttons.” I point to his open shirt. The material is a pale-golden silk, almost matching the hue of his flowing hair. It hangs open with only the bottom two buttons done up.
I’d bet by the end of the show, it’s off completely.
He flexes his abs. “You know, you guys could’ve dressed up a little more for the occasion.”
Walker shakes his head. “I’m never giving up the cut-offs.”
“What’s wrong with this?” I gesture to my black jeans and leather jacket.
Nikolai scans the two of us with a contemplative look. “We should’ve done some sort of refresh with the new album. New music, new look.”
“You’re dressed exactly the same as you always have,” Walker points out.
“Because it’s a classic look.”
“So is mine.”
“That shirt has a hole in the stomach of it.”
Walker glances down, finds the spot, and simply shrugs. “Whatever. It shows off the guns.” He flexes one of his beefy arms, showing off the bulging muscle.
“Save that for your wife,” I tell him.
A frazzled looking stage-hand approaches us. “You guys go on in five?”
We look at him. “Is that a question or…” I drag out, pinning him with my gaze.
His cheeks turn bright red. “Uh—”
“Thank you,” Nikolai cuts in. “We’re ready.”
He nods quickly and peels off in the opposite direction, talking into the headset over one of his ears.
“Well, glad to see you’re still a dick,” Walker says cheerfully and pats my shoulder. “Hayden, five minutes! Get over here!”
Hayden glances over his shoulder at us, dressed in all black like usual.
He holds up a finger as he turns back to his wife.
He gives Carter a quick kiss before bending down and planting one on her slightly bulged belly.
She’s only four months along and the reason we have a shortened reunion tour for this year before we kick off more shows next year once the baby’s here.
He wants to be home with her leading up to the birth, and with us calling the shots in our career now, we were able to make that happen for the two of them.
“Any time now,” I call out to him, the three of us waiting.
He gives Carter one more kiss before he joins our circle. “You just wait until it’s your turn.”
The thought of that terrifies me as much as it excites me. Seeing Penny become a mother? Something I can only dream of. The idea of me being a father?
Fucking hell.
“That’ll be a sight,” Nikolai chuckles. “Just think of how much he’ll harass the doctors. Poor bastards won’t know what’s coming for them.”
He’s not wrong, but I don’t need to be thinking about future potential children right now. Not as we’re about to step out onstage for the first time together in years.
The gravity of this moment, the culmination of everything that we’ve been through not only in the last two years as we’ve learned how to make music together again and create this new album, finally sinks in.
The air around the four of us grows still, as if even the universe is holding its breath at this moment.
Nikolai holds his arms out to his side. The motion makes my chest seize. It seems to have the same impact on my brothers.
We never thought we’d have this moment again.
And here we are.
Like puzzle pieces falling into place, I step up to Nikolai’s left, Hayden stepping up to his right.
My arm wraps around his shoulder, and Walker steps under my other.
The four of us create our little bubble, like we’ve done since we were teenagers playing in bars.
We huddle close, blocking out everything else except for us.
There’s a few moments of silence as we take it in. The last time we were doing this pre-show huddle, we thought it’d be the last. The anger, the tears, the nostalgia, the disappointment…it was suffocating.
There’s none of that tonight.
Only pride, only excitement, only relief at being back arm in arm, side by side, just how it’s always been meant to be.
Nikolai’s blue eyes shine as he breaks the silence. “Well, here we are.”
“Our fifth album,” Hayden muses. “I never thought it’d happen.”
“I never thought we’d be onstage together again.” Walker swallows thickly, face soft as he looks around our little bubble.
“We’ve come a long way. And this is just the start of a new chapter for us.” Nikolai squeezes my shoulder. “I’m fucking proud of us.”
My throat grows tight as I look at my brothers.
The crowd grows restless, their murmurs traveling all the way back to where we hide in the wings.
I peeked out there earlier as people were arriving.
Even though Arun told us the show is sold out tonight, as well as every other show we currently have on the books for this year, I had to see it with my own eyes.
The fact that people are showing up for us, years after we announced our breakup, and are ready to welcome us with open arms again…
“I’m proud of us, too,” I manage to get out. “It hasn’t been an easy road to get here, but I wouldn’t be here with anyone else besides you three.”
Hayden’s mouth curves into a broad smile, the air around him lighter than I’ve ever seen. So long gone is that dark, haunted gloom he wore like a second skin. “Same here. I only ever want to know what it’s like to share a stage with you guys.”
The other two nod their agreement as the lights dim. The crowd roars from the curtain beyond, an electric buzz traveling through the stadium. Our intro begins playing, a heavy bassline that rattles my ribcage.
Nikolai grins. “Now let’s get out there and show that Whisper Me Nothings is back, and better than fucking ever.”
We break apart and face the stage. Hayden shrugs on his bass, Walker bounces on his toes, drumsticks in hand, and Nikolai smoothes the front of his shirt.
Just before we step out, I take the time to break focus and glance over my shoulder. Just long enough to find her.
Penny stands with the rest of our partners, hands cupped to her chest. Her red hair cascades down her shoulders. Even in the darkness, I can see the glimmer in her eyes. Excitement for me, for what this moment means, pours out of her.
She gives me a small nod, but it’s everything I need in this moment. To see her standing there with my brothers’ partners, all there to support us not only on this new night, but new chapter, means more to me than I’ve ever fucking deserved.
Without her, none of us would be here. I wouldn’t have been able to repair these relationships if it wasn’t for her.
This night, this performance, might be for the fans just as much as it’s for us. But in my mind, it’s all dedicated to her.
I turn back to my brothers.
Walker looks down the line at us. “Ready?”
I push my shoulders back, gearing up to be blinded by the lights. “Let’s fucking do this.”
And together, the four of us as one, we step onstage again.
THE END