Benefit to Love – By Kelly Violet #4
The universe had other plans, though, and I felt more than blessed.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Wyn and Rafe had a hand in us getting together.
How else would Colt find my address in Long Beach?
He showed up last winter with the intention of sweeping me off my feet.
Even though I tried my best to ignore the way he made my heart flutter, it was no use.
I’d fallen head over heels for the stoic frontman, and that fact hadn’t changed with thousands of miles between us.
Now, we were finally here. Together. Stronger than ever.
We headed straight to the restaurant and got seated immediately.
Just as our dishes arrived, we saw Wyn, Rafe, Doug, and Berto enter the dining area.
The couple was seated at a table like us while Berto and Doug opted to sit at the bar.
Dinner was low-key but delicious. We decided on one glass of wine each since it was still early.
Plus, our group had already planned to sleep in and leave closer to the hotel’s check-out time in the late morning.
After finishing our meals, Colt and I said goodnight to our friends and went to our room.
I hopped in the shower first. Twenty minutes later, I left the bathroom door open to air out some of the steam.
Ready to chill, I was in a tank top and shorts pajamas set.
I turned on the TV and channel surfed for a while waiting for Colt to finish his turn in the shower.
The plan was to reach Los Angeles in the wee hours of the morning the day after next.
I couldn’t be more excited. Colt had booked a house instead of hotel rooms so that we could spread out but also extend our stay a bit.
Since Doug still had family in SoCal, he planned to spend a few days visiting them before we’d make the drive home to Indiana.
And who knew what Berto would get up to after their turn on stage.
That man never had a problem finding some kind of trouble or bed partner.
I wasn’t sure exactly what Wyn and Rafe planned to do, but I wouldn’t be surprised if my bestie tricked her man into taking her to Disneyland for a day.
She’d threatened me enough with the idea of visiting the beloved theme park when I’d lived nearby, but we never managed to find a time for her to fly out.
With my thoughts on what to do during our free days in SoCal, the sounds of Colt finishing up in the bathroom weren’t on my radar until the door opened.
“What’s got that serious look on your face, baby?” He immediately joined me in bed, pulling me into his side.
“Nothing really. Just thinking about what we should do once the concert is over.”
“Whatever you want,” he said. I turned and lifted my face to give him a look of exasperation. “What? I’m serious.”
“Oh, I know, but this is your trip.” Obviously, I wanted to head down to Long Beach to visit the aquarium where I’d worked for several months. Other than that, just being with Colt and hanging out with our friends was enough for me.
“It’s our trip. We can spend it however we want. How about we play things by ear?”
“Sure. I guess I can get behind that plan.”
“Good. Now that that’s settled, I’d like to get behind you.” The silly statement had me giggling as he pounced, attacking my sides with his nimble fingers. It didn’t take long before our laughter died down and the air grew thick with want.
The second Colt leaned down to claim my lips, I knew we weren’t getting to sleep anytime soon, and that was perfectly okay with me.
RAFE
The day of the benefit concert had finally arrived. We were at the venue, and the energy around the place was nothing short of electric. Surrounded by music and all-around good vibes, jitters filled my chest as staff and other performers moved about the outdoor backstage area.
I stood around with my bandmates as we waited for our time slot.
We’d gotten to shoot the shit with Devil’s Tea for a few minutes before they went off to watch the show from a designated area.
Their set wasn’t for another few hours. Going on tour with them was a highlight of my music career to date.
I never imagined myself getting here. To this point.
Especially not this quickly. But auditioning for and then signing on with Blue had been one of the best decisions of my life—on multiple levels.
Out of all the recent changes, though, meeting and falling for Wyn topped the charts. Hands down. Not to mention that I now had brothers I could count on who saw me for me and not as some punching bag.
These days, it felt like we were living out what most musicians aspired to but would likely never experience.
We were about to share the stage with some of the biggest acts in the world.
Our friends in Devil’s Tea. Diverse Fuse, the boyband who’d climbed the charts overnight, becoming an instant hit around the globe a couple years ago.
Every genre of music would grace the stage, and it felt surreal joining their ranks.
Berto opened his mouth to say something, but Doug stopped him with a sharp look.
“Let’s get out there and do what we do best.” Colt was usually a man of few words, but that never stopped him from getting us fired up before a show. No matter how big or small the audience. I could only appreciate that about our leader, more than I’d ever admit to his face.
“Fuck yeah!” Berto pumped the hand holding his drumsticks in the air. I shook my head at the man’s antics. One of the venue’s staff passed by to let us know we were on in fifteen minutes.
“This is our time.”
“You’re damn right it is.” Doug joined in.
“Let’s give it everything we’ve got out there. Own the stage like never before. You with me?”
“We’re with you, mano,” Berto answered for all of us.
I wasn’t a temporary add-on anymore. And we were no longer just a band.
Not only a group of men with a shared goal.
We were brothers who went to bat for one another.
We argued and worked through our issues.
We were stronger together than we were apart, and it was time to show this crowd how Country Blue rocked the house.
The stage had been reset. Before we knew it, a DJ from a local radio station introduced us.
Hand clasped around the neck of my bass, I strode onto the stage with a level of confidence I’d never felt in my life.
The negative voices in my head had quieted down.
The cheers from the crowd were almost deafening.
Lifting the strap over my head, I finally looked out over the massive crowd, and by some miracle I dared not question, my gaze zoomed in on Wyn. The look on her face was radiant, hitting me square in the chest.
Even though I couldn’t believe this was my life right now, I’d never been more thankful or happy. The choices I’d made led me here. Led us to this exact moment. A defining moment. One filled with promise and something more.
Breaking eye contact with Wyn, I glanced around the stage at my bandmates and brothers. Colt nodded at me before turning his attention back to the crowd. I imagined he did the same thing as me; looked for the girl who changed his life for the better.
Doug and Berto seemed pumped. Their excitement was so palpable I could feel it, even though they were stationed on the other side of the stage from me.
Colt spoke into the mic. “We love you, LA! We’re Country Blue, and this is our first song.”
With a shit-eating grin on his face, Berto lifted his arms in the air, tapped his drumsticks together, and counted us in.
The energy from the crowd, the love in Wyn’s gaze, it all drove me forward and further than ever before.
Our set sped by as one song flowed into another. When people started singing along to songs in our catalog, particularly “Runaway Girl” and “Save Me from Myself,” it nearly choked me up.
This had been the dream when I allowed myself to imagine anything close to perfection.
Country Blue’s star was rising. Colt and I had the most phenomenal girlfriends who didn’t bat an eye about joining us on the road. Our brotherhood now had a solid foundation after two years. We were going places.
Life was no longer in flux and headed nowhere.
My hope was that music helped to heal this city after the devastating fires, just like it had healed me after my fucked-up childhood.
Hell, in many ways, music saved my life.
Changed it for the better. Until I became the man I was meant to be.
A friend, a brother, a musician, and a lover.
My gaze scanned the crowd once more, zeroing in on Wyn and Darcy grinning from ear to ear as they shimmied to the music and sang along.
Sensing something, Wyn looked up and our gazes clashed.
Leaning to the left of the mic, I mouthed I love you .
I figured she wouldn’t see it from her spot in the crowd, but she did.
Because my girl was damned special. She blew me a kiss that went straight to my overflowing heart, renewing my energy.
We played with sweat dripping down our faces, music blaring from the next-level sound system at the Hollywood Bowl. There was nothing quite like this feeling for me. Being on stage and performing with Blue.
Except for falling for Wyn. My sweetheart. She would forever be the cherry on top.
The End