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“I’m right behind you.” His voice washes over me, bittersweet and everything I’ve needed to live every day instead of existing.
I spin around to take him in, but he’s already in costume and I can’t read what’s happening behind his specialty contacts. “Do you have a minute?”
He glances at the stage. “Now isn’t the best time.”
“I know and I’m sorry. I’ll be quick, I swear.”
“Follow me.” Cameron leads me to a tent our committee set up for the band.
Inside, makeup cases litter the table tops and replacement wigs hang on racks in case of an emergency change.
“Alright, you’ve got me, but I can’t guarantee for how long.” He leans against a table and crosses his arms.
“Right.” I pace in front of him as a scary realization dawns on me. “You know, I had this whole speech ready for this moment, but now that we’re here, I can’t remember a damn word.” My voice breaks. “How dumb am I? I probably had the most important things I’ve ever needed to say written out. It was heartfelt and would have had you on your knees.”
“On my knees?”
“Yes… oh, not for the reason you might be thinking. You would have been on your knees because that’s where I’m supposed to be. Maybe I should do that now.” I lower myself, but Cameron prevents me from getting into position.
“You don’t have to demonstrate, but can you tell me why we’re kneeling?”
“Because…” I take a deep breath, but it doesn’t work to clear the tears clogging my throat. “I’m begging you to forgive me and you’re giving me your forgiveness. I’m so sorry for not listening to you when all you’ve ever done… is put me first. You’ve been my first for everything, and I want you to be my last for everything, too. I don’t want to live without you in my life because when I pushed you away, you took all the color with you.” I sniff but need to power through before I lose my composure. “I’m sorry if this comes out like a blubbering mess, but I’m almost finished.”
“Hey, Cameron, why the hell aren’t you on stage yet?” Stewart barrels into the tent. “Everyone is waiting for you.”
“Way to read the room, Stewart!” Cameron growls.
“I don’t have time for that, and neither do you.” He grabs Cameron’s hand and drags him away. “It’s showtime.”
Cameron yells, “I want to finish this discussion. Come watch us from backstage and wait for me.”
I nod, but I don’t really know what I’m agreeing to. Will he let me down easy? Cameron is thoughtful enough to give me that much for hurting him the way I did.
If he does reject your apology, he will only prove what I’ve said all along. You two belong with each other.
Will you stop nagging me now that I’m trying to put things back to the way they were?
We’ll see. You almost ruined the beautiful apology I helped you draft. The good news is you have another shot to get him back. I’m counting on you.
I drag my feet getting to the VIP section backstage. One perk of being committee chair is I automatically get special access. A stagehand checks my credentials. Instead of leading me to the designated area, he walks me toward the wing just off the stage where I have an unobstructed view of Liquid Obsession from the side.
Unlike the night when I discovered Cameron’s public persona, I can feel the music. There is a definite theme to their performance. The energy from the crowd and being so close to the instruments as Cameron and his bandmates play their hearts out, sweeps me along. Time flies as they play song after song.
After the most recent song, where the crowd sings along to the lyrics, Khadijah approaches the stage. “I’m so happy to be here in Escondido to perform for you beautiful people.” She pauses to let the cheers die down. “Tonight I’m going to tell you a secret that not many people know.” She points to Cameron. “You all know about Nomad, but I bet you don’t know he’s my brother, the sit-around-the-dinner-table kind of brother.” She laughs at the well-timed gasps that follow her revelation. “Well, Nomad has a story to share, so let’s hear what he has to say.”
Cameron beats a quick combo on the drums. “How are you doing Escondido Bay?”
Cheers rise from the crowd.
“I hope you’re ready for some more secrets.”
“Yes!” the fans scream.
“A few months ago, I thought I might have to quit the music business. I couldn’t play no matter what I tried to do.”
The people hang on his every word.
“But then I met a woman. Every time I saw her or thought about her, a faint melody began to play in my ear. I couldn’t escape it. Like me, the sound persisted until I finally broke down and wrote the damn song. It’s about loss, resilience, forgiveness, and most of all, love. We’re closing out the night with it. I hope you like this exclusive of our next single, Kenya’s Melody.” Cameron strikes the drums, signaling to the rest of the band to play.
