Page 153 of The Jaded Notes

I’m half expecting her to flinch, but she doesn’t. She flashes me that smile, the one that gets me every fucking time.

The next set starts, and before I know it, we’re three hits in. Something inside me snaps.

Every lyric feels wrong, every beat feels like wasted time. This isn’t what I need to sing right now.

I step back from the mic, signaling to the guys. We’ve talked about this moment…what I’d do if she ever came to one of our shows again. This one in particular.

“Hold up.” The music fades to silence. One hundred thousand people hold their breath.

My gaze cuts across the darkness to find hers. Even from here, I can see her eyes widen.

“You know what? I’m gonna change things up tonight.” My hand drags through my hair, shaking under the weight of every camera pointed at this stage. “There’s someone herewho changed my life. Someone I lost because I was too fucked up to deserve her.”

The audience noise hushes. They sense something profound is happening.

“Lily.” Her name cracks from my throat like I’m about to die. “Get out here.”

She shakes her head, backing toward the stairs. But Quinn appears behind her and places her hands on Livianna’s shoulders, grinning like she’s witnessing the greatest love story unfold.

“Come on, vixen.” I lean into the mic. “The whole world already knows how I feel about you.”

The crowd catches on, chanting her name.

“Lily! Lily! Lily!” One hundred thousand voices demanding she step into the light.

She takes one tentative step forward, and the roar is deafening. Phones flash like lightning as she moves toward me in cutoff shorts and a Rolling Stones shirt, hair wild from the desert wind.

Fucking hell, she’s beautiful.

“That’s it.” I hold out my hand as she reaches me. “Come here.”

Her fingers find mine, and electricity shoots up my arm. She’s here. This isn’t a dream, and she’s letting me touch her.

The crew brings out two stools without me asking. They know I planned this routine.

I guide her to one, settling onto the other. Our knees almost touch. One of the stagehands sets up my mic on the stand as another one gives me my guitar.

I adjust it so it sits comfortably in my lap. I gaze out to the crowd, flash them a rockstar smile, and put my mouth to the mic.

“This next one’s for the woman I never stopped loving.” My voice carries across the silent concertgoers, but I’m onlytalking to her. I face her and let my heart do the rest. “This one’s called ‘Perfect Lilies.’”

The audience goes insane with cheers. Everyone here knows this is the first song I wrote specifically for her. That night may have ended poorly after Sebastian ruined it, but tonight no one’s here to fuck this up.

The lights lower, and the warm spotlight casts down on us. I start my solo act by strumming my guitar, soft and haunting. I lean close to my mic, but I’m singing to an audience of one.

The lyrics pour out, and with them every regret, every sleepless night, and every moment I’ve spent missing her, bleed into the words. Her breath catches as the memories wash over us both.

I stare across the space between our stools. My loving gaze finds hers, and she doesn’t glance away.

In my dark, quiet nights, shadows of you dance in soft light.

Our hearts entwined, forever young.

Lily, this is our love song.

The crowd explodes into cheers.

“We love you, Lily and Cash,” a voice screams over my gentle notes.