Page 246 of Fame & Rhythm

And I freeze.

“Surprise!” Everyone I know is standing there, smiling, hands in the air, laughter filling the room, and for a second, it’s too much, but then something shifts.

Maybe I don’t need to be alone right now.

Maybe I need this.

“Oh Annie, we’re so glad you’re okay,” Indi says, stepping forward.

I blink, surprised to see her. “Pixie?”

Caleb laughs and pulls me into a hug. “When Rob told me what happened, I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” Caleb adds. “So we figured we’d remind you that you’ve got a whole army behind you.”

I step into him and hug him tightly. “Thanks, Caleb.” Then I glance past him. “Indi’s here?” I whisper.

He grins and nods.

I move straight to her, pulling her into a hug. “It’s so good to see you, Pixie.”

She laughs softly. “No, it’s good to see you. I got a look at your referral… your thumb should heal perfectly. You’ll be back playing before you know it, so don’t stress about the band.”

Relief loosens something in my chest before I say, “Thank you,” and mean it.

I glance around at everyone gathered here. “Seriously… thank you all for coming. I really needed this.”

“You’re family, Annie,” Anna says warmly.

“Yeah, we love you,” Sia adds.

“Come on,” Mum says, clapping her hands lightly. “Let’s all sit and eat.”

Aston’s hand tightens around mine, and I glance up at him, but something’s wrong.

He’s pale.

He’s sweating.

His hand trembles slightly in mine.

“Shit, Ast… are you okay? Is your head hurting?” I ask, lifting my hand to his cheek. He nods, swallowing hard. “Ast, talk to me.”

Instead, he clears his throat and raises his voice. “Can I have everyone’s attention for a second?”

The room quiets instantly.

He looks past me… to Dad, and something in my stomach flips.

“Okay… so there’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” he begins, his voice steady despite the nerves I can see written all over him. “I always thought I’d wait for the perfect moment… but after everything that’s happened, I realize there’s no such thing. Life’s too short to wait.” My heart starts to beat faster, and he steps forward slightly. “Colt,” he says, meeting Dad’s eyes. “I know we’ve had our moments, but I respect you more than anyone. You’ve raised Annie into this incredible woman… strong, talented, beautiful, and I’m completely in love with her.” My breath catches. “Nearly losing her…” He exhales sharply. “That was the worst moment of my life. I don’t ever want to imagine a world without her in it, especially not a world where she’s not with me.” Dad watches him closely. “So,” Aston continues, his voice lowering just slightly. “I’m asking you… for permission to ask Annie to marry me.”

The room erupts in gasps.

My hand flies to my mouth as tears spill over.

Dad glances at Mum, who’s already crying, then over to Anna and Johnny, who are smiling so widely it’s infectious. Finally, he looks at me, then back to Aston. “She’s twenty,” Dad says.

“D-Dad!” I protest, my voice breaking.

He chuckles softly. “She might be twenty,” he says. “But I’ve watched you two your entire lives. And what you have…” He shakes his head. “It reminds me of Dee and me. The way you look at each other… you can’t fake that kind of love.”