Page 1 of Carter

1

Isat in the dressing room, my head buried in my hands. What did I get myself into? The idea of doing this all by myself seemed futile right now. Why did I agree to keep the show going? Why did I agree to continue on my own?

Carter Hills Band had been me and Dahlia. From the start. The two of us against the world. The two of us against all odds.

Alone in the dimly lit room, I wondered how to do this without her.

And I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

Sure, I loved the music—was addicted to it, even—but doing it all alone seemed wrong.

Was I so head-over-heels in love with my best friend that I made my dream ours? And tried to make sure she’d be by my side as we climbed to the top?

Breathe in. Breathe out. You can do this, Carter. You have to.

A knock on the door stopped my racing thoughts. June, my assistant manager slash personal assistant, she poked her head through the door.

“Hey, Carter, are you ready? It’s time. The whole stadium is chanting your name.” Chills ran down my spine. The good ones. The ones about to shoot doses of adrenaline straight into my bloodstream. The ones I couldn’t live without. The ones I’d missed.

With an exhale, I straightened my back. “Yeah. I’m coming.” I rose to my feet, relishing the tingles of excitement—the ones I only got whenever I went on stage, ready to do what I was born to do.

I grabbed my Taylor—my favorite guitar—and after I adjusted my gray plaid shirt, followed June through the labyrinth leading to the back of the stage.

The sound of screaming fans jolted my heart back to life.

They’re chanting your name.

They want you.

Not the band.

They’re asking for you.

The thought of it sent a shot of ecstasy through me. A large grin—one impossible to tame—stretched my lips

I breathed out. I could do this.

I fastened my grip on my guitar, the one thing in my life that had never turned its back on me. The one thing I could always count on, no matter what.

“You’ll do great, Carter,” June encouraged, slowing down to meet my pace. From my six-foot-five height, I was over a foot taller than her, even when she wore high heels.

But June had spunk. And she was my personal watchdog.

People in the industry feared her whenever she got upset. She never took no for an answer and always made sure I got the best of everything.

Nobody should ever underestimate Juniper Stewart. No matter how big or powerful they were.

“It’s just weird. The idea of being out there by myself—” The words lingered between us, the air thickening and suffocating me.

“Carter, listen. We’re all proud of you. I know it’s been a rough year, and this all seems like a big deal right now, but please enjoy every minute. It’s your night, and you gotta make the most of it. Your album has been number one for weeks. Stop worrying, you’ll do great.”

June squeezed my forearm with her tiny hand—as tiny as the rest of her.

She pushed her long brown hair twisted in a fishtail braid over her shoulder and smiled at me, her caramel-brown eyes glinting.

“I know. I just miss her. Them. All of them.” Emotions laced my voice.

In the last year, I’d lost my big brother, and both my bandmates had retired to pursue other dreams. Everybody I cared for had just about left me.