I’ve got a second chance, and I plan on writing the best story I’ve ever written with her.
Chapter 40
Rachel
Ismileassoonas we walk on the stage because the set-up has been rearranged. There are no longer three chairs. Instead, there is a navy, velvet loveseat with a matching chair across from it that Melanie is sitting in.
We walk toward the loveseat, and I whisper to Evan, “Did you do this?”
“As much as I love looking at you across from me, I’d rather be beside you,” he whispers back, making my grin widen.
The applause is deafening. Fifteen hundred people, all here for us, for what we write, and I’m still not used to it—to the fact that people spend their money toseeus, as if what we do is worth not just their paychecks, but their time and attention.
As we sit down on the loveseat, Evan smiles at the crowd and waves. I mimic his movements.
“Wow! This is a fantastic turn out!” Melanie says loudly, gesturing to the crowd.
“Probably here to see Rachel and I make out,” Evan replies evenly.
I feel my face flush while the crowd applauds even louder, adding in a few whoops and hollers.
Melanie gives a practiced laugh. “Well, that’s not the kind of show we’re putting on today.”
“That’s for the after party,” I reply. “Party for two.”
Evan glances over at me with a smile that makes me feel woozy, or maybe it’s dizziness from the fact that I felt confident enough to say that out loud. On stage. In front of hundreds of people, most with their phones out, aimed at us. Evan squeezes my hand gently, and that warm reaction makes my nerves, which feel like fireworks being set off by irresponsible teens, settle down slightly.
Melanie laughs again. “After all, the fanfiction is writing itself.”
I can tell she’s proud of that comment by the way her dark eyes glisten. She did say it was momentarily one of her favorite social media comments.
“So, Evan,” Melanie says as she looks down at one of her notecards. “You’ve got a big announcement to make.”
“I do.” He squeezes my hand again. “Death Before Daybreakhas a new title.”
There are gasps in the audience before everyone is quiet, a stark contrast to how they were just moments before.
“The truth is, I wasn’t exactly happy with the way I ended the book, so I decided to rewrite the ending, which changed the entire meaning of the story.” Evan pauses to look at me instead of the audience. “We can’t always rewrite a beginning, but an origin story is just that—a starting point. What matters more is how the story grows, where it bends, where it finds meaning in the mess, and what it becomes by the end.”
I smile up at him, and he squeezes my hand again before he looks back to the audience and continues. “So, the new title of the fourteenth novel in theMurder After Darkseries isLife After Daybreak, and I hope you all don’t mind that you’ll be seeing a side of Barrett that has been missing for a while.”
There are whistles and applause, but I don’t look out at the crowd. I keep my eyes on Evan because there’s something differentabout him on this stage than when we started this book tour. He’s still handsome, and his suit is still perfectly pressed and fitted, but the way he looks at the crowd isn’t rehearsed. He looks alive and happy.
The kind of happiness that isn’t faked. It’s real. And of course, it’s at this moment I feel a warm tear slip down my cheek. It’s as if Evan senses it, and he swiftly but gently brushes his thumb against my skin.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispers, and I feel something soft yet strong begin to flow through my veins, like his words are oxygen to my blood and I can breathe more fully.
“So, Rachel,” Melanie says, turning attention to me. “What will this mean forBarrett After Darkand your fanfiction?”
“Well…” I pause to smile at the audience. “I’ve enjoyed writing Barrett’s love stories. It’s been an honor to discover so many people love my words, and I hope they will continue to love them in a new way.”
“A new way?” Melanie asks.
I nod. “I’m going to publish my own stories with my own characters.” I turn more fully to the audience. “I am so thankful for all of you, for following BarrettBeyondTheBadge, for essentially giving me this opportunity to be on this book tour. Without all of you, without all my fans, I wouldn’t be here, but it’s time to believe in my own stories. I hope you’ll be able to believe in them, too.”
The audience applauds again, and I clap back for them, saying, “No, really. Thankyou.”
Evan leans over, his lips pressing against my wild curls until they find my head for a soft kiss before he says, “I’m your biggest fan.”
