My fingertip grazed the edge of her underwear at the curve of her ass cheek, and she inhaled sharply. “Well, now I want to fuck you.”
But Scarlet had other plans, because the house lights went black. The crowd screamed in unison as I reluctantly removed my hand from Gwen’s butt.
The dark stadium was suddenly illuminated by the thousands of glowing bracelets all of the concert attendees had gotten at the door. They quickly rolled through a rainbow of colors, then simultaneously switched to yellow.
“Sunshine Baby!” Gwen screamed and jumped up and down with the rest of the stadium.
A roar I could feel in my chest went up as the bracelets started flashing in a certain rhythm, which was then picked up by a drumbeat. Then bass, then guitar. The massive screens behind the band flashed images of Scarlet during various concert stops. Then she strode out, guitar in hand and waving at her devoted fans.
“Why am I crying?” Gwen asked me, her eyes brimming. “I’m such a dork.”
I turned her to me and cupped her cheeks. “I hope it’s because you’ve never been happier.”
She thrust her bottom lip out and nodded, and it was all I could do to not jump the night ahead to the big finish. I settled for a quick kiss—well, relatively quick—and then refocused on the show.
Even I could see the growth in the production in the months since we’d gone to her first show. Scarlet was a true superstar, and I totally got the hype now. I wasn’t a big enough fan to wear a flattop cap, but I could sing along to most of her hits.
With one big exception, which would come toward the end of the night.
“Yes, it’s ‘Throwaway Boy,’” Gwen yelled in my ear over the noise. “I’m pretty sure this song is about Ian!”
I’d heard her playing it around our apartment, but I’d never really focused on the words. Now they were being broadcast on the big screens behind the stage while male dancers turned mansplaining into movement.
That chance you took, yeah it was your last. I’m no throwaway, I showed you fast.
At the end of the song, one of the dancers who looked quite a lot like Ian wound up alone and facing down Scarlet under a spotlight. She held up her palm and used her other hand to flick across it, and he disappeared through a trap door in the stage, to wild applause.
“I bet he’smortified,” Gwen threw her head back and laughed.
How I loved that sound.
“Hey, folks,” Scarlet said once the crowd finally quieted down. “I’ve got a little surprise for you, since this is my last show of the tour.”
The sound of booing echoed through the stadium as all of our bracelets turned blue.
“Hold on, hold on, I think you’re going to like it.” She smiled mischievously. “Can I sing you a new song?”
The roar that went up was so loud I wanted to cover my ears, but that would mean letting go of Gwen, and that wasn’t happening. Not in this moment especially.
All of our bracelets turned pink and pulsed like a heartbeat as the band and dancers left the stage and someone brought out a stool for her.
“This song is called ‘It Was Always You,’” Scarlet said as she settled onto it.
“I can’t believe we’ll be the first group to hear a new song. I’m so excited,” Gwen breathed, eyes wide and her hands clasped under her chin.
I was excited as well, but also shockingly unsettled. I rarely felt nervous, but I was definitely facing down some butterflies.
Scarlet started singing softly about a lost boy and the girl who rescued him. It was a gorgeous, haunting song, and I had to blink away a few tears as our lives started to take shape in the words she was singing.
“Hold on…” Gwen turned to me, puzzled. “Is she…”
Let’s carve our initials in a tree, an H for you and a G for me.
Gwen’s brow furrowed. “Huh?”
It was always you…forevermore.
This was my moment. Gwen was trying to figure out if she could believe what she was hearing, which gave me a chance to reach into my pocket then go down on one knee.
