“Thank you” was all Anna could manage as she blinked back tears.
“I’m going to tell them to kill the houselights.” Kyrie pulled up the mouthpiece for the headset Anna hadn’t even noticed she was wearing and spoke into it in a brisk, professional voice. She’d really stepped up lately. They both had. They were playing in the big leagues now, and Anna was so glad to have a friend like Kyrie at her side on this journey.
A muffled roar came from overhead, the sound of thousands of people clapping and whistling as they realized it was showtime. Zoe would be in the crowd tomorrow night, and Anna found herself suddenly wishing her friend were here tonight, a familiar face in the audience cheering her on.
“Houselights are out. Let’s move.” Kyrie rested a hand on Anna’s elbow, guiding her out of her dressing room and through the maze of hallways that led to the stage.
Anna walked on autopilot, letting Kyrie guide her as she focused on her breathing. Deep and slow. Sweat dampened her skin, and the full-body jitters had hit now. Her sequined pants sparked in her peripheral vision, and she almost stumbled.
“Here we are.” Kyrie came to a stop at the bottom of a darkened staircase. She pressed Anna’s microphone into her hand. “The stage tech will take you from here. Good luck. Can’t wait to celebrate with you later.”
Anna smiled. “Thanks.”
A man dressed all in black appeared before her, holding a small flashlight pointed at the floor by her feet. “Follow me, Ms.Moss.”
“Thanks.” She sucked in another breath and stepped forward so her toes met the glow of his flashlight.
He led her up the steps as the opening beats of her latest single, “Headfirst,” began to play. Anna synched her steps with the music, the way she’d done in rehearsals, as she walked onstage. The spotlight engulfed her as she lifted the microphone, and her head went fuzzy withnerves. Vaguely she was aware of the dancers joining her onstage and the excited whoops and cheers from the crowd.
“On my feet. Count the beat. I’m dancing for you.” Her voice sounded steady and clear as it filled the arena, and her body began to move automatically to the dance steps she’d perfected over the past month. She made her way toward the front of the stage as the dancers fanned out behind her.
Anna looked into the crowd, her gaze landing on a young woman with hot-pink hair and a bright smile singing Anna’s lyrics back to her. Warmth filled Anna’s heart, and she grinned widely as she sang. When she scanned the arena, she saw plenty of empty seats—she was only the opening act, after all—but she also saw so many excited faces. She could hear the hum of hundreds if not thousands of voices singing along with her, and it wasmagic.
This was why she’d become a singer. This moment.
She turned, following the choreography toward stage left when her gaze caught on a face near the side of the stage, out of sight of the crowd. Eden was swathed in shadow, but Anna saw her clear as day, watching,singing—was she singing along to Anna’s song?
For a moment, Anna lost the lyrics, but then Eden caught her eye and smiled, giving a faint nod that said, “You got this.” With a surge of confidence, Anna turned to face the crowd.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Thank you, Los Angeles. It’s an honor to open the After Midnight Tour here in my hometown, and you’ve been an amazing audience. I love you! Good night.” Eden lifted a hand overhead, waving to the crowd, which was on its feet and cheering with enough enthusiasm for her to feel the vibrations in her chest.
That energy filled the withered spot in her heart from this awful year. Her fansdidstill love her. And she loved performing for them so damn much. Tears welled in her eyes, and she was grinning so widely that she squinted, causing a few tears to overflow.
She spun, waving to the fans on both sides of the stage, and then she turned and jogged toward the staircase in back, where a tech with a flashlight was waiting to guide her down the darkened stairs. He led her through a curtain-draped doorway and into the well-lit hall beyond.
“Awesome show tonight.” Paris handed her a bottle of water and a towel to dab the sweat from her face.
“Thank you.” Eden sounded breathless. Shefeltbreathless. Her body buzzed with that familiar postshow mixture of adrenaline and exhaustion, and she knew she’d crash soon. Usually, she’d end up back at the hotel after a show, watching mindless TV while she waited for the adrenaline to leave her system so she could sleep.
Tonight, though, she’d be sleeping in her own bed, a luxury of opening the tour in LA. She’d perform here again tomorrow night before heading down to San Diego and then up the West Coast.
Eden wiped the sweat from her face and tossed the towel over her shoulder before taking a hearty drink of water. Tonight, her exhaustion was compounded by opening night jitters and the extra stress of performing her first show after the most lackluster year of her career. She’d barely eaten today, she’d been so nervous, and now her ears were buzzing.
Someone squealed, and she caught a glimpse of Anna barreling toward her a moment before she was engulfed in a tight hug. “Oh my God, you were so amazing tonight. Like, one of the best performances I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen all your tours, so I can say that with authority,” Anna babbled as she spun Eden in her excitement.
“Thank you.” Eden smiled into the depths of Anna’s hair as she hugged her back. “You were pretty awesome tonight too.”
Anna made a scoffing sound. “I was fine. You were brilliant. The part where you spin above the stage? I mean, of course I’d seen it in rehearsal, but tonight ... wow. Just wow. And your voice ... chills.”
Warmth spread through Eden’s system, not just from Anna’s praise but from her exuberant energy. Whenever Anna was around, Eden felt lighter on her feet.Happy.She’d fought this for the last few weeks, trying not to add to the#Edannahype, but now she realized that had been a mistake, because she missed this. She missed Anna.
Anna pulled back, and for a moment they just grinned at each other.
“Our duet seemed like a hit,” Eden said.
“I shared a photo from it earlier,” Paris said, reminding Eden of her presence.