As they approach us, she pulls Raina into a hug, whispering something that makes her smile through the adrenaline.
She turns, already shifting back into manager mode. “Okay, come meet the chaos.”
Raina laughs nervously as Sloane guides her toward us. “Guys, this is Raina.”
Mia gasps softly. “Oh my god. You were amazing.”
Eli nods. “Seriously. We’ve been fans since open-mic nights.”
Raina’s eyes widen. “Wait, really?”
“Free drinks era,” Mia confirms proudly.
Dex steps forward. “I would like it noted that I cried, respectfully.”
Raina grins. “I saw. That was… memorable.”
Gregory offers a polite nod. “Your breath control on the bridge was excellent.”
Raina blinks. “Thank you?”
Sloane laughs. “High praise. Trust me.”
I catch Sloane’s eye. “After you’re done here, do you want to go celebrate?”
Her smile softens, surprised. “Yeah. I do.”
She turns back to the group. “Okay, I’m stealing him now.”
Mason salutes. “Go. Celebrate the win.”
One by one they start peeling off, hugs and congratulations and loud promises to text later, until the theater quiets.
Everyone leaves.
Except me.
“Thank you,” she says.
I shrug. “Easy choice.”
And I mean it.
I walked in expecting noise.
I didn’t expect pride.
Or the way choosing her feels like something I’ll keep doing.
***
We step out into the cool night air together. The city is quieter now, post-show calm settling over the block. A few fans linger outside the theater, still riding the adrenaline, phones glowing as they scroll through photos and clips.
She laughs softly, the sound still riding the high of the night. “I don’t think I’ve come down yet.”
Then her phone lights up almost immediately.
She glances down once.
