“Yes. So much yes.” Van tried to hug them both at once, which was both awkward and kind of awesome, all arms and noses and soft kisses. “The news about Brady hurt. It still hurts. But I wouldn’t trade our lives together for anything.”
“Good answer,” Benji said.
Joshua nuzzled at Van’s neck. “Very good answer.”
Now.
Now was the time to say the words. To put voice to the things he felt and tried to say in his actions, but hadn’t said out loud yet. Not to the two people who needed to hear it.
“I love you,” Van said. “Joshua. Benji. I love you both so much.”
“We love you, too,” Benji whispered.
Joshua placed a hand over Van’s heart. “Always.”
EPILOGUE
Seven MonthsLater
“Whatever it takes . . . make it count!” Benji belted out the final lyric, the sound slowly mixing with the end of the music. He strummed his strings once more. Andy laid out the last drumbeat, and all four members of Fading Daze went silent.
The crowd, on the other hand, went wild. Fading Daze’s first performance opening for a multi-platinum group in a summer tour along the east coast was a hit. Benji loved the cosmic irony of tonight’s show being part of the Maryland State Fair—at the same fairgrounds where he’d performed with both XYZ and Fading Daze during two Unbound competitions. And like those first two performances, several thousand people were once again cheering them on.
Benji barely saw Danielle in his peripheral vision before she smothered him in a sideways hug. Andy and Bobby stepped forward, and their four-man crew bowed. A few distant screams for an encore only added to the pulse-pounding excitement of the performance. Benji stared out at the crowd, basking in theattention for as long as possible. Soaking in the glory of the moment.
This tour was a huge deal for the band, especially after firing Eddie. Back in early January, Benji had informed Eddie of his unconventional triad relationship, and Eddie’s reaction had been more negative than anyone expected. He’d even gone behind Benji’s back to suggest to the others that he be replaced for the good of the band’s image. In an amazing show of solidarity, they’d replaced Eddie instead, with a wonderful lady named Susannah.
Best business decision ever.
He followed his friends offstage so it could be set for the main show, and then handed his guitar off to a roadie—an actual roadie to do the grunt work, which was a huge step up from hauling their own stuff around. Opening for a famous band came with great perks.
Getting rid of the guitar fast was also the best way to get his arms around the two grinning men with backstage passes waiting for him to bounce over. And he did bounce, full of adrenaline from performing and utter joy at the applause only starting to die out.
“You brought the house down, handsome,” Van said. He engulfed Benji in a full-body hug that nearly lifted him off the ground. Van’s wonderfully unique scent filled his nose, reminding him of everything he missed while he was on the road—and of everything he’d eventually come home to.
“It’s the best feeling ever,” Benji replied once he was firmly back on his feet. He gave Van a quick peck on the mouth, then turned and slipped into Joshua’s arms.
“You love it, and it shows when you sing,” Joshua said. He stole a deeper kiss, something as familiar to Benji as breathing.
“I love it, but I love you both more.”
The backstage area was too noisy for anyone to overhear the sentiment, but he really didn’t care if anyone did. While Benji had never made a public statement or posted his changed status on the group’s website, he was no longer hiding the fact that he was in a poly relationship with two men. Susannah made sure their touring manager didn’t have an issue with it before signing Fading Daze on. The only minor indication of a change in his relationship status was his new website profile photo—one that included both Joshua and Van.
People could take it however they wanted; Benji simply ignored the indie gossip sites.
The decision to keep things on the general down-low was Benji’s. He loved his men, he wasn’t ashamed of their relationship at all, and his band was getting more famous every single day, but he was still a private person at heart. Joshua and Van respected that choice, as did every single member of Fading Daze.
“Hey, man, congrats!” Dominic’s voice burst in Benji’s ear, and he turned in time to be swept into another firm hug. “You guys killed it.”
Benji laughed, and slapped Dominic on the back. “Yeah, we did. Hey, Coop.”
Trey Cooper stood behind Dominic, grinning widely. The pair was in the area for their own show tomorrow night, and they’d scored backstage passes to support their friends and former band mates. It was incredible to think that two years ago, all of their lives had been so totally different. So many new relationships had been created since; Benji loved seeing his friends happy.
“I texted a bunch of photos to Melody and Lincoln,” Van said. “I may have Instagrammed a few clips, too.”
“Bootleg videos?” Benji said, feigning shock. “You criminal.”
Van chuckled. “Guilty.” Something flickered in his eyes that Benji understood without words. Joking aside, even so many months later, Van sometimes struggled with things that reminded him about Brady. It made Benji grateful every single day that Van had Joshua home with him when the past got overwhelming.
