“It’s my gift.” Hans handed him an extra pair of sticks for his back pocket since Tanner had broken a few on stage when he got seriously into a song or started off pissed. Tonight was a night for both, apparently.
“Don’t let her near me.” Tanner took the sticks, shoved them in his back pocket.
“Consider it done,” Hans said, and this time Tanner swore the guy smiled.
Gig to finish. Gig to finish.Tanner did three bounces on his toes like he always did before a show. Knox taught him that—to have a ritual to prep the mind before a gig.
Then he hopped on stage, pretended Catiana never existed, and when the lights came up and the music started? He played like it’d be his last concert ever. The same way he played every concert since that first with Dan.
Music was healing. He understood that before, but playing with the band gave him something to breathe for, and that was the reminder he needed.
He poured everything into the performance.
His sticks hit the drumheads, the cymbals, his solo was epic. After the show, he’d reach out to Sam. Fuck his pride. Fuck this fight.
Time to grow up, Tanner.
The bar was totally wild as they finished the last bars of their finale song. Tanner started to stand to leave, but the other guys weren’t moving off stage.
Right. The encore. If Bax wanted to do the encore, he’d give the signal. The guys waited for his signal.
“Not a bad Tuesday night, right?” Bax screamed into the microphone.
The crowd went absolutely bananas and Tanner caught a glimpse of Courtney off the side of the stage with Sam.
The room all stilled for him, even though the insanity of the atmosphere continued for everyone else. His heart didn’t actually stop beating, but with the way he went all kinds of lightheaded? It may as well have.
“Sam,” he said, even though there was no way she could hear him over the sound of the crowd.
Still, she seemed to somehow know he saw her because she glanced up and caught his gaze. Then she smiled. Then she waved. Like it was just the two of them and there hadn’t been a whole slew of a shit storm to weather.
He waved back.
Her cheeks went pink. Pinker.
It seemed the stylists got to Sam too, because she had a helluva lot more makeup than usual. Her outfit was sick—tight shirt that made his mouth water like a creep. Jeans that fit like a fucking glove. And heels—had he ever seen her wear anything other than sneakers before? No, he hadn’t.
He kinda liked the new look.
Enjoyed the old one, too.
There was room in his heart for both.
“Are you ready to lose your fucking minds?” Bax screamed into the microphone.
There it was, the cue for the encore song. Their biggest hit they saved for last and only for the rowdiest of crowds.
But instead of the starting chords of Devil’s Cut, Linx played the oh-so-familiar beginnings of Sam’s mozzarella song.
“I have a friend here tonight,” Bax said as the guys continued playing that refrain over and over. “Her name is Sami Jo.”
That got everyone on their feet. Tanner hoped like fuck Brek’s floor could hold all this stomping.
“She said she’d like to sing a little something.” He gestured for Sam to get on the stage.
Courtney and Ashley both stood like a wall behind Sam, but she didn’t turn back. Didn’t seem to have any inclination to run.
His entire chest puffed up with pride and he paused long enough to catch the beat and get in on the song.
