“That’s absurd,” I said. Wyatt had never mentioned anything like that to me.
Our limo was escorted through the crowds and into a gated area. When the driver stopped, the girls rushed outside. “Girls, don’t run off!” Trisha called after them.
A man in a Ryder Strong Tour t-shirt was waiting for us. “Hey, I’m Neil. I’m one of Ryder’s assistants. Ryder asked me to meet you and escort you inside.”
“I’m Brooklyn,” I said.
“Excellent. I’ve heard a lot about you.” He started walking backward toward the stage. “Follow me. Ryder is getting ready, but he asked me to show you around and make sure you find your seats. You’ll all be able to see him after the show. Just keep those VIP passes around your necks.”
Neil gave us a thorough tour of the backstage area. He even pointed out Wyatt’s trailer, and it took all my self-control not to rush toward it. When the opening act started to play, Neil led us to our seats at the front of the stage. I let the girls take the seats closer to the middle. I didn’t want to be right in Wyatt’s line of sight the whole night.
The opening act was surprisingly good, but I couldn’t focus on any of the songs. I was too anxious to see Wyatt. When they left the stage and the lights dimmed, my heart started pounding in my chest. A few guitar chords played and I recognized the song instantly. I knew all of Wyatt’s songs.
The lights flashed on and there he was, right in the center of the stage with his guitar slung over his shoulder. His hands cupped a microphone and his head was down. Another chord played and his head turned right toward me. He smiled and I sucked in a breath. He must have been watching from backstage to have found me so quickly. I returned his smile with a shaky one of my own and he winked at me.
Then he started singing and I was transported through time and we were eighteen again. We were singing in Ryder’s basement and I was madly in love with the boy in front of me. The one big difference was that this time, 50,000 people were singing along and most of them were in love with that boy, too.
When Wyatt finished the first song, he cupped the microphone again. “Thank you for that beautiful welcome, Starlight. It’s good to be home.”
There was an insanely loud cheer that seemed to go on forever. Wyatt continued. “It’s great to see some familiar faces in the crowd.” He looked down at the twins and smiled and both of them nearly fainted. “This next song I’m going to sing was written about a girl I met here in Starlight. She was my first love and she had no idea.” Wyatt smiled shyly and the crowd let out a synchronize aww. “Fortunately, that’s just changed. This one is for you, Brooklyn.”
As he sang the opening words of Daylight, it all became so clear to me. Wyatt had told me that he loved me, I just hadn’t heard it. We’d both been speaking to each other through lyrics that carried our feelings better than normal words every could. As Wyatt sang that song to me, I heard the words for the first time.
In my darkest times, you were my daylight.
In the hardest hours, you gave me reason to fight.
If I told you that I loved you, would you look at me the same?
When the daylight fades, will you call out my name?
The last note carried out mournfully and Wyatt looked at me for the first time since he’d started singing the song. It felt like all 50,000 behind me were looking in my direction, too. I wiped away a tear that I hadn’t realized was crawling down my cheek.
Wyatt turned and handed his guitar to one of the crew members. He took the mic with him as he walked the length of the stage. “I’m going to do something special for this next song. I’m going to bring someone onto the stage to perform this with me. This is a song that we wrote together ten years ago and we’ve never performed it.” Wyatt gave the audience a boyish grin. “Be gentle. It might be a little rough.”
When he jumped off the stage right in front of me, my heart stopped. Then he held out his hand and smiled. “Please?” he said, holding the mic away from his mouth.
I had no idea how I could say no in front of 50,000 people, even though that was exactly what I wanted to do. After an awkwardly long hesitation, I gave him my hand. His smile grew and he pulled me toward the stairs. As I was following him onto the stage, he said to the audience, “Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to one of my oldest, and prettiest friends, Brooklyn Monroe.”
The sound of the crowd was deafening. I looked in that direction, but the lights were so bright that I quickly looked away. A microphone was brought to me and I held it weakly in my hand, looking at Wyatt in a panic. He leaned close and put his lips to my ear. “You’re going to be great. Don’t worry. Just pretend it’s the two of us singing to each other. No one else is here.”
The band behind us started strumming the chords of a song I hadn’t heard in ten years. Frantically, I tried to run through the lyrics in my head. What if I forgot the lyrics to my own song? Wyatt and I had never performed the song as a duet. I had no idea how we’d divide the song between us.
Wyatt solved part of the problem by going first, only the words he sung were not the words that I had written.
There you were, right when I needed you
Looking so perfect in your worn jeans, no makeup
I couldn’t speak, couldn’t find the words, he found them first
You had eyes only for him, or so I thought
Told myself I’d move on, I was cursed
But now I’m falling for you
Now, it was my turn. That first verse I had written ten years ago, an answer to Wyatt’s own feelings.
In the hallway where we met, faded lights and broken hearts
Dream come true, but not with you
I’m not your type, or so they say
You played a fool and I did too
You had the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen
And now I’m falling for you
We hit the refrain together, our voices harmonizing perfectly. The words we sang had never been truer than they were in that moment.
You chased your dreams and ran away
I watched you go, so much left to say
Only a fool wouldn’t have begged you to stay
Love comes ‘round only now and then
We win, we lose, we play again
In all my days, one thing remains
I’m falling for you, falling for you
When we reached the end of the song, my head was pressed to Wyatt’s and we shared one mic. Our voices had blended into one. My eyes were closed but I could still see his eyes perfectly, the way they had looked at me while I was singing– shining with love.
CHAPTER FIVE
Ten Years Ago
“H ow long do we have to pretend that this isn’t annoying?” I asked Wyatt.
“You find this annoying?” Wyatt teased.
We had just finished our show at the Lion’s Den and normally we’d be loading up the car with our gear, but not tonight. Tonight, Ryder had cornered the lead singer of the band that had performed before us and they were deep in conversation.
“We still have a long drive home,” I said.
Wyatt flagged down a waitress and ordered two drinks. She took one look at his dazzling smile and didn’t bother asking for identification. “Look, Brooklyn, you need to learn to make the best of your circumstances. You could be bored and annoyed watching your boyfriend flirt with another girl. Or, you could enjoy having a drink with your much more handsome friend.”
“He’s not flirting with her,” I said, glancing over at Ryder. “He’s networking.”
“Whatever you say, Monroe.” Wyatt rolled his eyes. “One of these days you’re going to open your eyes and realize you deserve better than that.”
I didn’t say anything. Wyatt wasn’t wrong, except that I’d already come to that realization. I’d broken up with Ryder a week earlier, we just hadn’t told anyone yet. Ryder thought it would cause friction in the band, so we were going to wait until after our big performance in Nashville to tell Wyat
t.
The waitress returned with our drinks and tried to flirt with Wyatt. That wasn’t uncommon. What was uncommon was how quickly Wyatt dismissed her.
“You don’t have to send away a sure thing just so I’m not sitting here alone,” I told him. Wyatt and I had been friends for more than two years and I was pretty used to him slinking away with a new girl every night.
“I’d rather sit here with you,” he said, surprisingly seriously. “I’ve been thinking about the set list for Nashville. You and I probably need to put in some extra hours working on Falling for You if we’re going to get it ready in time.”
“You don’t think it’s ready?” I was surprised. We’d been working on that song nonstop.
“I think it could be better. It feels like it’s missing something.” Wyatt leaned closer, putting his arm along the back of my chair. “Can I come over tomorrow?”
“Yeah, sure.” I shrugged.
“Can I come over tonight?” he asked with the crooked smile that no girl could resist.
I glanced at Ryder again. He hadn’t looked in our direction even one time. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to sneak you into my room at night.” I smiled shyly at Wyatt.
In our years of friendship, I’d been carrying around a secret, unrequited crush. I knew that Wyatt was out of my league and that was partly why our friendship worked. I was able to keep my crush in check because I knew that it could never be anything more than that. It was also why I’d stayed with Ryder for so long.
“Trust me, I’d much rather be sleeping on your floor again. Your boyfriend snores like a chainsaw.” Wyatt’s hand slipped from the back of my chair, brushing my shoulder. “But I’m sure you know that.”
I didn’t want to talk to Wyatt about Ryder. “At this rate, none of us will be sleeping in our homes tonight.”
“We could always get a motel room,” Wyatt said. He took a big sip from his drink. “Or two rooms so you and Ryder can have some privacy.”
“That won’t be necessary,” I said, frowning. “Though Ryder might want the two rooms so he and that girl can have some privacy.”
Wyatt squeezed my shoulder. “Alright. Enough of this. Come on.” He slid from his seat and held out his hand.
“What are you doing?” I sat stiffly, staring at his hand.
“I’m not going to let you sit here all night pouting. You’re going to come dance with me, Monroe.” He smiled adorably. “Please don’t say no. I’m not good with rejection from a beautiful girl.”
“I don’t dance,” I said weakly.
“I’ve seen you dance,” he said with a laugh. “It’s not great, but I can work with it.”
Reluctantly, I placed my hand in his and he pulled me to my feet. Wyatt was unsurprisingly a good dancer. He was good at almost everything. I should have felt like a total idiot trying to keep up with him, but the best thing about being with Wyatt was that he always made me feel like I was his favorite person in the world. He twirled me and dipped me until I was laughing and didn’t care how stupid I looked.
We danced for three songs before taking a break. Wyatt and I finished our first drinks and he ordered another round. I was already feeling buzzed from the first drink, so I didn’t touch the second one. Wyatt finished his drink and then started on mine.
“Slow down, Hudson,” I said, eyeing him wearily.
“Okay, Mom.” He grinned at me. “That felt weird. I’m sorry.”
I laughed. “Moms don’t have moves like mine.”
“No one has moves like yours,” he said. When he put his hand on my hip, I felt something between us shift. Wyatt had never touched me like that.
“We should go,” I said, turning to look for Ryder.
“Brooklyn.” He waited for me to turn back to him. “Does he tell you how amazing you are?”
I flinched. “What?”
“Ryder. Does he tell you?” Wyatt stared right into my eyes. “If you were mine, I’d tell you every single day.”
“Wy.” I blinked a few times and bit my lip.
“I’m sorry.” He shook his head once and looked away. “I think I’ve had too much to drink. I’ll get Ryder and we can get the hell out of here.”
I had no idea what Wyatt said to Ryder, but it worked. We are on the road less than twenty minutes later. Ryder was the only one of us that hadn’t been drinking, so he was behind the wheel. With all our gear shoved into any available space in the trunk and backseat, I was wedged between Ryder and Wyatt in the front seat.
Ryder was doing his best to avoid any physical contact with me, but Wyatt was making no such effort. His leg was pushing hard against my leg. When his hand grazed my thigh, I looked over to see if he had done it intentionally. I didn’t even see the truck cross into our lane of traffic. Wyatt did and threw his arm around me just before impact.
Our car flipped several times before landing upright. I was in shock when I opened my eyes, still in the safety of Wyatt’s arms. I felt something wet at his side.
“Wy?” I shook him when he didn’t answer right away. “Wy!”
He groaned. “Are you okay?”
“I think so.” I struggled to lift my head. Every muscle in my body hurt, but I didn’t think I had any major injuries. “You?”
“Something is stuck in my side,” he said. “How’s Ryder?”
“I don’t know.” I was able to turn my body slightly and saw that the seat next to me was empty. The windshield was also gone. “He’s not here,” I said, confused.
“Can you get out?” Wyatt’s voice was thick with pain.
I unbuckled my seat belt. “I think so. You need to let go of me, Wy.”
Not only were his arms still wrapped around me, his embrace had tightened. Very slowly, I felt his arms loosen before slipping away. “Be careful,” he said as I scooted toward the driver’s side door.
“Hey.” I looked him in the eye. “I’m not leaving you. I’m just going to get us help.”
“My hero,” he joked weakly.
The door was wedged shut. No amount of shoving was going to open it, so I gave up and climbed through the hole where the windshield had been. It was only after my feet were on the ground that I felt the searing pain in my leg. I had a large gash on my thigh that was bleeding badly.
Other cars had stopped to help and someone caught me just before I tumbled to the ground. “You shouldn’t be moving around,” the man said, easing me down.
“My friends,” I said. “One of them is still in the car. He’s injured. I don’t know what happened to the other one.”
“He was thrown from the car,” the man said grimly.
I followed his gaze just a few feet and saw Ryder lying in a pool of blood. He wasn’t moving. “Ryder!” I tried to crawl toward him, but the man pulled me back.
“There’s nothing you can do for him. You need to stay still to minimize the bleeding.” His eyes told me everything I needed to know about Ryder’s condition.
Two other men had managed to pull Wyatt from the car. There was still a piece of metal in his side when they set him on the ground next to me. I reached over and took his hand. We both stared at Ryder, neither of us saying anything. In the blink of an eye, our friend had died and our lives would never be the same.
CHAPTER SIX
T he rest of the concert passed in a blur. Wyatt walked me back to my seat after our song. Trisha and the girls were freaking out and it felt like the entire audience was staring at me for the rest of the night. I stood there in a daze, watching Wyatt master every song and the crowd.
When the show was over, Neil returned and escorted us to an area behind the stage. There were a number of other fans also waiting, but Kelsey and Arya were acting like the meet and greet was just for us.
“Do you think he’ll hug you again?” Kelsey asked.
“Or kiss you?” Arya added. “I bet he does.”
“Girls, stop.” I sighed and looked around. “Wyatt will be visiting with all his fans, not just me.”
Neil came over, smiling. “Brooklyn? Wyatt has asked for me to bring you to his trailer. Is your sister alright staying here with the girls?”
“Yes. Go.” Trisha nodded vehemently and shoved me away.
I could hear the girls squealing as I followed Neil out of the backstage area and across the open lot that lead to Wyatt’s trailer. Neil opened the door and stuck his head inside. “Wyatt will be with you shortly. Please wait inside.”
It was strange to enter that trailer alone. It was almost like walking into Wyatt’s house without him there. The trailer had two couches and a television. There was a small kitchen area that was stocked with food. I also saw a door at the other end of the trailer that I assumed led to a sleeping area, but I wasn’t going to find out.
One of Wyatt’s guitars was resting on the couch. I picked it up and sat down, softly strumming the strings. I smiled as I pictured Wyatt doing that very thing while creating the lyrics for his part in Falling for You.
“Brooklyn.”
I looked up, surprised. Wyatt stood in front of the mystery doorway, hair damp and towel in hand. He was wearing a pair of jeans that hung low on his hips and no shirt. His eyes shone brighter than I had ever seen them.
“Hey,” I said lamely, setting the guitar next to me and standing. “Good show.”
“Likewise,” he said with a sexy smile. “You were amazing, Brooklyn.”
I looked away, uncomfortable with the praise. “This is your trailer?”
“Yeah.” He ran the towel over his hair once and then threw it on a chair. “I’m usually only in here right before and after the show. I like to shower right away because I get pretty sweaty on the stage.”
“Makes sense.” I was so uncomfortable standing there that I might as well have been naked in a crowd of strangers. “The girls are having the best night of their lives. Thank you for being so good to them.”
“I didn’t do it for them, love.”
His voice was raspy from singing for two hours, but no one had ever addressed me that sweetly. I looked at him hesitantly. “No?”
Falling for You (Starlight Valley Book 1) Page 5
