Starstruck (Heartstrings Duet #1)

52. what happens next?

[ 52 ]

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

LENNON

“FEELING A MOMENT” BY FEEDER

“ L ennon!” Isa calls to me, running over and wrapping her arms around my neck.

We’re about eight hours into the twelve-hour show, with only four acts left to go. The Lighthouse just began their forty-five minute set, and then after them is Sadie, Isa, and of course, Baxter.

“Isa!” I shout with a smile, wrapping my arms around her, too.

“Today has been insane! How are you feeling?”

I simply shake my head, unable to find the words for how incredible today has been. I had my doubts this morning about how things would go, but I truly couldn’t have asked for a better day.

The crowd has been electric, and we surpassed the goal of five million dollars nearly one million dollars ago, which is unbelievable. I’ve also had a few performers confirm that, if I’m able to do this all again next year, they’re in.

Which makes me feel better than I have in weeks.

Isa giggles before hugging me close again. “I have an idea for a way to make the day even better.” She pauses for dramatic effect, as Isa always does. “Are you ready?”

My brows pull together, but my smile grows. “What is it?”

She licks her lips before saying, “You should perform a song with me.”

My smile falters. That is not what I was expecting her to say.

Noticing my expression, she clasps her hands together. “Please come out with me, Lenny.”

“Is, why would I do that? I’m not a singer.”

I can sing. But I’ve never been a real performer.

“Bitch, please.” She rolls her eyes. “You’re more talented than half the acts here today—don’t tell anyone I said that. Today has been for your parents, so why not end it doing the thing you shared with them?”

I roll my lips together. In the ten months since the accident, I haven’t thought much about how I haven’t been singing. It was always something I would do for fun—writing was always what I loved most.

But standing here now, with Isa begging me to join her for a song, I’m paralyzed by the fact that I haven’t sung since my parents’ funeral. I learned to sing before I ever started writing, all because of my parents. They’re the reason I love music the way I do, the reason singing and writing have always been such a large part of my life. They’re the ones who taught me to use my voice to sing when I couldn’t find it to speak.

Thinking about it, singing used to be my safe haven.

Now though, it might be my biggest fear.

I shake my head. “I don’t think I can, Is.”

Her smile falters. “Lenny, I know you’re scared. But there’s no better time for you to get back out there than now.” She waves her hands around as she does a spin. “Look around. Look what you did. This whole day is what it is because you made it such.”

She walks toward me again, her hands resting on my shoulders. “You’ve been saying for weeks now how you feel like something’s missing from today. And yes, your parents are—it sucks that they aren’t here, but we both know today wouldn’t even exist if they were, so it isn’t them. It’s you, Lennon. You are what’s missing.”

My eyes begin to well with tears as the weight of her words settles around me.

“Do you really think this is a good idea? I’m not ready. I don’t have a song prepared.”

“You know all of mine—we can just sing one of those. I think this is exactly what the day needs. And even more, I think it’s exactly what you need, too.”

I ponder her words for a moment longer before nodding.

Exhaling deeply, I say, “Okay then. Let’s do it.”

“DARE YOU TO MOVE” BY SWITCHFOOT

The rest of the day goes by quickly. Sadie’s finishing up her show now, and her performance has been as incredible as I knew it would be, which only confirms how right I was in asking her to extend her set. I have no doubt that every person at this show will leave knowing the name Sadie Armstrong, which will do wonders for her when she gets to Nashville next month.

She finishes her new song titled “somewhere somehow” and heads off the stage, the cheers from the crowd following her back. The smile on her face is brighter than I’ve ever seen as she wraps her arms around me.

“You were amazing! How was it?”

Her eyes shine as she grins at me. “It was incredible. Thank you so much for everything, Lennon. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you for what you’ve done for me.”

“Thank me by making it big in Nashville, okay?”

Her lips quirk up again, tears filling her eyes as she nods. “ You’ve got it.”

She gives me one last hug before heading back to the makeshift green room. I grab my microphone and make my way onto the stage to introduce the penultimate act of the night, Isa.

She struts out from the side of the stage as the cheers from the crowd bellow around us. Tossing them her classic Isa smile, she says, in the flirtiest voice she can muster, “Well, Toronto. You sure do know how to make a girl feel wanted.” And then she winks, and I swear the crowd gets even louder.

I smile at her as she takes her place at centre stage before I turn to exit. We agreed I’d come on for her final song, which will be “When the Lights Go Down.” It’s a song off her first album, but it’s a perfect one to end her performance with.

I watch from my place at the side of the stage as she dances and laughs through her entire performance, looking every bit like the Isabella Cordova I know and love. Her dark curls bounce around her as she puts on the performance of her life, like I knew she would.

Isabella Cordova is a force to be reckoned with—she’s smart, strong, independent, beautiful…and she never fails to completely captivate everyone who dares to cross her path.

The woman was born to be onstage.

The crowd sings along to the songs they know and tries with the ones they don’t, and I watch in awe as my petite best friend fills every inch of the large stage. Before I know it, the intro chords to her final song start up. She meets my gaze from fifteen feet away and nods, signalling for me to join her.

“Alright, Toronto. Before I go tonight, I have a special surprise for you all.” I begin to make my way out as she continues talking to the crowd. “My best friend Lennon is going to help me with this last one. How’s that sound?”

The crowd goes wild as she reaches her hand out to me, and I take it.

Looking out over the crowd, I let my eyes fall shut. I should be more nervous, I think. After all, this wasn’t planned. I’ve never performed in front of a crowd this big before, and I haven’t sang in nearly a year.

I should be panicking.

But instead, under the warmth of the spotlights beating down on me, I hold the microphone up to my lips and let myself remember my parents.

The performance is a simple one—just the two of us standing side-by-side, hand-in-hand, singing as if our lives depend on this very moment. I keep my eyes screwed shut, allowing all the memories of my parents that I’ve tried to force myself to forget come crashing back as the words pour out of me.

When the song comes to an end and I open my eyes again, I see their faces on everyone in the crowd. The tears spill out of me before I can stop them, and Isa wraps her arms around me.

But the smile that fills my face is the realest one I’ve felt in months.

“Thank you all for being here. It means the world to me, and it would’ve meant the world to my parents, too.”

With those words, I turn to make my way offstage, but Isa’s voice in the mic stops me.

“We’re not done yet—I have one more surprise for you all.”

I spin back around, a puzzled look on my face.

“Now, most of you probably don’t know this, but I’m a bit of a meddler. Over the past few months, I’ve watched my best friend fall in love with this guy you all know pretty well.” She smirks at me before she continues. “He’s here tonight, actually. Please give me a hand in welcoming Baxter James to the stage!”

My jaw drops when he walks out from behind the curtains on the opposite side of the stage, his eyes finding mine immediately.

I’d caught a glimpse of him earlier in his trailer, but I knew the second I looked into his eyes, everything that’s happened over the past few weeks would fade away, so I avoided his gaze. I refused to turn around as he spoke to me out of fear that seeing him for real would damn near kill me.

I was right—my heart stops as I stare at him.

It’s been two weeks since I saw him this way—decked in his usual black leather jacket, jeans, and combat boots.

Two weeks since I tangled my fingers in his dark-brown hair, which is now mussed as if he’s been running his own hands through it.

Two weeks since I looked into his navy-blue gaze, currently surrounded by dark circles, like he hasn’t been sleeping.

But he still looks every bit like the Baxter I’ve fallen in love with over the past few months.

My brows pull together as I take him in. His eyes stay locked on mine, and when he smirks, I inhale sharply, all my anger dissipating.

I knew I missed him, obviously, but I was unprepared for just how much.

Throughout these last two weeks, throughout all my anger and frustration and sadness, one thought has been louder than all the others. Despite the lying, despite the way he hurt me, I’m in love with Baxter James. Nothing in this world could change that. And seeing him here now, looking lost and broken, I’m reminded of exactly why I fell in love with him in the first place.

Which is what I was afraid of.

All the emotions that have been running through me for the past two weeks fade away as I stare at him, slack-jawed and my feet frozen in place.

It hurts so damn much. Because now I know the truth, and I can’t figure out which is more important—following my heart or following my head.

And I don’t have time to figure it out, because when he stops two feet away from me and says the words, “Hi, Trouble,” into the mic for the whole audience to hear, I’m pretty sure I fall all over again.

Damn it, Isa.