Page 91 of Rival Hearts

“Definitely memorable.” I clapped him on the shoulder. Other than Kelvin and the guys in the group routine, Trent was probably the only other solo performer I knew who could dance with some rhythm.

“I hope so.” Trent accepted his discarded clothes from Joseph Goldtooth as the next performer took center stage. “It’d be nice to be known for something else, something positive.”

I kept my gaze focused on the heavy red curtain and took a deep, steadying breath. Most of the buzz behind the stage had quieted down. The final huge group number had passed. Mia Malone had come and gone. A few of my other musical friends had left in limos, and now it was just me, a stage, and a guitar.

Unlike when I played in the open mic night months ago, I was wishing to see Maggie’s face for an entirely different reason.

“Where do you want the camera?” Kelvin scrolled through some of his apps to find the one he and Lila had agreed would be best for recording and live streaming.

“Maggie needs to know I’m doing this for her. So, the tighter you can frame me, the better. I want her to feel like she’s in the room with me.”

He tapped some buttons on his phone and tested the volume. “It’s been a good night,” Kelvin said as Tyler continued his spiel out in front of the curtain. “I hope Lila can get her to watch.”

The guitar was slung across my back, and there was a stool a few feet in front, which I might use after I’d spent time wooing the audience, which was really Maggie. I couldn’t care less what anyone in the crowd thought when this was over.

I closed my eyes and sent a little prayer out into the universe, hoping it landed with Maggie’s dad. Jim would want us to be happy, and he’d want Maggie to feel comforted and secure.

“Even if she can’t watch tonight, I’m counting on all those people out there with their phones and cameras and curiosity to compel her to hear me out.”

Jim’s advice was at the forefront of my mind. I was meeting the hard things head-on and fighting for what I wanted.

Maggie.

I wanted Maggie, and I needed her to know exactly what I should have told her weeks ago.

From the other side of the curtain, Tyler said, “And now, to close out the show, a special performance from Grady Castillo. It’s a real treat, ladies and gentlemen. What you’re seeing tonight, you’ve never seen before, and you’ll never see this exact performance again.”

I sucked in a deep breath and looked at Kelvin. “Don’t fuck up.”

He laughed. “Same, man. Same.” Then, Kelvin took a few steps back and raised his phone to me as the curtains parted.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Maggie

Ilay in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about getting a second cat. Ginger was curled around my arm, purring. I really wanted a dog, perhaps two. Preferably following a tall, brown-haired, brown-eyed man back into my house, back into my life.

Each time my brain headed in that direction, I wished to slice out every memory of Grady and examine it, figure out why he had such a tremendous influence on me. The connection didn’t make sense. Why did I care so much?

If I wasn’t thinking about cats or about Grady and his dogs, my thoughts drifted to Dad. Those memories weren’t ones I was ready to pluck out, to put under the microscope. No matter how much I tried to skirt around the realization that he was gone, it kept coming back like a vicious right hook, knocking me to the ground.

There’d been glimmers of a real, healthy relationship with Grady in the few days we’d been together. But then he’d kept the job from me. When someone was in a relationship they cared about, they didn’t keep the big life moments from eachother. From watching my parents, I knew couples navigated those moments together, and doing it separately was asking for trouble. The last piece of advice my father had given me had been about relationships.

Loving someone with all your heart means you aren’t rivals, you’re teammates. You cheer each other on.

Had Grady told me about the job, I might have cheered even as my heart broke. For him, the opportunity was amazing. I would never want to be a factor holding him back.

I’d wanted to feel important enough to be part of the discussion. Instead, I’d felt easy to leave behind yet again.

The doorbell pealed through the house, and Ginger skittered away as though the melody was a gunshot. I sighed and threw back the covers, my feet hitting the floor of my bedroom. Almost everyone I knew was at the Small Town Saviors show in Utica. I’d shunned social media in case I’d glimpsed something, and guilt had seeped in far enough to propel me there. I wasn’t ready to face any of it.

With one eye pressed to the peephole, I frowned. “Lila?”

As soon as I opened the door, Lila grabbed my arm and led me to the couches in the living room.

Panic rose, and tears sprang to my eyes at the determined way she was acting. I sank into the plush leather beside Lila. “Did something happen? You’re supposed to be at the Small Town Saviors show.”

“Oh, Maggie. No. I’m sorry. I should have said something when I got here. It’s just…” She pressed the home button on her phone. “I’m running out of time. Traffic was shit. I need you to watch something.”

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