Page 145 of Crash & Burn

The smile on Emmett’s face, the one that shows all his teeth—and is usually only directed at Drew—came out when he opened it, and he knew it was from Eddie right away.

“They’re excited to meet you too. I invited them to Lenny’s after the show we have in Milwaukee next month.”

“Seriously?” Emmett’s eyes widen, and it is the first time his hard, gruff features look have a boyish, fan-girling charm to them. “Thanks, man.”

I’m next, and I know when I open the new camera bag, one way more stylish than my gray one that is on the verge of falling apart, that my Secret Santa was Annie.

“Annie! I say, pulling it out and grabbing my old one that I have at the foot of the couch. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” I grab my camera and turn it on. “I meant to take pictures today, but I always forget when I’m with you guys, which I guess is a good thing—” my voice trails off when I start arrowing through the pictures. I put a memory card in from the night Drew and Emmett got engaged, and it is the same one I kept in there for the whole summer, aside from switching it out for the ones I use for work or the one I used for Drew and Emmett’s wedding.

As I arrow through, I see a bunch of pictures of me. Ones I didn’t take from various days. Some are at our apartment. Some are out. I usually bring my camera with me, but I thought I was the only one to use it.

I look over at my shoulder to the smirk looking down on me. “What?” Eddie asks, taking a sip of his hot chocolate.

“I’m the photographer,” I say. “Itake the pictures.” I’m not fooling anyone with my fake annoyance. In all reality, it makes me feel warm inside. Eddie wanting to take pictures of me, and sneakily doing so. I thought I didn’t like having my picture taken, but looking at these pictures of me, Eddie knew how to capture my moments of smiling, laughing, or literally doing nothing.

This man is something else.

Making me feel things like it is the first time.

“I love you,” I say, pressing a kiss to his lips. He tastes like chocolate, and I wish we weren’t surrounded by our friends right now.

“Okay, okay, lovebirds,” Annie interrupts. “Drew, you’re next.”

Luke got Drew two new books that were released less than three days ago, and Emmett got Annie new stainless steel mixing bowls. I got Luke the new sneakers he’s been talking about, and Drew got Eddie new headphones he’s been wanting.

This group of people know each other inside and out, and we love each other regardless. It is the family I never knew I needed, but the one that I will always cherish because I know they aren’t going anywhere. It is the one that will continue to grow and flourish, and I can’t wait to see where we all will go.

With a soreness in my cheeks from smiling, surrounded with the people I love the most, I thank my lucky star, the one who I miss every day, that I have such a life to live for.

Extended Epilogue

Mia

One Year Later

It’s the last show of the tour, and I cannot wait to be home with Eddie and Daisy.

The Heartbreakers tour has been life-changing in more ways than one, but I cannot wait to no longer have to live out of a suitcase for weeks at a time.

Cross My Heart is almost done with their setlist, the one I have heard one million times but could hear one million times more, and I am in the zone, getting pictures of the crowd, the guys, and trying not to drool over my boyfriend.

My knees will nevernotgo weak watching this man rip off his T-shirt and play his drums with nothing but his black jeans and gold chain on.

Mateo’s vocals and Eddie’s lyrics fill the humid air around us, the last show of the summer causing a buzz within the venue that every screaming fan can feel.

As the last song—my song—ends, I drop my camera, letting it hang around my neck, and clap my hands above my head with the rest of the crowd, cheering for my brother, Theo, Silas, and Eddie loud enough that my voice will be scratchy tomorrow.

“Thank you, everyone!” my brother says into his microphone, wiping his sweaty hair from his forehead, a wide grin on his face. Theo and Silas walk towards him in the middle of the stage as Eddie rounds his drum set to join them.

“This tour has been a dream come true for us,” Mateo continues, “and it wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing bands on this tour. Thank you to Burning Down and The Falling Flames for bringing us along on this wild ride, and we can’t wait to join them again next year!”

The crowd cheers as the guys clap towards the backstage in their thanks to the co-headliners for the tour along with all the behind-the-scenes team who just recently invited Cross My Heart onto next year’s Heartbreakers Round Two tour.

“As always, we want to thank all the people who make this possible. We are so lucky to have such an amazing Cross My Heart team,” Mateo says, but I can’t tear my eyes away from Eddie who has the genuine smile on his face that sends heat to my lower belly and my skin to tingle. His eyes are on me, and you would think I would be used to being under his gaze, but it will never get old.

We have beenofficiallytogether for over a year now, but it feels so much longer. Eddie is someone I feel like I’ve known my whole life, someone who gets me on a level that goes deeper than anyone could ever understand. I know the universe helped me find him when I needed him most, when I needed the reminder on how to live. Eddie helped me move on from the past, keeping it close but not letting it take over, and he helped me look forward to the future, a future I thought I lost all those years ago.

“Lastly, Eddie wants to give a special thanks to our photographer, who you all know is the person that we will forever owe everything to. Everyone, please help us in thanking the person who has been with us from the beginning, my baby sister, Mia Lane!” The crowd cheers as faces around me turn towards me. “Mia, come up here!”

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