Page 140 of The Prodigal Son

Jensen asked me to give him time, so I am. He asked me to live my life, and I am. He asked me to trust that his love would never die, and I have never trusted anything more in my life. My eyes won’t stray an inch.

There is only Jensen for me. Forever. I believe the universe has a way of bringing people together who truly need each other, and I know that’s what happened with us. He would call thatdivine intervention, but I don’t think it matters who gets the credit. It doesn’t make it any less true.

Jensen is my soul mate. And I’ll wait forever if he needs me to.

There’s a knock at the door and I jump, looking up at it as if there’s something evil lurking behind it. “Fifteen minutes,” someone calls.

Lola looks at me with wide eyes. “Deep breath.”

“Got it.”

As we come out of the room and meet the rest of our band and crew backstage, they’re all looking at me. Everyone knows what’s happening tonight. I would never spring this on anyone, but I can see the tension on their faces. Maybe they think I’m not ready, or they’re worried about how tonight will go.

For all I know, everyone in that stadium could boo me and leave. That would really fucking suck, but I’m prepared for that. I’ll be fine if that happens. Might cry a little…rightfully so, but I also know the chances of that happening are pretty slim.

As everyone stares at me expectantly, I place my hand in the middle. Taking a deep breath, I realize what a big moment this is, not just for me but for all of us. We’re nearing the end of our tour. For some of them, this was their first—like me. Some of us have been together since the beginning.

Either way, it reminds me that every moment is so fleeting but still just as significant.

“I want you all to know that I appreciate every single one of you for being on this journey with me. Having you behind me, both literally and figuratively, has given me the strength to stand here and do this today. You’re the best fucking band and crew in the world. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

“We love you, Theo,” someone says, making me tear up.

“Yeah, we love you,” Lola adds, nudging my shoulder.

They start hooting and cheering and soon, we’re all jumping and shouting and getting pumped for the show. I feel like crying already, but I manage to hold it together before we run to our places.

The lights in the stadium go down and the crowd goes wild. Lola starts on the guitar and I wait for my cue.

No matter what happens tonight, I’ll be fine. I’ve done far worse things than this. And I’ve already built this fan base from nothing. If I have to, I’ll do it again. I’m Theo motherfucking Virgil. I can do anything.

With that, I run out onstage and stare out into the bright lights at the sound of my adoring fans.

We play the first half of the set to an energetic crowd. They sing along louder than ever, and it gives me hope that this won’t be a complete disaster.

Toward the middle of the show, the audience is pumped and I do the same thing I do every night. The band goes out for their break. Someone on the crew brings me out a stool and I take a seat in front of the mic to sing Jensen’s song.

Tonight is just going to be a little different. Normally, I talk about writing this song and being in love and I keep things vague for a reason.

But as I sit down on the stool and stare out at the crowd through the bright lights, I sense Lola and the others watching me from the wings.

“I’m doing things a little differently tonight,” I say, holding my guitar on my lap. It’s like my security blanket. I strum it quietly between words.

I can only really see the people closest to me, and it’s mostly women huddled together in the GA pit, holding phones and staring up at me with adoring smiles. I grin down at them and take a deep breath.

“I wrote this song when I fell in love with someone. Most of my other songs are about me growing up in a religious household, breaking away to find peace in my life, making friends and finding myself along the way.”

When I take a moment to gather my courage, the crowd starts to cheer, growing louder and louder, and it honestly takes my breath away. I glance up through the bright lights and I see my own face on the large screens on either side of the stadium. The cameras are homed in on my face and the tears brimming in my eyes.

When I bring my mouth back to the mic, the crowd quiets again. I close my eyes, and I speak my truth. Not just for myself and not just for Jensen. But for every single person out there who has been afraid to be themselves. For everyone who felt they had to hide. For everyone who has thought the best thing to do is to run away—either like I did or like Jensen tried to.

I want them to know they’re not alone.

“It occurred to me recently that I sing this song to you every night, but I’ve never told you about the person I wrote it for. There’s been a lot of speculation about who I’ve been dating. I know everyone is curious, and I’ve kept the truth from you for so long because…it’s so vulnerable and a little scary. I don’t know how people will react, and I only want love and acceptance like everyone else. Like everyone deserves. The truth is…”

Deep breath, Isaac.

You’re not alone.

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