Page 79 of Backstage

The quiet returns to total silence, and I’m almost panicking. I turn to Lilly and set my eyes on hers. I’m immediately overwhelmed by a feeling of warmth.

“I found someone who, despite such a serious accusation, stood by me...and I, like the perfect asshole I am, pushed her away.” Whistling and giggling go up from the audience again.

Thomas brings me an acoustic guitar and a stool with a grin from ear to ear, and I want to choke him. I’m terrified, I’ve never made a statement like this before, and he laughs. I sit down, adjusting the guitar and microphone, and then I look back out at the audience.

“These days I’ve been writing a song. I didn’t know who it was for until I reread it this morning and realized there’s only one person I think about when I sing those words. It’s only a few verses, it’s not complete yet, but I need to play it for her.”

The girls’ cries are deafening as I play the first notes on the guitar. I look at Lilly and find her white as a sheet with watery eyes and Luke, Martin, and Taylor struggling to hold back a laugh. I don’t even want to turn around and look at Michael’s face, he’ll be fucking with me for the rest of my life.

“You found me on top of the cliff

And you grabbed me before I could fall

You guided me when I couldn’t see the light

You were my eyes on the road

You lit the fire

When there was no more heat in me

You found my heart empty

And you put it in your pocket.

You poured all the love you had in it

And you brought him back to life.”

When I finish the few verses of the song, there is a moment of absolute silence, then a roar rises from the crowd. I look towards Lilly, and I find her blushing, embarrassed, but smiling happily.

“Tonight the Red Velvet Curtains didn’t have time to perform, given what happened, but it doesn’t seem right to steal the warmth and excitement of the Staples Center from them. I say we let them play with us. What do you say?”

The audience explodes in a second roar, and I wave to the guys to join us as they pick up instruments, stools, and microphones. I stand up, and when Lilly catches up with me, I step forward. She looks me in the eye with a love I’ve never seen in anyone before. I grab her face in my hands and caress it. She squints, and I lean over to her ear. “I wanted to apologize for what I said to you this morning and let you know I don’t think those things. I wanted to push you away so you wouldn’t have that nightmare,” I whisper to her.

Lilly nods, tears of joy veiling her eyes.

“I’m not good at making statements, I know, but I hope you know that I’m in love with you,” I add, embarrassed.

Lilly bursts into a half laugh that catches me off guard. “Are you serious? You set the bar for making a romantic statement so high, anyone else will have to work hard to get there.”

“Did you find that romantic?” I joke with her.

“It was so sweet it almost gave me diabetes,” she smiles as she looks me in the eye.

I can’t resist. I lean down, and I kiss her with all the sweetness I can give her while she’s holding on to my shirt. The audience is delirious and won’t stop screaming.

“Get a room, you two!” Michael screams into the microphone, calling us back to reality.

Screams, whistles, and laughter rise up from the crowd, and when I turn around, I realize that every phone is pointed at us. We’ll be on all their Instagram lives but I don’t care. I take her by the hand and sit her down next to me. This concert started under the worst possible conditions, but it’s enough for me to have her with me in the storm.

People:

Soft-hearted rock star, Damian Jones, has decided to declare his love for Lilly Jenkins on stage. After the rape charges were retracted after only a few hours by the woman who accused him, it seems that the Jailbirds’ front man has finally found happiness. It appears that the two have come to a conclusion, although we are still waiting for a statement from their press officers. Should we expect a pop breakthrough from the band? Let’s hope not.

Gossip Now:

If you thought a rock star wasn’t capable of making sweet, romantic gestures after seeing Damian Jones bowing at Lilly Jenkins’ feet, you’d have to think again. The singer made a statement last night onstage in front of a Staples Center crowd, full to the brim. What could have possibly provoked him to do such an extreme gesture? Everyone’s wondering, but no one seems to have an answer, mainly because after the rape charge was dropped, immediately retracted by the victim, everyone thought the singer’s career and love life were at an end. Apparently, however, the two seem like they’re still cultivating their passion. Sure, we’re not used to seeing the dark and beautiful Damian as the lost puppy, but hopefully, it’s just a passing phase.

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