Page 74 of Hard To Leave

“Of course, you are. I gotta admit, even I got goose bumps listening to him up there.”

“He sounded great, didn’t he?”

She gave me a half smile. “Yeah, he was born to be there on that stage.”

I reached into my purse and pulled out my phone to check the time. My finger swiped against the glass and clicked on the new message. A fresh set of tears sprung to my eyes at the picture that Jack had sent me. It was a selfie of him and a sleeping Tanner, resting next to him. The caption read:

Out like a light. Wish it were you in my arms. Hope you’re having a great time. I love you.

Let the guilt trip begin.

Carly blew out a long breath and folded her arms over her chest. “Man, I don’t envy you right now.”

I darkened the screen on my phone, gripping it tightly in my hands. If I didn’t do this now, I never would get the courage to do it again. On shaky legs, I made my way through the long dark hallway, leading into the private room, guarded by a handful of bandana wearing, motor-cycle riding muscle heads that protected the star of the show.

My grip on Carly’s hands tightened. “I can’t believe I’m actually doing this.”

She squeezed my hand back, letting me know that I wasn’t alone. We showed the security guards our passes along with our identification and followed him to the last room on the right. He paused outside the door. “Mr. Hayes is waiting for you.”

“Let’s do this,” Carly said, leading me into the room.

When I walked through the door, it wasn’t at all what I expected. It resembled a conference room with tables lined with fruit baskets and pastries along with fancy water bottles.

A fully stocked bar was set up in one corner and a couple of love seat couches with a flat screen tv was on the other side. There was a constant barrage of crew members and stage handlers shuffling around and random people coming and going for a quick chat.

Brogan’s head swung sideways, and his big, brown eyes widened when he noticed us. He stood up, slapped someone on the back and headed our way.

Being this up close and personal had me feeling weak in the knees. He was bigger and wider. Nothing like the boy I left behind. He was all man now.

“It’s really you,” he said in amazement.

“You were amazing out there,” I said, surprised that I could even talk.

His gaze did a slow trek up my body before a crooked grin took over his face. “Look at you.” He smiled. “You’re just as beautiful as I remembered. I’m so glad to see you.”

My face grew warm from his compliment. I felt jittery around him. I couldn’t help it. The combination of nerves and guilt were getting the better of me. “It’s really good to see you too. You looked like you belong up on that stage, Brogan.” A genuine smile touched my lips. “I’m so happy for you. You did it.”

He gathered me in his arms, pulling me against his chest. The familiar scent of his body wash was almost too much to handle. “You have no idea how much that means to me to hear you say that,” he said, with his chin resting on the top of my head.

I allowed my body a moment to reconnect, to absorb the feeling of being in his arms.

It’s been over eight years since I last saw him. Eight years since we last spoke, yet it seemed like just yesterday. Everything about him was different but familiar in a nostalgic kind of way.

He pulled back, watching me for a moment while his eyes searched mine. Carly coughed, reminding us both that she was still in the room with us.

Brogan laughed. “Good to see you, too, Carly.”

Her eyes twinkled like the two of them were in on a little secret. “I’m sure.”

He smirked. “Thank you for bringing her. Can I get you guys something to drink?”

I fiddled with my hands because I wasn’t sure how to start the conversation.

“Actually…” Carly looked at me. “I have to go take a phone call. I’ll let you two kids catch up.” She paused on her way out the door. “Brogan, you looked great up there. I’m glad I got to see you in action. Thanks for the tickets.”

“You’re welcome,” he answered, never taking his eyes off of me. “It was great to see you too.”

Okay, I guess I’m really doing this.

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