Page 109 of Thunderstruck
“Shout,” Cole moans, finishing the lyric as Liam grabs his mic and repeats the chorus while he makes his way down the walkway again, heading right for us as the energy of the song rises. His eyes are locked on Cole, who definitely looks like he might throw up but has a determinedglint in his eyes. “Carissa,” Cole says, “whatever happens in the next two minutes, don’t think less of me.”
I don’t have time to wonder what he means because Cole reaches for Liam’s hand and climbs up onto the stage. For a moment the two men stare at each other while the band holds a note, like they’re waiting for something to happen.
“Make or break time, big guy,” Liam says with a smirk. “Give them something else to talk about.”
Cole rips the microphone out of Liam’s hand, and in the next moment he’s singing.Cole is singing at Liam’s showfor the whole arena to hear.
And he’s dang good at it.
I don’t have words. I simply gape at the man who sings about being in love and being too afraid to admit it out loud.Love. My heart is stuck in my throat as Liam grabs another mic and joins in, and the song was clearly meant as a duet because it’s basically a conversation between the two of them.
Where Liam’s voice is clear and strong, Cole’s has a rougher quality to it that I can practically feel rumbling through my chest. Their voices shouldn’t mix as well as they do, but the two of them combined are magical. I swear the audience is losing their minds just like I am, though I doubt half of them realize who Cole is. They will soon; they’re clearly fans now.
Back off, ladies. He’s mine.
Cole ismine. I feel that from my head to my toes, like my whole being has tied itself to this beautiful, sweet,wonderfulman in a way that may never be undone. I’ve known for so long that he’s special, but watching him drop all of his shields in front of a crowd of I don’t know how many thousands, I realize I have severely underestimated just how amazing Cole is.
When the song hits the final chorus, the band drops out and Liam rushes back to the piano to accompany Cole as he sings the final words.
Sings them right to me.
Cole crouches directly in front of me, looking amazing in his button-down and slacks and dark eyes fixed on me as he sings an altered version of the chorus.
I’ll say it loud, I’ll say it proud,
I’ll let my heart do all the talking
’Cause with you I’ve got no fear or doubt
And all I gotta do is shout…
“I love you,” he says into the mic. The crowd goes nuts, chanting for more, but Cole’s eyes never leave mine. A staff member takes the mic from him, and he jumps back into our box and pulls me into a kiss to end all kisses.
The rest of the concert is a blur.
“I still can’t believe you actually did it.” Liam looks exhausted, but he also looks like he had the best night of his life as he lies stretched out on a couch in the green room after the show. He hasn’t stopped smiling since playing the final notes of Cole’s song.
Which, apparently, is called “Cole’s Song.”Really original, Liam.
“And risk being the first to back down? No way.” Cole, reclined on a second couch, pulls me closer even though I’m literally on top of him, my back pressed into his chest and his arms tucked around me. I can’t possibly get any closer.
“I was worried you never learned the words,” Liam says.
Cole chuckles. “I know you better than to be unprepared.”
I could fall asleep right here if given the chance, but I have too many questions. “I need to know everything,” I say, which hopefully sums up most of my confusion.
Cole and Liam both laugh. “It’s always a bad idea to leave the two of us alone for very long,” Liam says. “We have a habit of making bets and stupid challenges.”
“Okay?” I would twist to look at Cole if I wasn’t so darn comfy. “Keep explaining.”
“We made a bet like a year ago,” Cole says. “Liam thought I was too chicken to propose to Sage.”
“I was right,” Liam adds.
“And he said I was going to take so long that he would be married before I ever popped the question, even though at the time Liam was pretty against the whole idea of marriage and relationships.”
Liam grins, running a hand through his blond hair. “So I said that if I ended up married before he struck up the nerve to propose, he had to come to one of my shows and sing that song to do the deed.”
