Page 149 of The Oscar Escape
The perceptive woman narrowed her gaze. “Are you okay with that?”
Aria shrugged. “I wish he were here, but I can’t blame him for not coming. I didn’t take any of his calls and told him we were through.” She could feel the ache in her heart. “Still, when I take the stage, I’m going to speak directly to him.”
“What will you say?”
It was a good question.
Aria pictured the words in her mind. “I’ll start with a line in our vows about sacrificing selfishness for generosity and compromise. That hit home for me. Pushing myself to the brink was selfish. I see that now. I need him to know I understand that behavior hurt him deeply. I need him to know that not only do I want to change, I’m taking action to do so.” She paused. “He’s my match, Georgia. We’re meant to be together. I wanted to purchase the inn for him to show him I was serious about altering the trajectory of my career. I want to be part of building up the island’s arts community. We’ve got the momentum. We can do so much good. It’s similar to the work my aunt and uncle do in Denver. It’s what my parents wanted to pursue. But their lives were cut short.” She exhaled a slow breath. She couldn’t get ahead of herself. “Buying the inn seemed like the perfect way for Oscar and me to join the community. Del and Etta had mentioned that the place had become too much for them to maintain, and then Oscar and I found an appraisal report. I put two and two together, thinking they’d consider selling it to me, but I’ve learned they might have found another buyer. Do you know anything about that?”
“What about all this?” Georgia asked, gesturing to the amphitheater. “The crowds? The celebrity life? Being adored by the masses? Isn’t this who you are?”
“It’s who I thought I had to be. Rock star life is a part of me, but I don’t want it to be what defines me. My place is on the island—with Oscar.”
Georgia raised an eyebrow. “Do you think he also wants that? I’ve heard he’s a bit of a nomad, a drifter.”
Aria thought back to her encounter with Agatha and the wine-spritzer ladies. “I’m a dreamer. We complete each other. I believe with my whole heart that we can drift and dream together. It’s not one or the other. An old friend taught me that. That’s why I want to buy the inn. It can be where we start our next chapter. Do you have any idea who put in an offer to buy it? Are they local?”
Georgia pressed her hand to the rock wall and drummed her fingers against the rusty-red surface. “What I can tell you is that there’s a stipulation that must be fulfilled before the sale can go through. It can only be purchased by a married couple. As of right now, Del and Etta aren’t certain the current prospective buyer will be able to fulfill the requirement.”
Aria perked up. “So, there’s hope?”
“When it comes to Havenmatch Island, there’s always hope.”
A young man wearing a headset jogged into the green room. “Miss Paige-Grant, your aunt is finishing up. You’re on in two.”
“We’ll be right along,” Georgia replied.
The production assistant nodded and headed out.
Georgia gestured toward the corridor that led to the stage. “I understand there’s been a change in your set.”
Dom must have told her.
Aria nodded. “I’m opening by myself. Me and a piano. I’m taking your advice. I’m going to be brave enough to show the world who I am.”
Harper’s voice and the strum of her guitar grew louder as they neared the stage. The crowd was clapping to the rhythm. A steady thump that matched the beat of Aria’s heart.
“I applaud your boldness, but you misinterpreted my words,” Georgia remarked.
Aria stopped dead in her tracks. “How so? I’m prepared to go out there—on my own. No glittery costume. No light show. No techno beats drowning out the lyrics. I’m showing the world the real me and then bidding goodbye to the spotlight. When Oscar hears what I have to say, he’ll know I’m on the right path—our path.”
Georgia wrapped her arm around Aria’s shoulders and shepherded her toward the stage. “Being brave doesn’t mean taking on the world by yourself. True bravery is being vulnerable. Let those who love you support you. That’s how you reveal your true self. That’s what Havenmatch Island is—and always has been. People who band together to bring out the best in each other. They have each other’s backs.”
“The judge shared that with us,” Aria said softly.
“And he’s correct. When the people who care about you show up, be brave enough to open the door to your heart and let them in.”
“I will,” Aria whispered, profoundly grateful for Georgia’s wise words.
The crowd roared as Harper’s song ended. “Thank you! Thank you, Denver.” She looked offstage and caught Aria’s eye. “Denver, are you ready for Aria . . . Paige . . . Grant . . . ?”
The place went wild. Cheers ricocheted off the grand red rocks on either side of the amphitheater.
“Let’s hear it for my niece.”
“That’s you, dear,” came a woman’s rich, purring voice.
Aria peered over her shoulder and caught a hint of red. “Madelyn?”
