For a harrowing second, I wondered if I was hallucinating. Maybe Savannah and I hadn’t had that loving moment between us on stage. Maybe, in reality, she’d taken one look at me in my new bandit costume and whacked me in the head with her Black Widow style high kicks. She would, too. Too often I’d catch her looking at me like she wanted to commit murder. Maybe I was lying in on a hospital stretcher somewhere, completely passed out and dreaming. I would dream of Collin. And his chocolate colored eyes. And his lips, so close to mine.
“Are you sure this is real?” I asked, chewing on my cheek.
Collin put a finger under my chin and gently raised it to look me in the eye. “More real than anything I’ve ever known. Is it too late to ask for my singing partner back?”
I tried to suppress a grin, even as my pulse began to pick up. “No, but it’ll cost you.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Name it.”
My heart thundered in my chest as I thought about the last few months. How much everything had changed. Collin had been right. I’d been too scared to do anything for myself. Too scared to make waves. But I’d changed, and so had he. Nothing was standing in my way anymore.
“Remember the party on the beach?” I asked, walking my fingers up his arm.
The glint in his eyes smoldered and he trailed his fingers down to the back of my neck, leaving a scorching trail. “Yeah.”
“When you were dared to kiss me?”
“Definitely.” His chest rose and fell in a heavy breath.
I rose to my tiptoes, until only an inch was left between his lips and mine, and grinned. “Collin Preston, I dare you to kiss me.”
He didn’t need any more convincing. His lips met mine with a delirious passion. My mouth filled with the minty taste of him, my lips slanted against his. His hands found the small of my back and pulled me in closer until I couldn’t tell where he began and I ended. My heart hammered away happily inside my chest as everything in my world shifted back into place. Collin was back. It couldn’t have been a better ending, even if this had been a cheesy Hallmark movie.
We pulled apart just as the music playing in the background ended and clapping began. The Glee Club was done with their performance. Mrs. Banks would be announcing me any minute. But now, I wasn’t alone.
“Got your guitar?” I asked breathlessly, unsure if I’d be able to walk a straight line onto the stage, that kiss had me so dizzy.
Collin nodded. “One step ahead of you.” He grabbed his guitar case that had been stashed under the stage and opened it up.
I gaped at the sight and put my hand on my hip. “Um, exactly how long have you been planning to surprise me here?”
“Since before your performance as Rascal the Bandit,” he said, eyes twinkling. “That was really great, by the way. Very sexy.”
My face warmed as I pressed a hand to my cheek. “You saw that?”
“Every single precious moment.” He closed his eyes and tipped his head up toward the sky. “I don’t think I would’ve been able to go on if I’d missed my girlfriend busting through the smoke as the sexiest raccoon that ever lived.”
I laughed, but my insides were zinging. Collin called me his girlfriend. Nothing was better than that.
Mrs. Banks’ voice rang out over the stadium as the Glee Club descended the stairs. I heard her say my name and the world seemed to tilt. This was the moment I’d been waiting for the entire year. I reached for the base of the stage to steady myself and took a deep breath.
“Hey, you ready?” Collin cupped my elbow and looked into my eyes.
“Yeah.” I grinned up at him and nodded. Seeing him beside me made all of the nerves disappear. “Let’s rock this thing.”
His eyes shone with approval and he bent down to press his lips quickly to mine. And then we were off, climbing the stairs to the stage. Mrs. Banks’ eyes grew wide when she saw Collin holding my hand, but she hardly missed a beat. Turning back to the microphone she cleared her throat.
“Turns out we have a little change of plans. Singing with Ms. Black will be her song co-writer, Collin Preston.”
I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a loud cheer. The entirety of Rock Valley screamed and clapped, welcoming Collin back. He didn’t even seem to notice. His eyes were on mine the whole time, even as we adjusted our microphone stands and plugged our guitars into the sound system.
“Everyone knows that the story of our founders, Sarah Good and Captain Adley, was a love story,” Collin said into the mic, his smile brightening. “We’re here to bring that love story to life one more time.”
I nodded and strummed a D chord on my guitar. The beautiful sound peeled from the speakers, electrifying my nerve endings and reverberating in my soul. With one look up at Collin’s glowing smile, I jumped into the beginning:
I thought I was all alone
Blazing a trail through life