“I can go with you,” Joel offered, placing a comforting hand on my back. He forced a smile when I looked at him, his ears as pink as my cheeks probably were.
“It’s okay. Only one of us should suffer through this.
Besides, you already got yours,” I said, referring to the photo.
“Yeah, but that was a quick snapshot. This is, well…” He blew out a breath and shook his head. “I don’t know why I’m
arguing with you. You go on ahead.”
His tight laugh made me smile, and after giving him a quick hug, I managed to make my way toward the front of the stage.
The audience erupted with applause as soon as I walked on stage, the gown I’d brought with me feeling terribly small in the large room. It was the same gown I’d worn to Ferdinand’s and one I hoped would be acceptable for something like this.
Of course, as soon as I glanced at the front seats, every single one of them full, it felt as though I wasn’t wearing anything at all.
Their eyes burned right through my dress, seeing the nervous, small-town girl I truly was.
Cassidy reached for my hand before my nerves got the better of me, taking me in her arms a moment later to shield me from the cameras that were pointed in our direction.
“You look lovely,” she said, the warmth of her voice sending a shiver down my spine.
“But you’ve already seen this,” I said, nervously fixing the edge of my gown.
“That doesn’t mean I don’t like it,” she said, kissing me on the cheek before finally facing the crowd. “You ready for this?” she asked, her question directed at me.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, squinting at the bright spotlight when I happened to look in its direction.
Taking the microphone from its stand, Cassidy held it in one hand while taking my hand in the other. “I want to introduce you to Evie. Now, our story isn’t the usual girl meets girl, girl likes girl, girl goes out with girl. No. Our story is a slow burn, one that’s just beginning.”
“It actually started in a bookstore,” I said with a laugh, surprised when my voice actually worked.
“And me dropping off a box of books by accident,” Cassidy added. “If you’ve ever lost a loved one, then you probably know how hard it is to sort through the bits and pieces they leave behind. I didn’t realize how difficult it was until a month
or so ago. It’s as gut-wrenching as it sounds, and sometimes we make mistakes.”
“Happy mistakes.”
Cassidy nodded in agreement. “I used to live in a small town, and in that town, there have always been two used bookstores. Exhausted from cleaning out my mother’s stuff, I simply took a box labeled books without looking into it first, then dropped it off at Evie’s place. It wasn’t until I got back to my hotel room when I realized the mistake I’d made. I’d dropped off a lot of things that day, so I couldn’t remember where I left the box of books.”
“But I knew they were important,” I joined in. “So I set them aside in case the owner returned.”
“And I did, one day later and completely out of my mind.”
She blew out a long breath, then brushed the hair from in front of her face. “These last several weeks have been nothing but chaos. I was stressed, angry for not having enough time to sort through everything, and anxious to get back here in front of you.
I don’t usually talk about my feelings because I figure that isn’t why you’re here, but Evie convinced me that being more open about my work would make it more enjoyable for each of you. After what happened with that article, well… I’m probably being more open then I probably should.”
The audience awwed and cheered, some of them calling out her name with things like ‘you rock’ or ‘we’re here for you, Cassidy.’
The audience’s support made me smile, and when she took me in her arms again, her words were strained with tears.
“Thank you,” she said, burying her head in my hair. “I know how hard this must be.”
“It was,” I admitted, holding her close, “but it’s also kind of fun. That doesn’t mean I want to do it again tomorrow night, but…” I shrugged and left it at that, kissing her on the cheek before finally letting her go. “I’ll be backstage if you need me.”
“Don’t go far,” she called after me, her voice carrying over the speakers.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Getting to see Cassidy live? Yes, please!