Her eyes studied my face, stopping on my jaw, where I could still feel the sting of a small cut. Remorse filled her features, then she leaned up and softly kissed the tender spot. Her act of contrition was healing, and I felt some of the ice in my chest melting. I gave her a silent nod, accepting her apology. Then I tilted my head toward the exit. “Come on…want to watch our show?”

The girlish grin that came over her lightened my heart even more. She loved watching us perform, and I loved performing for her. I really missed her being in the audience, her eyes tearing through me, her mind absorbing every sound, every phrase, every hidden meaning. No one listened to me quite like Kiera did. Her scrutiny had hurt in the beginning, made me want to hide, but now…it just made me love her even more. She saw me, the real me. And thankfully, she loved what she saw.

After Kiera told me yes, we met up with Evan outside. He smiled at Kiera, tossing an arm over her shoulders. It made me happy that my friends liked Kiera, and she liked them too. Most of them. All of us getting along made this rollercoaster we were on a lot less stressful. If that ever changed…I didn’t know what I would do. But I had enough current problems without worrying over imaginary ones.

I felt more energized than usual during the show. Maybe it was because the pressure was off now that we were officially signed. Maybe it was because Kiera was here with me, watching me. Or maybe it was a combination of the two. For whatever reason, it was the best show we’d done so far. It electrified me.

The guys drifted off after our set, while I scooped Kiera into my arms, near delirious with joy that she was here. We ended up staying near the stage to watch Avoiding Redemption play, then we headed backstage where I signed a few last-minute autographs for fans. I took a little too long doing it, and Kiera was almost outed by security. Rescuing her from being evicted reminded me that she didn’t have the necessary clearance to be back here in the first place. What had she said earlier? So much had happened since then, I really couldn’t remember. Other than the fact that she was going to kill her sister for it.

Holding her hand as we headed for the exit, I smiled and said, “That little incident reminds me…What exactly did you do to get backstage?”

She ran a hand down her face, like she was mortified just thinking about it. “You don’t want to know,” she murmured.

With a laugh, I twisted around so I was walking backward, facing her. “Now I definitely want to know.” Raising an eyebrow, I waited for her to tell me.