“This is your dream, Kellan,” she said, disbelief on her face. “And this could be it for you. This could be your moment, your chance. Isn’t this what you want?”

My eyes drifted to the doors of the bar. I shrugged, like it didn’t matter, but even as I did, a ball of ice collected in my chest. “I’m fine with my life the way it is. Playing at Pete’s…” my eyes returned to hers, “…being with you.” I really didn’t want to choose between those two dreams, but push come to shove, Kiera would always win that battle. Always.

Kiera pressed her body close to mine and ran her hand through my hair. “But you know you’re too talented to keep doing that forever, Kellan. Even though I‘d like to keep you to myself, I know that I can’t hide you away from the world.”

My eyes sank to the ground, an objection on my lips, but she ducked down to look at me and said something I couldn’t deny. “And it’s not just your dream, Kellan.” Her eyes drifted to the bar. I looked with her, and the disappointment on Matt’s face flooded my vision. “You know how much this means to them,” she said, returning her eyes to mine. “You can’t say no because of me.”

A sigh of defeat left me. “I know. They’re the only reason I’m even talking to you about this right now.” I shook my head. “But, Kiera, you have another year of school, you can’t come with me. I don’t want to leave you—”

She cut me off with a rough shake of her head. “Not because of me, Kellan.” Emotion knotted her throat; tears glistened in her eyes. “I won’t keep another man from his dream,” she whispered.

Understanding pricked my skin as I clutched her tight to me. She wasn’t going to say no, wasn’t going to demand that I stay behind with her. No matter how much it hurt her, she was going to let me go…which meant…the choice was entirely up to me. A part of me wanted to take a chance on this opportunity and leave. She was right about this being a dream of mine. I might play it off as being unimportant but being on a stage was all I’d ever wanted since Denny had shown me my true path. And the guys…I couldn’t take this away from them. But fuck…if I left…what would happen to us? Could we survive that kind of separation? Would she…wait for me?

I was so terrified to leave her, I was shivering in her arms. Kiera felt the vibrations. Her voice in my ear was soft with concern. “You’re scared, Kellan. Why? You never get scared.”