Trent’s now on stage, plugging in his guitar and tuning it, biting his bottom lip. Jaxon spots me from behind the curtain and waves. I can see his eyes from here, finally sparkling again—the puppy is back, and he looks beyond excited. I wave again, mouthing, Good luck.

The crowd quietens a little as Jaxon and three others walk on stage. He takes the centre microphone, adjusting it so it’s in line with his mouth.

The drums start. One deep beat at a time, they begin slowly and speed up until they’re in time with my heartbeat. The rest of the band keep their heads down, and Jaxon’s hair is flopped over his eyes. He looks cute. But it’s hard not to look cool when you’re the lead singer in a band.

Jaxon lifts his head, presses his lips to the mic and starts to sing, words flowing one into the other like rivulets forming a stream. Trent joins in as backup, his guitar chords accentuating the rhythm and pace. After a minute, the keyboard and saxophone (or is it a clarinet?) have joined in and the crowd has gone silent, nodding their heads to the music.

It feels like forever since I last smiled this much.

The band plays song after song, each as good as the last, and the crowd is engrossed, arms above their heads, bodies moving, and I’m swaying my hips to the beat. The drummer’s awesome. Can’t see his face, though, with his hoodie pulled over his head, covering everything except his nose. Jaxon’s a natural, not nervous at all like Trent, who’s either had his eyes mostly closed or has been staring at his strings, only peeking out at the audience briefly before closing his eyes again.

‘This final song,’ Jaxon says once the drummer finishes his riff, ‘is dedicated to someone I met just a couple of weeks ago but feel like I’ve known way, way longer …’ He takes a breath and looks straight at me. ‘Someone complicated, courageous, a little crazy, and not from around here. You know who you are.’

Hold on.

The song begins. His voice is out of this world, and some of the girls in the crowd start screaming like groupies. When he hits the chorus, it’s clear. This is a love song.

Oh no.

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Jaxon’s band wins the competition, and as he holds the trophy on stage I’ve never seen him so happy. Trent shakes the judge’s hand and takes the cheque for $500. They also get a bunch of other freebies from various shops in town.