right, you know. I think I’ll be ready for a 10K soon. Maybe we can enter one in New York.”
“That would be fun.”
It starts raining. Beachgoers quickly pack up their things and jog to their cars. The raindrops make little divots in the sand. The dunes turn a shade darker as the wetness soaks in. “We should find cover.”
“Let’s run through it.”
A dark cloud is approaching. “Ella, it’s raining pretty hard to the west.”
She gazes at me thoughtfully. “My dad once told me that buffalo instinctively head into a storm.”
“Huh?”
“Buffalo. They don’t try to avoid a storm,” she says. “It’s the strangest thing. They don’t stand still, and they don’t run away from it. They walk right through it. It’s almost like they know the storm will be over faster if they face it head on. They know they will come out the other side much quicker than if they stand still or try to run from it.”
I stare at the sky knowing she’s not really talking about buffalo at all. “I don’t want to run through it, El.”
“Why not?”
I take a step toward the boardwalk. “Maybe I’m afraid I won’t come out the other side.”
She takes my hand. “What if I say I want to help you get through it?”
I pull away. “I’d say that’s something nobody can do.”
I get out my phone and summon an Uber.
~ ~ ~
“Crew’s here to see you,” Ella shouts through the bathroom door.
I quickly dress and join them. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Can we talk?” he asks, motioning toward the door.
“Yeah, sure.”
“You’re coming tonight, Ella?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
Out in the hall, he leans against the wall. “What is it?” I ask. “You seem nervous.”
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box. He opens it, and there’s a ring inside.
“Holy shit. You’re really going to do this?”
“I want to do it tonight at the show.”
“Why not wait until the last performance?”
“Do you remember that day last year when you all confronted Bria and me with the addendum you wanted us to sign because you thought we were having a relationship?”
“Yeah.”
He opens his notebook and finds a page. He points to the date on the top. It’s today’s date, one year ago. I read the lyrics and recognize the song from our second album. “That’s the day you wrote this?”
“It’s the day I knew I wanted to be with her, but I couldn’t admit it to you or myself. It’s the day I felt there could be more, when I thought there was a chance of getting past all the shit that happened. That’s why I need to do it tonight. I’m going to do it right after this song.” He glances behind him to make sure we’re still alone. “Then I’m going to sing a new one. Just me on the keyboard. And there’s something else. I found out her dad lives in the next town over. They haven’t had a relationship in a long time. I reached out to him, and he said he’d come to the show.”
I grab his shoulder. “She’s going to flip out. I couldn’t be happier for you.”
“Do you think she’ll be okay with me doing it onstage?”
“I don’t think she’d want it any other way.”
“You’ll tell the guys?”
“Sure.”
“Don’t say anything to Ella, okay? I know how close she and Bria are now, and I wouldn’t want her to spoil it.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“You’ll stand up with me, won’t you? As my best man?”
My throat tightens. “You know I will, brother.”
“I can’t believe it’s going to happen.” He inclines his head to my door. “You know, it’s not impossible.”
“What’s not?”
“You and Ella. I know you think it is. And I get that my shit was different than yours, but maybe one of these days, you’ll feel like I did—that there could be more. I really want that for you, Liam.”
The door opens and Ella appears. She’s surprised to see us standing in the hall. “Oh, hi. Bria called. I’m meeting her at the souvenir shop next door to pick out some things for everyone back home.” She looks at me and then Crew. “Everything all right?”
“Couldn’t be better,” Crew says.
“Bye then. Be back soon.”
After she gets on the elevator, Crew snorts. He pats me on the shoulder. “What was it you told me last year? Get over your shit and fuck already?”
“Fucking isn’t the problem, man.” I rub my chest. The feeling inside me—it hurts something awful. “It’s everything else.”