SHARING THE SPOTLIGHT [rewrite]

chapter twenty seven

February fourteenth. The day of a constant reminder that I am alone and single. Couples around me act lovey-dovey with one another, while I sit in the sidelines, quiet. We've decided to pick up practices once again, but I fear that it will remain awkward in more than one way. While our band is whole again, half of our band is in a relationship.

"Laurance, has she talked to you any?"

He looks up at me from his guitar. He shrugs before strumming a few cords and placing it to the side. Laurance appears to have already lost interest in music for the day. "It's a lot better than it was before," he sighs and sits on the floor. "We'll just have to see how this practice will go, considering the situation at hand. Leo told me there's a concert coming up on the twenty-fifth."

My attention peaks at the sound of a concert. It makes sense why Leo would do it. We didn't have a very long "break," and the public didn't know of the brief break up. This way things remain normal, even if it looked strange before.

The two come back out of hiding in their dressing rooms. In my eyes, they look like the representation of a couple on Valentine's Day. In love, holding hands, smiling nonstop. It isn't until Vylad lets go of Alex's hand that she looks up shyly at us.

The two go to their instruments and make sure all is well. Leo comes back out of his office and smiles at us. He seems pleased with the conclusion that we have set as a band. He explains the plans for the future events and how he has expectations for us.

Instead of going back to his office, Leo says he wants to sit and listen to practice. He's already declared it will be shortened because he has a date later, and he isn't cancelling it for anything in the world. Though, he does want to see our chemistry on stage again.

The entire practice feels slightly awkward. Walls have been built, and it's hard to destroy them. Leo says it'll take time, but he hopes they'll falter come next Friday. He doesn't want our fans to figure something is wrong by that time.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

The twenty-fifth comes quicker than I imagined. It's almost like a different feeling being on the stage after what has happened. Walls have fallen down for the most part, and we are able to convincingly put up an act for what remains. We all speak more to each other, and it's almost like it was before my mistake.

"If I say so myself, and I do, I think this concert is going fairly well," Laurance says, looking out into the sea of people. They cheer in response to support Laurance's claim, and he gives them a wink. Due to Laurance being single, I can hear females wooing after him in the crowd. I roll my eyes at this, a hint of jealousy pang inside my chest.

"Laurance, stop trying to get into our audience's pants," I groan into my microphone, staring blankly at him.

He laughs at me, shaking his head. "I'm not trying to get into their pants', Y/N. Besides, some of them are not even wearing pants." He walks over to the side of the stage to his microwave stand and stays there. "But, I am dead set on playing a song that wasn't planned."

I lift an eyebrow at his words, confused. Alex begins to walk over to Vylad, hiding in the background. A keyboard is brought onto stage and placed in front of her. The lights dim on them and focus on us. I look around and shake my head. "What on Earth is going on?"

Laurance looks up at me before the soft sound of a piano is heard. "Oh, I'm obsessed. With the way your head is laying on my chest. How you love the things I hate about myself, that no one knows. But with you, I see hope again. Oh, I'm a mess. When I overthink the little things in my head. You seem to always help me catch my breath, but then I lose it again. When I look at you, that's the end."

He stands from his spot and slowly walks around the front of the stage, looking over at me. "And why do I get so nervous when I look into your eyes? Butterflies can't stop me falling for you. And darling, this is more than anything I've felt before. You're everything that I want, but I didn't think I'd find. Someone who was worth the wait of all the years of my heartbreak. But I know now I've found the one I love."

He grabs onto his microphone and walks my way, grabbing onto my hand loosely and pulling me closer to him. "And I love the way you can never find the right things to say. And you can't sit still an hour in a day. I'm so in love, let's run away. Because us is enough. And why do I get so nervous when I look into your eyes? And butterflies can't stop me falling for you. And darling, this is more than anything I've felt before. You're everything that I want, but I didn't think I'd find. Someone who was worth the wait of all the years of my heartbreak. But I know now I've found the one."

He twirls me around in a little circle. It's silly, and I can't help but laugh at his actions. He smiles softly before stopping his actions and stares at me. I don't dare move. "Come close. Let me be home for anything. Good or bad, I know it's worth it, whoa. And darling, this is more than anything I've felt before. You're everything that I want, but I didn't think I'd find. Someone who was worth the wait of all the years of my heartbreak. But I know now I've found the one I love."

There's a single cord that lingers in the background as Laurance stops. I stare up at him in complete silence. I'm awestruck and speechless. My mouth opens to speak, but nothing comes out. Instead, I can only blush and try to hide my face.

"Well?"

I laugh and playfully punch his arm. "You better be a good boyfriend."