Colibrì

23.

There was a part of Addie that would never stop feeling stage fright.

She had to admit, sex and nap before the show did help quite a bit, but she was still shitting herself nonetheless.

Felice was on stage, finishing his last single, and she still couldn't believe she was going to duet with a singer of that level. She knew she could sing, but what if she forgot how to do that all of a sudden? Or what if she forgot the words?

She was so busy thinking about all the possible outcomes in which she failed and embarrassed herself that she almost didn't hear Felice calling her on stage. Addie took a deep breath and forced her feet to move.

From the front row box seats, Hawk, Arden, and Robin could see and hear perfectly. They were curious about Addie's performance, as they'd never heard her sing anything other than pop music.

She finally got on stage, wearing a beautiful white gown and an even more beautiful smile. However, even from a distance, her tension was palpable.

The audience was different from what she was used to. They weren't teenagers attending a concert to jump and shout her songs. They were sophisticated middle-aged people with high expectations. There was no room for errors.

Addie stood next to Felice, who gave her a handsome smile before the pipe organ began playing the famous notes of The Phantom of The Opera.

She began singing, and the further she got into the song, the more she seemed to relax. Even when she sang notes that a normal person wouldn't be able to sing without struggling, Addie seemed completely at ease, as if she could have done this all day.

Her shoulders were relaxed, her face bright with joy and contentment. The song approached its end, the notes growing higher and higher. Without realizing it, Hawk was sitting on the edge of his seat, watching mesmerized as Addie's voice easily touched the sky with the last, astonishing note.

The theatre was quiet for a moment, the time to comprehend what had just happened, and then everyone stood up, applauding Addie's talent.

Arden and Robin were on their feet, clapping, and the former had to shake Hawk out of his trance to get him to do the same.

"Holy shit," Robin said, still clapping as Addie thanked everyone and enjoyed the theatre's applause.

Hawk could barely stand on his feet. "Holy shit indeed."

He took in how she reveled in the public's appreciation, with a smile that went from ear to ear. He'd seen her smile, but never like this. Never this genuinely.

From the stage, she moved her ecstatic gaze to the box seats, finding Hawk already gaping at her. There was a mixture of emotions on his face.

Surprise, namely, but also... fear. And awareness. As though he'd grasped something he was scared would happen. She ignored it. She wanted to savor this moment as long as possible.

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎

A couple of hours later, Addie was coming out of her steaming bathroom with a towel around her body after taking a most-needed shower to wash off the tension of the day.

So many things had happened. For starters, she'd slept with Hawk, which had been bound to happen eventually, but still gave her goosebumps when she remembered it.

And then the show. God, it had felt amazing to be back on stage like that. To play a part, even just for a few minutes, instead of having to be herself and performing in front of fans who could easily turn into haters the moment she made a mistake.