Somewhere in the Middle

A Damn Cookie

It was amazing, Evie thought. How he turned it on and off.

The lifeless Jamie she'd seen all day was gone. Because something brought him back to life when he met Miranda.

Maybe it was her smile, or her laugh, or the way tears filled her eyes when she looked up at him. Evie felt her jaw go slack when Jamie reached forward and pulled the girl to him, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his cheek to her hair like she was the most precious thing he could ever hold. He let his hands rub her back before he let go to look down at her, his eyes taking her in, his focus intent on what she was saying. It was like she was the most important person in the world.

Miranda's friend, Hannah spoke with Greg and Lucas, who didn't seem so different to Evie. They were smiling and energetic and happy—just as she'd seen them for the last couple of days. At least... just as she'd seen them when Jamie was where he was supposed to be.

Then the girls switched, and Jamie held Hannah just as closely in his arms, listened to her just as intently, and for the first time in Evie's presence, laughed.

"Alright guys and gals," Pete said, calling all attention to himself. "Ready for some pictures?"

That was Evie's cue, and she picked her jaw up off of the floor to move and stand in front of the smiling, happy group, waiting as they arranged themselves in a line, arms thrown about one another, to pose for a slew of photos.

She looked through the lens of her phone, steadying it enough to be sure that she got all five of them in frame, and then flicked her eyes up over it.

Jamie was looking right at her, and she noticed his wide smile falter a bit when they made eye contact.

"Ready?" she asked, looking through her phone again, forcing a smile despite the pounding in her throat. "One, two, three..."

She snapped pictures on the girls' phones next, and knew she'd have to remember to post them later to the boys' Facebook page and Twitter account.

And she'd have to try to forget the look in Jamie's eyes—surprise paired with what looked like impatience.

After another few minutes, during which time the girls' asked the three guys for autographs on numerous surfaces—Miranda asked Jamie to write out her favorite lyrics so that she could get them tattooed someday; Evie didn't manage to see what those lyrics were—Evie rounded up the girls and corralled them out of the dressing room. That's when the tears and hyperventilating really started, and as Miranda and Hannah relived their experience all the way out to the front of the venue, it was like Evie wasn't there at all.

*

It was probably his favorite part of the job.

Even though he was exhausted, even though his head was still pounding, and even though the last thing he felt like doing was talking—the looks on their faces were worth it.

Jamie watched Miranda and Hannah go, trying to commit their smiles to memory. It would always be crazy to him that people reacted like that to his music. To his words. It would always be ridiculous to know that he could have that much of an effect on peoples'—complete strangers'—lives. And there was nothing like seeing the admiration on their faces.

In those moments with fans, it was like he could see himself through their eyes. See the man with the words that made them feel like they weren't alone. See the man with the same ache in his heart, the same longing in his bones, and the same passion running through his vessels. All to do more, be more in this life. He could see the man that they wanted him to be.