𝐮𝐧𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐲, 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐲

t w e n t y - n i n e

Amaya had never felt more unwelcome at a concert in her life, but she supposed she deserved that. She certainly couldn't be upset, not when this was all her doing. But she had come completely clean, had preserved Daniel's image by taking the fall, and that's all that really mattered to her. The words of fans were painful, but they were something she could look past.

The boys, to their credit, had been pretty kind about the whole thing. She and Daniel had come clean to them before she posted her video, and while things were icy for a moment and they all agreed the situation could have been better handled, Amaya was part of their family. And if she was with Daniel, she was one of theirs. But honestly, it didn't matter if she was dating any of them, because their friendships were just that close. They held her accountable, and she made no excuses for her actions, which made it all the much easier to forgive her and support Jonah.

And boy, was Jonah having a time. Amaya felt awful, but she knew he needed time and space and probably never to speak to her again. She would do whatever he needed. She was even considering going back to L.A. for the rest of tour, but the boys quickly talked her out of it. Still, she probably would for Jonah's sake. But in a continuing of her selfishness, she wanted to see them perform one more time before she left.

She stood backstage, close enough that she could see all the action without being in the crowd. She didn't need any more dirty looks than she was already receiving. The boys were doing amazing, which was no surprise. Even Jonah, in his hurt, was performing impeccably. This had to be one of their best shows yet.

"Hi, guys, how we doing tonight?" Daniel said once they'd finish singing Trust Fund Baby, met with way too much screaming. Amaya chuckled softly, watching the boys react happily. "Good, good to hear." He laughed, stepping a bit closer to the crowd.

"So, I can see some of the signs you're holding out there, and they're kind of mean. I know you're angry about Amaya and Jonah, but she's still our friend. I mean, we're all humans, so at the end of the day, there's no need to be rude." He shook his head, clearing his throat. "But, if you can't get past that, then you need to know the full story."

Oh, no. No, no, no, Daniel. Amaya felt her eyes widen as he spoke. He was not about to do this. He couldn't. She'd taken the fall for a reason, to protect him in the eyes of his fans. He was not about to blow himself up like that, was he? Amaya's realization dawned on the boys around the same time, because Zach started, "Daniel, buddy—"

"Zach." Daniel gave him a pointed look. Zach shot a worried look toward Corbyn, but obliged.

"I helped Amaya cheat. Because I am... ridiculously, stupidly in love with her. And it was wrong, awful, but I'm in love with her, so you need to know, because that's not going to change."

Oh, God. He'd done it, he really had. He'd told them all... Amaya thought she was going to be sick. She was right, because a moment later, she was puking into a toilet, tears streaming down her face at the same time. He wasn't coming back from this, was he? Daniel was willing to put his career on the line... for her. And Amaya? She couldn't let him do that.

She exited the bathroom as gracefully as she could manage, catching an Uber back to the hotel. Half an hour later, she was on her way to the airport, a newly purchased ticket on her phone and her bags ready to go. She'd be gone before they got offstage, and there was nothing they could do about it.