**After the concert**
The entire damn venue is a flurry of activity, crew packing up, and fans trickling out into the night. I linger behind, hanging out backstage and trying to ignore the buzz of people around me.
I can hear the conversations happening around me, people chattering and talking about the show. I stay mostly quiet, lost in my own thoughts. My brain feels like a tangled mess, my heart hammering in my chest.
It's not long before I hear a pair of approaching footsteps.
I look up and see my manager standing in front of me, his familiar smirk still on his face.
"You're looking pretty mopey, buddy."
I sigh, already knowing where this conversation is going.
"I'm not in the mood for another round of gloating."
He laughs, the sound of it almost annoying.
He sits down beside me, that damn knowing glint in his eye.
"Oh, I know. But you gotta admit, that was one hell of a performance you put on. You were damn near trying to give the girl a heart attack."
I scowl at him, my irritation rising again.
"Will you stop it with that? I wasn't trying to give anyone a damn heart attack. I was just putting on a show, that's all."
He grins, his tone almost taunting.
"Oh, please. You were laying on the romantic crap so thick that I could practically taste it from here. I could even hear the goddamn violins and choir in the background. It was so damn sappy. And let's not forget the biggest giveaway...those damn looks you kept giving her like you wanted to take her right then and there in front of everyone."
I feel the heat rushing to my face, my words coming out almost defensive.
"You make it sound like I was on stage doing some goddamn mating ritual. It was nothing like that."
He snorts, his words dripping with sarcasm.
"Yeah, right. You just happened to sing directly at her face the whole time, looking at her like you were ready to get on your knees and propose. That was all completely innocent. Come on, dude. You're so damn whipped. It's almost pitiful."
I'm about to say something when one of the crew members tells me that someone's looking for me.
My annoyance is interrupted by a voice behind me, and I look up to see one of the crew members standing there.
He looks at me with a curious expression on his face.
"Dude, there's someone out here that says they wanna talk to you."
My irritation fades away in an instant, replaced by curiosity.
I raise my eyebrows at him.
"Who the hell wants to see me? It's damn near midnight."
The crew member shrugs, his tone casual.
"I dunno. Some girl. She insisted I get you to meet her out back. Said it's urgent."
I feel a spark of curiosity go through me.
"What did she look like?"
He pauses for a moment, as if trying to remember.
"Um...I don't know, dude. She looked about your age, I think. Brown hair, pretty...had a bit of an accent, now that I think about it."
My heart does a little jump, and I try like hell to hide it.
"An accent, you say? Can you remember what kind?"
He thinks for a moment, tapping his chin.
"Um, it sounded like...I dunno, a French accent, maybe? She had kind of soft features and these really round green eyes. I dunno, man. She was cute, but she looked really nervous. She told me to tell you to meet her behind the venue."
My heart is beating fast, a million thoughts racing through my head.
I try my best to keep my voice even.
"Did she...did she say anything else?"
He shakes his head, his expression almost bored.
"Nope. That's all she told me. Just that she wanted to talk to you and that she'd be waiting out back. I kinda got the feeling she wanted to talk to you in private or something."
I feel a mix of curiosity and nervousness, my entire body on edge.
I nod at him, trying to sound casual. "Thanks, man. I'll go see what she wants."
He smiles and gives me a nod, and then walks off.
I stand up from the couch, all thoughts of my manager and his damn gloating completely forgotten. I'm trying to keep my thoughts under control, trying not to jump to any conclusions. It's probably just a crazy fan, I keep repeating to myself. Probably just some crazy fan… I keep saying trying not to disappoint myself...
I make my way backstage and head outside, the cool air hitting my face as soon as I step out. I look around, expecting to see some overenthusiastic fan waiting there. But instead, I see a figure standing near the entrance.
The lights from the venue cast soft shadows over her face, but she's unmistakable. And my heart almost stops when I realize it's her. Samantha.
I'm frozen in my tracks, my heart beating fast. I blink a few times to make sure I'm not hallucinating.
She hasn't noticed me yet, and there's a moment where she's nothing but a beautiful silhouette in the shadows. The only thing I can see clearly is her head of brown hair, shining almost golden under the streetlights.
Then, for a second, she turns, and I catch sight of her face in profile, and goddamn, she's even more beautiful than I remembered…
She's just standing there, one hand fidgeting with the strap of her bag. Even from a distance, I can tell she's nervous. I'm about to go over to her when she suddenly glances up, her eyes locking onto mine.
She sees me, and I feel like I've been hit by a goddamn train. A rush of emotion flows through me, more intense than I've felt in a long damn time.
She looks at me for a heartbeat, her expression unreadable. I can tell she's fighting a thousand different emotions, her gaze locked onto mine.
She takes a deep breath and then makes her way over to me. She's walking slowly, her footsteps quiet but steady on the pavement.
And then she's right in front of me, close enough for me to reach out and touch her.
I'm still frozen in my tracks, my body refusing to move. Her scent is all around me, a scent I remember so damn well. She's so close now, her body only a few inches away from mine, and it's taking every ounce of self-control I have not to grab her. I want to reach out, touch her soft skin, and bury my face into her neck…
"Rei..."
I hear my name on her lips, and it's the sweetest damn sound I've ever heard. I can feel all the air leaving my lungs, every nerve in my body on fire.
I try to respond, to say something, anything... but the words won't come out. I just stand there, staring down at her like I'm seeing a goddamn ghost.
"I know you're still mad at me for leaving you and cutting you off all these years, then suddenly coming back into your life. You have every right to be... but I want to honestly apologise... I'm sorry, Rei... for everything... I'm sorry for leaving you...I'm sorry for cutting you off... but I'm back... and I'll do whatever it takes to make you fall in love with me again... This time... I'll be the one to woo you..."
I'm feeling a rush of emotions, swirling together inside me like a hurricane. I want to yell at her for disappearing, for leaving me without a goddamn word and leaving me to pick up the pieces. But then there's the other side of me, the side that's longed for her every day for the past six years. And that side's winning the fight.
I can't keep the bitterness out of my words.
"Six years, and this is how you decide to come back? After all this damn time?"
She flinches a little at the harshness of my voice, but her expression stays determined.
She says softly, her words almost like a plea.
"I know, I know... I should have called, I should have written, I should have come back sooner. I know I've hurt you, and there's no excuse for it. But...I'm here now. Just hear me out."
Her words hit me hard, and I can feel the anger inside me start to falter. I'm torn, between the hurt and the desperate hope that's suddenly blooming in my chest.
My voice is hoarse as I force the words out.
"You disappeared without a goddamn trace. You cut me off without explanation. You left me behind like I didn't mean a damn thing to you. You expect me to just forgive and forget?"
She takes a step closer to me, her expression desperate. I can see a hint of tears in her eyes, and it makes my throat go dry.
She says in a broken voice, her words thick with emotion.
"I know it'll take time, and I'm not expecting you to forgive me immediately. But...I'm begging you, please...give me a chance to explain myself."
I can feel the anger and pain inside me slowly crumbling. I know I should push her away, I should turn my back on her like she did to me. But her words and the way she's looking at me, with those goddamn wide, pleading eyes...it's like she's got a damn spell on me.
My voice comes out low and rough.
"Fine. You have the floor. Talk. Now."
She nods, a look of relief flickering across her face. She swallows, her throat working hard as she fights back the tears.
She says slowly, her voice trembling.
"I owe you so many apologies, but I think an explanation is the least I can do. But...you need to hear me out, no matter how much you hate me and how angry you are. Can you promise you'll listen?"
I let out a frustrated sigh, my emotions and my logic warring inside me. I know I should tell her no, slam the door in her face and try to forget she ever existed. But the need to know the truth, to finally understand why she ran away, is stronger than anything else.
I grit my teeth, the words coming out like sandpaper.
"Fine, I'll listen. But this better be damn good."
She lets out a shaky breath, as if a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. She steps closer, her body almost brushing against mine. I feel a jolt go through me as her scent washes over me, familiar and sweet, like goddamn torture.
She takes a deep breath, as if steeling herself for an epic monologue.
She says quietly, her voice shaking.
"Can...can I sit down with you first? There's a lot I have to tell you and it's not a story I can just say standing up."