CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

SPRINGSTEEN

( — bruce springsteen; american singer, songwriter, and musician who is both a solo artist and the leader of the e street band. )

FOUR MONTHS LATER

          SELINA ISN'T QUITE SURE HOW SHE MANAGED TO PULL THIS OFF. It took months and months of preparation and quite a load of ugly tears and phone calls, but it's finally happening. She's all giddy with anticipation, unable to sit still for more than two straight minutes, and she's almost certain everyone around her is starting to get suspicious.

          Remus is turning twenty-nine today.

          He's celebrating it in his favorite place in the entire world with his favorite people—on the stage, with his bandmates and his fans. Selina is tagging along just for the kicks, wearing her VIP badge with pride, and she's finally happy she doesn't need to sneak around the venue.

          Everyone knows why she's here. It doesn't bother her in the slightest.

         Of course, that didn't happen overnight. It took some time, but, somewhere between hesitating to reach out for Remus' hand on a crowded street where no one was looking at them and kissing him in public, Selina gradually began to feel a lot better about exposing certain parts of her life. Not everyone was out to get her and, those that were, were instantly tackled by a security guard.

          She's getting there. There are still some things that frighten her to the point of sending her into a full-blown anxiety attack—that brief moment before hitting the post button on social media, for example, worrying it might be too much—but she'd like to think she's been dealing with things properly.

          With her mother out of the picture—both physically and mentally, no longer looming over her shoulder like a threatening rain cloud—it's certainly been a lot easier to breathe. It feels like taking a deep breath of fresh air for the first time in what feels like an eternity instead of inhaling smoke all the damn time. Selina wasn't quite sure how to deal with it at first, but she welcomes it now.

          Back to Remus.

          He doesn't usually make a big deal out of his birthdays, but, considering he finished writing an entire album in three months, they all thought he deserved something extra special this time. Selina had to call in for multiple favors to make it happen and, needless to say, Cory isn't that thrilled to have her around, but it's for a greater good.

          Everyone involved was sworn to secrecy, including the actual surprise itself, and she's ready to throw hands if anything leaks, especially to Remus. She can deal with the press, but she's not ruining his birthday, damn it.

          She just has to wait for the right time and make sure no one sees the surprise before they're actually due on stage. It sounds easy enough, but Summersteen are performing and she has to ensure everything goes smoothly until the first interlude, which is when their special guest will step up and give Remus the surprise of a lifetime.

          It sounds easy, but, at the same time, there's a chance things can still be ruined. It's up to Selina to not allow that to happen.

          They play. True North keeps being a smashing hit and, even though it's still weird to know Remus is singing about her, she feels strangely smug over it all. They came and they conquered the odds.

          Then, Remus reaches out towards the synthesizer to start playing the beginning notes of one of their interlude songs, and Selina gestures towards the guest. It's time.

          "Actually, before the interlude, there's something we have to do," Cameron pipes in. Selina's heart hammers against her chest and she fears she might throw up, as everything could very well take a turn for the worst. "As you all know, it's baby Remus' birthday"—the crowd cheers—"and we have a special surprise waiting for him."

          Remus turns around to face him. "What?"

          Selina can't believe she does it, but she gives the guest a slight push towards the stage. He swings his guitar's strap over his shoulder and steps forward, with the crowd instantly going wild as soon as they figure out who he is.

          It's a miracle she managed to get in contact with Bruce Springsteen on such short notice. She had to call in all those favors, pull multiple strings, but it ultimately worked. He's been a total sweetheart through it all and was willing to fly all the way over to Los Angeles just for one song on Remus' birthday.

          Speaking of Remus, he's clutching his chest with one hand and covering his mouth with the other as Bruce drags a microphone stand behind him. The crowd is utterly deafening, so loud Selina can barely hear herself think.

          "I—" Remus begins.

          "So," Bruce chimes in, "are we playing or what? Glory Days? How about it?"

          Remus gulps, then nods, eyes filled to the brim with tears. Selina's heart shatters with that vision, but then they both start playing and singing together and she quickly realizes those are happy tears. It's one thing to follow your idol's journey closely and think of them as your unofficial mentor, but sharing the stage with them completely changes your life.

          Remus would understand, now more than ever.

          It ends too quickly, with Bruce even giving him a tight hug and a pat on the back like a proud father, then exits the stage. Selina nods at him in gratitude as he walks past her and, shortly after, Summersteen follow suit after the interlude song begins.

          They don't go far, as they have to be close to the stage by the time the break ends, so they find a lounge room where there are chairs, towels, and plenty of water.

          "Oh, God," Remus blurts out. "I'm still shaking. Holy shit."

          "Pretty sure that's the first time I've ever heard him swear," Cameron points out, reaching out for a small fluffy towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Remus lets out a shaky laugh, falling to an armchair, and, damn sure, he's still trembling, unable to properly hold a water bottle. "You okay there, buddy? Don't die."

          "Holy shit," Remus repeats. Selina slides to the space next to him, setting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Did . . . did that seriously just happen? Bruce Springsteen—"

           "Yep," Cory confirms, from the other side of the room. "One would assume that, by now, you would have already realized you're a walking Bruce Springsteen reference and that this was bound to happen at some point. Such a shame it took this long for it to actually happen."

          "And you have to thank Selina"—Cameron gestures towards her and Remus' head jerks up so quickly he gets whiplash—"for that one."

          "You did this?" Remus questions. "You got . . . Bruce Springsteen . . . to play with us? For me?"

          Selina hesitantly nods. 

          She doesn't have time to do anything else, really, as he jumps up from the armchair at the speed of sound and kisses her like there's no one else in the room. It's easy to forget about everyone and everything that isn't Remus and the familiar, safe pressure of his lips against hers, the steady presence of his hands against her cheeks.

          "Ew," Cameron gags. "There are children in the room."

          Remus takes a step back, face flushed and breathless, and slowly nods. Selina can't hold it against him; after all, he just shared the stage with his idol, the man whose songs he jammed to in his garage for so many years, the man who inspired the creation of an entire band.

          She just hopes he'll stop shaking by the time they're due back on stage. If he can't even stand on both of his feet or hold a guitar, maybe they're going to run into quite some trouble. Maybe it would have been best to convince the crowd to sing Happy Birthday, or something along those lines—something a lot less stressful.

          He's finally steady enough to take a deep breath and recompose himself after five minutes (it's a long interlude). The messy hair, glowing eyes, and thin layer of sweat covering his skin only do wonders to his charm and Selina knows the crowd will be even more welcoming when he returns to them.

          When he's performing, he's theirs. Off the stage, he's all hers. The whole damn city screams his name and she knows he'll take the world by storm one day. Right now, she's perfectly content with having plenty of private moments with him, moments where nothing and no one else matters.

          "Guys, the interlude ends in one minute," a sound tech warns, and Cameron and Cory stand up from their seats. "You should start heading back."

          Remus sighs, then turns to Selina, eyes still sparkling. "I have to go."

          "I know," she replies, voice warm and proud. "Go get them."

          He throws her a bright grin, almost child-like, and his eyes crinkle at the sides. "Like you, I have two lives. I want you to be part of both of them."

          Selina raises a hand to caress his cheek. "You and I both know what happens to them at the end of that story. I'm not letting that happen to us. I'm gonna be here whenever you need me."

          He presses a gentle, quick kiss to her forehead. "Whatever the future holds, wherever life takes me . . . I will love you. Always."

          Then, he steps away, and runs back towards the stage and the spotlight. Just like that, he's the happiest Selina has ever seen him, and it fills her with pride to know that, while she's partially responsible for that, most of it comes from within him.

          He's carrying himself. They're carrying each other.

          Selina wouldn't have it any other way.

THE END

oh dang i'm emotional.

it's been a long time since i first started writing this book, but it's OVER. this is it. there won't be an epilogue. there probably won't be a spin-off (if there is.......it's a fortiori-related bc i love val and journey).

thank you ever so much for still being here. thank you so much for reading. it's been a pleasure to share selina and remus' stories with you

x cate