Only With You (36 page)

“I love you for what you said about me today.”

“It was the truth.”

“I know. I just really liked hearing it.”

I smiled. “Well, knowing our luck, someone probably recorded it, and you can hear it played back on You Tube
again and again later tonight.”

She laughed, and it was the best sound in the world.

Chapter
Twenty-Five

Sydney

I was standing on stage about to bear my soul in a way that I’d never done before. I always hid behind my music, but tonight, that was going to change. It needed to change.

“So, today was a rough day for me,” I told the audience. “As I’m sure all of you know, someone shared some things about me that were very personal and not things I wanted to showcase to the general public. But when you’re in the spotlight, sometimes this happens.”

“We love you, Sydney,” a group of girls shouted from the floor.

“I love you guys too. So much,” I said, and a cheer went up around the arena.

I’d never been so grateful to see that my fans were still with me. Seeing the signs around the arena and hearing the cheers when I’d come on stage
let me know that there were people who weren’t fazed by what had happened. Of course I’d taken notice that there were several empty seats scattered around, and I knew it was from what had happened earlier that day. I hoped in time I could win those fans back. I was also aware of the ‘SYDNEY + DILLON FOREVER’ signs I could see dotting the arena, but I knew I couldn’t please everyone, and hopefully in a few minutes, they would understand.

“I’m actually going to take a few minutes to tell you a story if that’s okay. It’s a story of a boy and a girl.” Cheers went up around the arena. “Now I know this is probably uncharted territory, but
you guys know I’m all about breaking down barriers and starting new trends.”

More cheering.

I stole a glance back at Ryder who smiled and gave me a thumbs-up. I smiled back.

“Twelve year
s ago, I met a boy. His name was Ryder Thompson, and he was the sweetest boy I’d ever known. We grew up together, and he became my best friend. In fact, he’s the only person, outside of my family, who’s been with me on this journey since day one. What I didn’t realize was that somewhere along the way, I fell in love with this beautiful, sweet, smart, kind, loving, perfect boy. He’d become the most important person in my life, but I was blind to what he felt for me.”

I paused to take note of the fact that ten thousand people were silent and listening to me tell this story that was making my knees shake. I was fighting so hard to keep my voice steady. I didn’t get stage fright, but that night
I was terrified, because I was cutting myself wide open and sharing something so personal with a roomful of strangers who had cell phones trained on me recording every word. But Ryder was right. I couldn’t take this lying down. I was going to own it in the only way I knew how.

“Ryder was in love with me, and he had been for many years. When I finally realized I loved him too
, it was so simple to just be together. Falling in love is the greatest thing in the world, and although I’d done it before, nothing made me fall as hard as I did for Ryder, because he loves me unconditionally. And at the end of the day, that’s what you want. To fall in love recklessly and to know that the boy you love is going to be there to catch you.”

I looked at the people I could see in the first few rows and saw a few girls wiping their eyes. I smiled at the audience.

“Now, my new album isn’t out until next year, but I think you’ll be able to fully understand what I mean when you hear some of the songs. I’ve been writing like mad over the past few weeks, and I can’t wait for you to hear some of the music that Ryder has inspired.”

Shouts rang out from the audience of people asking me to play some of my songs now.

I shook my head and smiled. “No, I can’t do that, but I can play for you the song Ryder inspired. I know I’m probably breaking a cardinal rule here, but I wrote this about him when we were friends. However, the song and how I feel for him, have never been more paralleled than they are today.”

The audience was looking at me, waiting to hear what song I was going to play next.

“But first, how many of you would like to meet the guy who stole my heart?”

Massive cheers went up around the arena, and I looked back at Ryder who was staring at me with wide eyes. I beckoned him forward, and he shook his head, so I gave him a pleading look.

“Please, Ryder. These people want to meet you.”

Finally he stepped onto the stage, looking all hot and sexy wearing a black t-shirt that stretched across his chest, fitted jeans that I knew showed off his ass and his black Converse
sneakers. I smiled, and around the arena, cheers and whistles went up, along with a few boos, but I chose to ignore them. I couldn’t please everyone, and I knew that.

I
reached my hand out and took Ryder’s when he got close enough, pulling him in for a kiss.

“This wasn’t part of the plan,” he said playfully before he would kiss me. I just smiled.

“I love you,” I told him.

“Yeah, yeah. I know you do.”

I grinned at him. Then he closed the distance between us, and before ten thousand people, we had our first real public kiss. What a way to come out.

Then I turned and faced the audience, my hand still in Ryder
’s. “Everyone, say hi to my boyfriend, Ryder.”

Choruses of ‘Hi Ryder!’ went up around the arena, and Ryder waved with his free hand.
His other one was holding mine tightly.

I held the microphone up for him. “Hello, St. Louis. How amazing is my girlfriend?”

I laughed as the audience broke out in cheers. When they quieted down, I turned to him. “Do you want to introduce the next song?”

He grinned. “Sure,” he said, taking the microphone back from me as he turned to the audience. “This is my favorite song Sydney has ever written, and it’s not because she wrote it for me. I only recently learned that. But it’s because the song itself is beautiful and soulful, and Syd has the most gorgeous voice.
So without further ado, here is Sydney Chase singing
Only With You.
”

I smiled at Ryder, and we turned around to walk to the back of the stage together. He squeezed my hand before we parted ways – me to the piano and him to head back off-stage. As I sat down, I watched Laurie say something to him and shake her head, but he just shrugged. I figured she might have an issue with what I’d just don
e, but she could deal with me about that when the show was over.

The rest of the concert went
better than expected, and I felt like for the first time all day, my mood was lighter than it had been in hours, hell months, because the world finally knew how I felt and who I was with. It was a liberating feeling.

When I exited the stage, Laurie was waiting for me. “You know that little speech landed on You Tube and already has a hundred thousand views, don’t you?”

I shrugged. “Good. I got to tell my side of the story for once.”

Laurie’s face softened. “You know what, in this instance, I think you were right. Nice job.”

I smiled. “Thanks Laurie. And thanks again for everything today. You’re the best.”

“Hey Syd,” Elisa said then, giving me a hug. “Great show.”

“Thanks.”

“Listen, there are fans lined up out back. Can you do a signing? I think it would be good in light of everything that’s happened.”

I nodded. “Sure. Just let me tell Ryder, okay.”

I looked around to see where he’d gone. Usually he was the first person I saw when I came off-stage.

Elisa smiled. “I already told him. He headed back to the hotel and said he’d meet you there.”

“Oh,” I said, my face falling.

She was still grinning. “I actually think he had something special planned for you, so don’t be upset with him.”

Damn, that was so Ryder. I nodded. “I won’t be. He’s pretty great, isn’t he?”

She winked at me. “He’s amazing – for a gay guy.”

I reached
out and lightly shoved her shoulder. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”

“Nope,” she said playfully.

* * *

I was exhausted by the time I let myself into my hotel room, completely drained from the day I’d had, but I stopped short when I saw the trail of rose petals
leading from the door of the suite to the bedroom. I smile and started to follow them.

In the bedroom I found the bed covered in rose petals in the shape of a heart, and the trail continued into the bathroom. When I followed that, I stumbled upon the most romantic scene I’d ever witnessed in person. It was all so standard, but it was for me, so it made it special and perfect.

There was no Ryder, but I saw a trail of rose petals leading to a bubble bath that had rose petals floating in the bubbles. Candles were lit around the tub, there was soft music playing, and on a plate near the tub was every kind of dessert imaginable next to a bucket of champagne.

“I thought you might want to have a relaxing night,” Ryder said from behind me, and I spun around to face him. He was grinning at me.
I wasn’t sure where he’d come from, but I didn’t care.

“You did this all for me?”

He shrugged. “With a little help from the hotel, but yeah, it was pretty much all me.”

I
stepped up to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him fiercely. “I needed this. Thank you. It’s perfect.”

“Yeah, well, it’s the least I can do since you professed your love for me in front of you
r fans tonight.”

I smiled sheepishly at him. “It’s on You Tube
, too. Just so you know.”

He groaned playfully. “Figures. It’s the world you live in, I guess.”

I shook my head. “Only sometimes. Most of the time I’d prefer to live in the real world with you.”

He leaned down and kissed me. “Good answer.”

I pulled back from him. “I think I’m going to get in the tub now.”

“Be my guest.”

“Are you going to join me?”

He leaned against the door frame. “In a few minutes. I want to let you get comfortable, and then I want to talk to you about something.”

I smiled, as I peeled my tank top off over my head. “Good. I want to talk to you too.”

“Well, okay then.”

As I undressed, pulled my hair up into a messy bun and settled into the warm bubbly water, Ryder sat on the edge of the tub and poured me a glass of champagne.

“What did you want to talk about,” he asked.

I took the glass from his hand and took a sip, the bubbles popping on my tongue. “You first.”

He smiled. “I think I’m going to forgo taking classes the rest of the summer and stay with you. If that’s okay.”

My eyebrows rose as I looked up at him. “Can you do that?”

That was incredible news. I’d already been dreading saying goodbye to him, but now I’d get him for
eight weeks.

“Sure,” he said, shrugging. “It’s doable. I’ll add a class in the fall and the spring. No big deal.”

“And you want to do that?”

He reached over and trailed his fingers along the edge of my ear. “I want to be with you,” he said simply. “I tried to make it happen permanently,
but it wasn’t possible. This was the best I could do.”

“I love that. Seriously, best news of the day.”

He smiled sweetly. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

I rolled my eyes. “What else would I say? No, go back to Gainesville
, so I can be alone and miss you from across the country? No thanks.”

“It’s only until the end of August, but it’s better than nothing.”

I took another sip of champagne. “Yeah, but I do get a two week break at the beginning of September before I leave for Australia.”

“I’ll be in school, and I can’t take a lot of time off this fall. I’ve got a full course load.”

I smiled, ready to reveal my big news. Then I shrugged. “That won’t really be a problem. We’ll see each other all the time.”

Ryder looked amused. “How?”

I smiled wider. “I bought at house just outside of Gainesville.”

Ryder just looked at me, no doubt waiting for me to add the ‘
I’m just kidding!’.

“I’m serious,” I told him.

He cocked his head and eyed me speculatively. “What do you mean, you bought a house?”

“I mean, I bought a house. It’s on ten acres, so it’s really private, and there’s a lake. Oh, and there’
s a private drive where I think I’m going to have to install a security gate and a camera system, but that shouldn’t be too hard. We’ll figure it out.”

Ryder looked amused. “We will?”

“Well, yeah, I want your opinion. You’re going to be spending a lot of time there, I hope.”

“Are you joking with me right now?” he asked, and I rolled my eyes.

“No!”

“Sydney, I’m all amped up, because I’m staying with you for the summer, and you
bought a house
so you could live near me?!”

I was so loving his reaction to my news. He was smiling through his perplexed haze, and it was so darn cute.