Lily
The bright lights of the stadium shone around me, the stage illuminated by a few spotlights. My heart beat faster as I looked out at the rows of empty seats. The end of the tour was finally within reach.
One more sound check. One more entrance. One more encore.
As much as I looked forward to getting off the road, a pang of sadness tugged at my heartstrings. Two years of non-stop touring had come to an end, and a part of me would miss it. The adrenaline of performing night after night, the fans singing along to every word, and the unforgettable memories we had created.
But there was also a sense of relief. I could finally take a break and go back to a semblance of normalcy.
My bandmates put down their instruments and walked over to me, their eyes red and misty. I didn't have to ask to know they were feeling the same bittersweet emotions that I was.
Our bond had been tested to the extreme on this tour, spending countless hours on the bus, in hotels, and on stage together. There were days filled with extreme joy and days we really wished we could lock one another in a cupboard and walk away.
I needed a break. A long bloody break. But at the same time, it was hard to imagine not seeing them every day. To not wake up in the middle of the night to lob a shoe at Lewis’s snoring face. Or have Andy hand me a perfectly made cup of coffee the second I drew the curtain back on my bunk.
“Can you believe it's nearly over?” Tom shouted before he wrapped his arms around me in a messy hug.
The rest of the guys piled in, their bodies pressing against us, consuming me until none of the crew would have been able to spot me.
What started as an excited, joyous moment quickly turned sombre. Tom stopped trying to rock me from side to side. Lewis stopped demanding we have a raging party after the show closed. Silence engulfed us, their grips tightened, and my tear ducts kicked into overdrive.
So we stood like that, none of us talking for what seemed like forever.
“Uh, sorry to interrupt, guys, but we need to finish our checks,” Killian, one of the roadies said from outside the barricade of bodies, his tone apologetic.
The guys released me, their movements slow and reluctant. We stared at each other, all of us acting incredibly awkward for five people who had grown up together.
“So…” Tom, our drummer, spoke first. “What do we do next, Lily?”
I glanced to the side of the stage, knowing who I'd find waiting for me.
Rhys's hazel eyes immediately captured my attention. Forget the huge bouquet of flowers in his hands. Those could wait. No, in that moment, I only had eyes for the gorgeous man I got to call my own.
“We take a break,” I said, my tone solid and confident despite the odd fizzle of nerves inside of me. I turned away from Rhys and focused on my guys. “We go home, buy our partners an extravagant gift for putting up with our shit for the last two years. Then we rest, recharge, and come back even stronger. Maybe we can start writing some new material soon.”
An image formed in my head of Rhys moving into my Malibu home. Spending our mornings on the beach with coffees and our nights wrapped up together on the sofa. It brought a smile to my lips.
Even though I knew Rhys wouldn’t do it.
I’d tried to talk him into relocating so many times over the years and every time he’d been vehemently against it. If he wouldn’t come to me, there was only one option left. But I didn’t have the heart to tell the guys that I might be moving back to Wales. The day would be hard enough without the stream of questions putting so many miles between us would cause.
“Absolutely.” Andy, my rhythm guitarist, wiped a tear from his eye. “But what about after that? Are we doing another tour?”
“Steady on.” I chuckled, the sound somehow not strained. I reached for Andy's hand. “I don't know about you, but I really don't want to think about our next steps right now.”
Lewis, our bassist, nodded. “Yeah, man, let us sleep for a month at least before you sign us on for another round.”
“Yeah.” Alex slammed his hand down on the back of Andy's, his lips curled in a grin but a manic look in his blue eyes. “I'm sure my sister won't like the sound of you planning to skip off on another tour before we've even gotten home.”
“I didn't mean it like that.” Andy shrugged Alex off and turned to him, his expression deadly serious. “And you'd better not start stirring shit Alex. We're solid now.”
Andy and Alex stood face to face, the air between them hot enough to ignite.
It had become an almost daily occurrence, one that made me sick to see.
It was no secret that Andy had been secretly dating Alex's sister. We should have been celebrating all of us achieving what we thought would be impossible: finding people who genuinely loved us and not our fame.
But it had only caused a rift between the two of them. At this point, I knew better than to get involved.
“Let's leave them to it,” I said to Lewis and Tom, who nodded in agreement.
We made our way off stage, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for Rhys's presence. He had been my rock throughout the tour, always there to support me and cheer me up on the toughest days.
As we walked towards each other, he held out the bouquet of flowers, a smile on his face. “Congratulations on a successful tour,” he said, leaning in to kiss me chastely on the lips.
“Thank you.” Warmth spread through me. “I couldn't have done it without you keeping me sane, in person or over the phone.”
He took my hand, and we walked away from the chaos of the stage, leaving the rest of the band to sort out their differences.
Rhys gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
“You've been going non-stop for two years, it's time for a breather.” Then he tugged me into his side and ducked his head to whisper in my ear, “And who knows, maybe big things will happen while you're standing still.”
The tour may be over, but new adventures and possibilities were waiting just around the corner.
* * *
Rhys
I locked the door to the dressing room, and the click seemed to reverberate in the tiny space. A hush descended upon us, and when I looked down at Lily, her eyes shone with anticipation.
“So, what's going on?” she asked, her voice tinged with excitement.
I smiled, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves. I had been planning this moment for weeks, but now that it was finally here, I couldn't help but feel a little bit nervous.
“I sold my app.”
“Rhys! That's amazing.” She threw her arms around me, nearly knocking me off my feet.
I chuckled as her feet landed back on the ground. Lily's eyes widened in surprise. “Which app? The camping one?”
“No, the travel planner.”
I pulled out my phone and opened an app. Not the one I’d sold, but another I’d spent the better part of six months perfecting specifically for Lily. I needed it to be perfect, more so than usual.
“I made a couple of updates since you last saw it, added a feature that pulls tickets from emails.” I held the phone out to her. “Look at this.”
She accepted the phone, her focus dropping to the screen. Her brow furrowed as she took in what was definitely not a travel app. Then her eyes widened and a whisper of a smile formed at the corners of her mouth.
“What's this?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“It's a puzzle app,” I said. I struggled to stay still, to not pace or hold my neck. She’d spot my nerves immediately and start asking questions when I really just needed her to solve the puzzle. “I made it for you.”
Lily's eyes lit up with delight, and she immediately started moving the pieces around.
Watching her, I held my breath as she slowly solved it. A knot formed in my stomach as I waited.
What if she didn't like it? What if it was too cheesy?
My heart pounded as I dropped down on one knee, pulling out the ring box from my pocket.
Silence filled the small room but I could see the moment the words clicked. She slowly looked over to the spot where I had previously been standing.
She took in the icy blue diamond nestled within the box's velvet padding. Tears started to stream down her cheeks, and I couldn't help but smile.
“Lily,” I said, taking her hand in mine. “Nothing about us — our meeting, our dating, our lives — has been normal or average. Before I met you, I thought I wanted that.” I grinned sheepishly. “Turns out I needed a little chaos and excitement in my life. I’m not sure where I’d be without you and I never want to find out. Will you marry me?”
Without saying a word, she nodded, and I let out a relieved sigh.
“Yes isn't strong enough a word.” She dropped to her knees in front of me. “But yes. Hell yes.”
I smiled and freed the ring from the box. She watched, her breath held, as I slipped it onto her finger.
For a second she stared at it, her eyes saucer wide.
“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she muttered, as she threw herself into my arms.
“The feeling's mutual, baby.” I held her tight, emotions overwhelming me.
This was it. The moment I had been waiting for, for so long. My heart swelled with joy.
When she pulled back, she bit her lip. “Where do you want to live?” she asked.
I'd been resistant to it for so long. My entire family and everything I'd ever known was in Wales. But if two years of intermittently waking up beside Lily were enough to show me, my life was much more exciting with her in it.
I chuckled. “It would be kind of hard to get married if we lived on opposite sides of the world, wouldn't it?”
Her eyes widened in surprise, and I knew I had taken her off guard for the second time in less than five minutes.
“But seriously, I've been thinking about it,” I continued. “And even if I hadn't just put a ring on your finger, I would move. After two years of limited time together, I'm done spending time apart. I can develop apps from anywhere in the world and I want to be with you. If that means moving to LA, then I'm all in.”
Her face lit up with joy, and she threw her arms around me once again. “Yes, yes, yes!” she exclaimed. “I can't believe it. We're going to be living together!”
I hugged her back, feeling a sense of relief and excitement wash over me. It wasn't going to be easy, leaving behind everything I had ever known and starting fresh in a new country, but it was worth it to be with her.
“I love you,” I whispered in her ear.
“I love you too,” she replied, pulling back to look at me with tear-filled eyes.
With my heart still bursting with joy, I looked into Lily's eyes and saw a mischievous glint in them that I knew all too well.
"What's caused that look?" I asked, a smile playing on my lips.
She wrapped her arms around me and nodded. "Why don't we mark this special occasion the same way we marked our first night together on tour?" she asked, her voice low and inviting.
"Defiling the dressing room one last time?"
"You read my mind," she whispered before kissing me.
Her tongue darted out, swiping across my lips, and I opened my mouth, inviting her in. The kiss was electric, igniting a fire within me.
I backed her further into the room, our hands tugging at fabric as we went, stripping any item of clothing away that we could. My t-shirt, her dress.
She bumped into her dressing table, falling back onto it. Items went flying, rolling off the top and skittering across the floor. What those items were I couldn't say and I didn't care.
"Can't believe we're going to be able to do this every day from now on," I muttered, my voice hoarse as I ran my hands up and down her bare torso, savouring the way she shivered and her skin pebbled under my touch.
"What? Fuck in my dressing room?" She grinned against my lips, her tone teasing.
"You know exactly what I mean, Pop Star." I tugged her towards the edge of the dressing table and pressed myself between her thighs, forcing them wider.
She hummed as she broke the kiss and dragged her lips along my jaw, down my neck, nibbling and sucking on the sensitive skin.
I let out a low groan, my hands finding their way to her hips, pulling her closer to me again. She wrapped her legs around my waist and ground against me.
My grip on her hips tightened as I growled in frustration. I needed to be inside her, to feel her warmth and wetness around me. I wanted to possess every inch of her.
With a hand in her hair, I tugged her head back from my neck. My mouth connected with hers, our tongues dancing in a frenzied rhythm. I tasted her need and desire in my mouth. It only served to further ignite my own.
Yet somehow it felt different. More serious and intimate now that we were engaged. If anything, the scrape of her diamond ring against my skin only made me burn hotter.
Lily moaned against me, her nails digging into my back. I groaned at the sensation, wanting to feel her everywhere.
My hands travelled up her body, gripping her shoulders and pushing her back against the mirror. I pressed against her, making sure she felt my hardness.
The kiss deepened, our need for each other grew. I shifted, my hands finding their way between her legs. She shuddered beneath me as I touched her through her underwear.
"I'm all for the slow and torturous," I bit out while my fingers toyed with the edges of the fabric. "But if I don't fuck my fiancee right now, I'm not sure I'll be able to keep my hands to myself tonight."
She stilled, surprise flickering across her expression before she started frantically pushing the final scrap of fabric off.
"Then fuck me." Her heated gaze traced over my skin as she widened her legs, almost daring me to take her roughly.
My breath came out in ragged, desperate pants. I had enough restraint to make sure she was ready, and I wouldn't take her until she was.
I ran my fingertips along her folds as though I was touching priceless jewels, marvelling at how easily I could make her body quiver with anticipation. One hand clutched my forearm and the other grasped the edge of the dressing table, as my fingers explored her further, pushing one, then two fingers inside of her, driving them in and out until she shook beneath me.
Her hands found their way to my shoulders, her fingers digging in as though she was trying to hang on for dear life.
"Please Rhys," she begged, her voice low and desperate. "I need you."
At my nod, her hands dropped to my jeans, fumbling for the button and zipper. Within seconds, the heavy material pooled at my ankles and Lily had my cock in her hand.
Lily's hands tightened around me. But I was too close to the edge to be teased.
"That's not a good idea right now." I grabbed her wrists and pushed them away from me, pressing her back against the mirror.
Her eyes widened in surprise, but they quickly softened, and she surrendered to my touch. Gathering both her wrists in one hand, I shifted my weight, pressing the head of my cock against her. I was careful, pushing inside inch by inch.
She let out a low moan as I filled her, her body quivering. I paused, savouring the feeling of her tight heat around me before I finally pulled out almost all the way.
"More. Rhys, please..” Her head rolled back against the mirror.
I thrust in again, this time harder, unable to contain my desire for her any longer. Her moans grew louder as I moved inside her, my body and hers in perfect harmony as I pushed her higher and higher.
Her pussy tensed around me as she teetered on the edge of an orgasm. My hips moved in a steady rhythm, each thrust filling Lily to the hilt. I pushed harder and harder, focusing on the sensation of her tight heat around me, the sound of her muffled moans, and the way her body tensed with each movement.
I watched as Lily's body stiffened and her breathing grew ragged, her eyes rolling back as she let out a guttural moan. I felt her pulse around me, her tight walls gripping my length as she came.
The intensity of the moment was almost more than I could handle. My balls tightened and pressure built inside of me. I reached up and pinched her nipple gently, rolling it between my fingers, eliciting a gasp from her lips. The sound was like a rush of electricity through my veins, and it was enough to push me over the edge.
My body shuddered as I released, and I struggled to catch my breath, my heart pounding in my chest.
Lily slowly opened her eyes and looked up at me, her expression one of pure bliss. I smiled down at her, my entire body still shaking with the aftershocks of pleasure.
"That's how I want to end all my sound checks from now on," she murmured, her tone as fuck-drunk as her eyes.
I laughed. "That I can give you. Happily."
We stayed like that for a few moments, holding each other and learning how to breathe normally again, before I finally pulled out and stepped away from her, my body still trembling.
I watched as Lily slowly redressed, a satisfied smile still on her lips.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of optimism as I looked into her eyes. Stepping forward, I kissed her forehead, letting out a contented sigh. We'd done it. We'd gotten through everything we needed to and now we were finally ready to make our commitment to each other official.
Everything was going to be okay. We had each other, and that was all that mattered. Didn't matter how many tours she went on, how many presenters flirted with her or how many lies the press printed. We were ready. We were finally ready to take the next step. Together, we were unstoppable.
