Chapter 1
Reggie was used to goodbyes. Except for his band mates, people always left him. His grandparents died, his parents abandoned him, and every girl he ever dated couldn’t handle the broken pieces that he tried to hold together once the excitement of dating a future rock star wore off.
But Nick had been different. Nick stayed. Through two years of second guessing and panic attacks, Nick never let Reggie feel anything less than loved. Even when Nick took over his father’s gym, he always made time for Reggie and always made sure he was at the band’s gigs. But when the band finally made it, Nick said he couldn’t go with him.
“Nick, baby, I can’t do it without you.” Reggie said, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
Nick held Reggie’s hands tightly, not wanting to let go but knowing he would need to, “I’m sorry, love. But this is my home. I can’t leave it behind.”
“You are my home.” Reggie admitted, the tears slipping down.
“Please don’t cry, love.” Nick wrapped his arms around the taller boy, letting his boyfriend follow suit. “If you ever come back, I’ll be right here.”
“You know I can’t come back here. This town hurts too much.” Nick did know that. His grandparents died here, the only family he was close to. This is where his parents split up and both of them left Reggie behind, after years of fighting with him and each other, no one ever making it out without getting busted and bruised. This place held a lot of pain for Reggie. But it held a lot of good things, too.
“Don’t say that.” Nick pleaded. “We met here. We fell in love here. All of your friends are from here. Your sister will still be here.”
“But my friends are coming with me.” Reggie whispered. “You aren’t.”
They tried to talk every day after that. But then the music got busier, with rehearsals and gigs, and they realized long distance wasn’t going to work, so even though it hurt them both, they called it off. Reggie hoped every day that Nick was happy. He tried not to think about him too much, cause even three years down the line it hurt too much. When their new tour schedule was put out, Reggie noticed one small difference between the public schedule and the one the band was given. The public one was all big cities in each of the fifty states, but theirs had an extra show, back home.
“We’re going home?” Reggie blurted out the next time he saw Julie.
She smiled, “Yeah. Didn’t you hear? It’s a small show, I guess Willie got a special request for us to perform at a wedding. He won’t tell me who’s getting married though. He even said they sent him a song they wanted us to perform.”
Reggie wouldn’t admit it, but he hoped it wasn’t Nick. As much as he wanted Nick to be happy, he didn’t want the first time they saw each other again to be at the blonde’s wedding.
They played through a lot of shows before they made it home. A week before the gig, Reggie could barely contain his anxiety to see their friends again. Carrie and her girlfriend, Julie’s best friend, Flynn, Dylan, and Nick. Willie had gone with the band, acting as their manager and coordinator, though really he just went so he could be with Alex. Reggie was happy for Alex when Willie agreed to come along, but they tried not to act too lovey around him at first, because they knew he still missed Nick. Flynn was torn between staying and going, but as much as she loved Julie, she was in love with Carrie and had stayed with her. None of them ever begrudged her of that. They had weekly video chats with her, but Reggie missed his sister. Their bus pulled into town early in the morning, but when it stopped, Reggie could see his sister standing there with a sign. “Welcome back to your old haunt, Phantoms.” He bounded down the stairs of the bus before the driver was completely finished parking, eliciting a panicked groan from Julie and a laugh from the guys. Flynn barely had time to move the sign out of the way before Reggie was throwing his arms around her and lifting her off the ground. “Big brother!” She squealed, “Mom and dad were so excited to hear that you’d be making the wedding!”
“Wait- Are you and Carrie-“
“Yup!” She cut him off, holding out her hand to show the pretty diamond ring on her finger. “I asked Willie not to tell you so it would be a surprise, but it was so hard to keep it secret on our calls!”
Reggie spun her around again with renewed enthusiasm. “Yes! I’m so excited.”
“Actually, Reg, I was wondering if you wanted to be my best man?” Flynn asked with a hesitant smile.
Reggie’s mouth dropped open, “Not Julie?”
Julie laughed brightly, “You’re her big brother! Of course she wants you.” Flynn grinned at her best friend.
“Jules will be a bridesmaid, but I want you beside me, Reg.”
Reggie didn’t have the heart to argue anymore, but he wished Flynn would have dropped the bomb on him that he’d be walking the procession with Nick, who was taking the part of Carrie’s best man, before the ceremony.