loved by you // j.b

twenty-seven

☆ twenty-seven: some time later ☆
word count: 1481

"You're on in ten," a man wearing a headset spoke as he zoomed past me and disappeared further backstage. My legs began to tremble as I shook my hands beside me, attempting to physically shake out the nerves. "I can't do this," I said in a mental panic, peeking out from behind the curtain to see a crowd of at least six hundred people.

"It's gonna be fine. Just take a deep breath. You've got this, Rylee... You're gonna do great," Grace assured me as she rubbed my shoulders to comfort me. "You look gorgeous, by the way," she hummed near my ear as I continued to stare nervously out into the crowd.

It's crazy how much can change in the span of six months. After some more self-promotion on social media with Scooter's advice, my following had began to grow immensely. I had officially gotten the okay from Scooter, who was surprised yet impressed, and we had negotiated a contract. I was officially a signed recording artist.

Justin and Scooter put together a huge party in celebration of my signing. They had helped fly out some of my closest family and friends as well as invited some popular faces. We had then worked to release my first single, 'Nobody', and it had really taken off from there.

Scooter was right. In this day and age, social media was a huge help in this process. Thanks to TikTok, my single had gone viral being used with dances and trends. Not too long after that, I had the privilege of hearing myself on the radio for the first time. It was such a crazy experience.

It wasn't long that I had officially achieved my first platinum record. Justin was so proud of me. He was such a help in learning how to handle new-found fame. It was very easy to feel overwhelmed in times like these. He had given me some tips when it came to interviews, he had walked me through how awkward my first photoshoot would feel, and he had helped me when it came to being in the studio.

Aside from becoming one of my best friends, Justin had almost became my mentor. There was no denying that there was also some sort of romantic relationship between us. Justin and I had never really had an in depth conversation as to what we were; we were just us. Justin and Rylee.

Between the two of us, nothing had really changed. We were intimate with one another but also noncommittal. Although we had never officially said it, those closest to us paired us together. When we were around others, we tried our best to downplay our feelings towards each other. Undeniably, there was tension between us and it was almost impossible not to let anyone on to that fact.

It was also known to the public that we had been hanging out. Paparazzi had photographed us together and the pictures had gotten some attention. They were just innocent photos: us getting into the car together, us out to eat at a restaurant, or us just simply spotted together at a social gathering. Of course, the internet came up with speculations. Whether it was if we were dating or if we were making music, they were pairing us together as well.

I had been blessed enough to be able to move out of Nashville and I was now living in California. Grace and I had gotten a house together, which was really nice. I still got to live alone seeming Grace was usually traveling with her modeling career, I was closer to Justin, and it was more convenient with my growing career.

I was currently about to perform my first mini-concert in celebration of my new EP that was releasing in three days. This was the biggest crowd I had performed for, not to mention my first performance that wasn't at a bar or a party.