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The crowd roared so loud it shook the floor beneath my boots. The heavy bass from the final note still hummed in my chest, but I couldn't tell if it was the music or my pulse. Spotlights cut through the air, showcasing the thousands of faces screaming my name. Their hands were raised, phones flashing, trying to hold on to the moment.
I smiled wide-perfect, practiced, untouchable. The Arela LaVelle they paid to see. I gave a final wave to my fans and slipped behind the wings to see my team. The second the lights were off me, my shoulders dropped. My smile went with it.
"Rela! That was insane!" Naya's voice cut through the backstage chaos, her heels clacking too fast against the concrete floor. "Sold out. Again. You're on fire. I'm so proud of you love!"
She was beaming, her eyes still high off the energy. I gave her a small laugh, the kind you offer when you've got nothing left. "Yeah," I mumbled. "Crazy."
The security team rushed me through the back hall. I moved on autopilot-head down, pace steady-as they shielded me from the grabbing hands and voices shouting my name. It didn't matter. I didn't hear them anymore.
By the time I was in the SUV, the city lights blurred through the tinted window. The second the door shut, I slumped against the seat, exhaling sharply. My hands were shaking again. I stared at them for a second before clenching them into fists. Get it together.
I pressed my fingertips to my temples, trying to stop the headache that was soon to come. But it didn't help. And neither did the silence.
So I grabbed my phone. Scrolling was easier than feeling. Easier than thinking. My thumb moved without much direction until it stopped.
Him.
LaMelo Ball.
I stared at the photo longer than I should have. Maybe it was the smile-careless, easy, like he had nothing to prove. Or maybe it was the eyes-steady and sure, but somehow soft. Like he'd seen things. Felt things. I knew that look. I wore it every day.
I shook my head and shut off the screen. Pathetic. He was just a guy. A basketball player. Another face in a world of people I'd never meet.
The SUV slowed in front of my house. My driver glanced back at me, but I was already opening the door, eager to be alone.
Inside, the house was still. Too still. The silence pressed in on me. I kicked off my boots in the entryway, leaving them where they fell. My jacket hit the floor next. I didn't bother turning on the lights.
