Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 112917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Jude’s giant of a husband stood behind him, massaging his shoulders. “Jude has that effect on people,” he said calmly.
With the exception of reaching back to squeeze Derek’s thigh, Jude ignored him and stayed focused on me. “You’re the one used to performing. I never do shows this big anymore. What if I trip and fall?”
Derek scowled. “I’ll owe your daughter twenty bucks. Don’t do that.”
Jude finally turned around to glare at his husband. “You bet I would fall on stage?”
“I bet you wouldn’t fall. Complain to Rosie. She’s the turncoat. She’s convinced you’re going to do something to embarrass her.”
Jude closed his eyes and inhaled. “Zee, never have children. They’re the worst. They look so sweet and innocent when they’re tiny, but the next thing you know…”
“They’re young adults,” Derek said wryly. “With opinions.”
Kradle began to introduce us onstage.
Derek winked at me over Jude’s shoulder before leaning down and kissing his ear. “Break a leg, Bluebell. I love you. You’re going to be amazing. You always are.”
Jude turned to kiss him on the lips while I tried my hardest not to look at Bear, who was standing quietly next to me. I hated that he couldn’t participate in this conversation as my partner, and I wondered how long it would take to convince him that was the role I wanted him in.
Watching Jude and Derek reminded me that this was exactly how the two of them had ended up together. Derek had been Jude’s close protection specialist, and the two of them had fallen in love.
Jude and I moved forward toward the stage and away from our bodyguards. “Can I ask you something later?” I asked Jude quietly.
He turned to me with a look of concern on his face. “Of course. Anything. Anytime. I hope you know that.”
I nodded and gave him a smile of thanks. He reached out for a fist bump. “Let’s kill this. And don’t let me fall, or I’ll take you down with me to make it a bigger story.”
We jogged out onstage laughing, took the mics, and began our performance. Jude started with a heartfelt thanks to the giant crowd.
“Thanks to you, we’ve raised over two million Euros tonight for LGBTQIA+ youth around the world,” he said. “Thanks to you, fewer children will go without much-needed support of psychologists and therapists. Thanks to you, at-risk teens in our community will be more likely to hear a friendly voice on the other end of the line. Thanks to you, LGBTQIA+ kids who need food, shelter, clothing, medication, hormones, and any other essential needs will get it. And thanks to you, the youth in our community will know just how much we value every single one of them for being exactly who they are. This show is for them. Please help me welcome my friend Zee Barlo. Zee and I are going to sing a new song for you tonight if that’s okay.”
The crowd screamed and cheered their heads off while Jude grinned at me. My heart was so full, and my lungs felt like I could sing for days.
“Let’s do this,” I shouted, pulling the guitar around from where it had been hanging on my back.
It was a song we’d written especially for this event. Because both Jude’s and my schedules had been so hectic this year, we’d had to collaborate over emails, texts, and Zoom, but we’d finally put it together. Jude had arranged for us to record it in a studio in LA next week so we could release it by Christmas.
His idea had been to record it with as many big-name performers as we could gather and then donate the proceeds to the same charity initiative the concert was benefitting. Between the two of us, we’d managed to pull in a powerhouse list of names for the recording, and I couldn’t wait to meet them all in the studio.
As the chorus came around the second time, the crowd began to pick up on it and sing along. By the third time, thousands of voices joined ours.
You’re my brave, my light, my truth.
The world shines brighter because of you.
Stand tall, let your colors show.
You’re the brightest light, never let it go.
I sang with my whole heart. For men like Jude who’d waited a long time. For kids like Auden Salling who might never be able to come out. For women like Aria & Velvet who’d been out since the beginning but still struggled with prejudice and hate. For myself and all the times I’d felt like I wanted to help kids like me.
I was grateful to have a record label that supported me. An agent and manager who were on board with my goals. And now… now an actual boyfriend. Someone who was in love with me and who valued my career and my dreams as much as I did.