47
Alexa pov
As the last and final act arrived, I found myself standing in the audience of the concert hall, watching Nolan take center stage. He was dressed in his signature leather jacket, his hair a mess of curls that framed his face. The crowd roared as he began to strum his guitar, and I felt my heart swell with pride.
I had always known that Nolan was talented, but seeing him up there, commanding the attention of the entire room, was a whole new level of awe-inspiring. As he began to sing, his voice filled the space with a raw, powerful energy that seemed to vibrate through my very bones.
I watched as he moved across the stage, his fingers dancing over the strings of his guitar, his body swaying to the beat of the music. The lights flashed around him, casting shadows on his face and making him look like some kind of rockstar god.
And then, in the midst of all that noise and chaos, a thought struck me. I wondered if Anthony had ever seen his son play in any of his concerts. I wondered if he even knew that Nolan had played in concerts at all.Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.
Anthony had never been the kind of father who took an active interest in his children’s lives. He was always too busy with work or with his own interests to pay attention to what we were doing. Even when Nolan had started playing guitar and writing songs, I don’t think Anthony had ever bothered to listen.
I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness as I thought about all the moments that Anthony had missed out on. All the times he could have been there to support his son, to show him that he cared, and yet he had chosen not to.
But then I looked back at Nolan, and all that sadness turned to joy. Because despite all that, Nolan had still found a way to shine. He had still pursued his passion and found success on his own terms.
As the song came to an end, Nolan bowed to the crowd, and I felt my heart swell with pride once again. He had done it. He had made it. And he had done it all on his own.
I made my way backstage to congratulate him, and as he came off stage, he was grinning from ear to ear. “That was amazing,” I said, giving him a hug.
“Thanks, Alexa,” he said, still beaming. “I can’t believe it went so well.”
“You were incredible,” I told him. “Absolutely incredible.”
Nolan’s grin widened even further. “You really think so?”
“I know so,” I said. “And I’m not the only one. The crowd loved you.”
We talked for a little while longer, and as we did, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the bond that Nolan and I had. Even though our father had never been there for us, we had each other, and that was something special.
As I left the concert hall that night, I couldn’t help but wonder if Anthony had been watching. If he had seen his son up there, shining like a star. And if he had, I wondered if he had finally realized what he had been missing out on all these years.
But in the end, it didn’t really matter. Because Nolan had done it. He had made it to the top, and he had done it all on his own. And that was something to be proud of.
Nolan’s smile widened, but then he frowned, looking around the emptying arena. “I just need to change before we head out,” he said. “Wait here, okay?”
“Sure thing,” I said, watching as he rushed off towards the backstage area.
I waited patiently for him, taking in the silence of the now-empty arena. It was strange, being in a place that had been so full of life just moments before. But I didn’t mind. I was happy just to be there, to witness Nolan’s success firsthand.
But then I noticed a security guard roaming around, checking to make sure that everyone was leaving. He spotted me and approached me. “I’m sorry, miss,” he said. “But we’re closing up now. You’ll have to leave.”
I tried to explain that I was waiting for Nolan, but the guard was insistent. “I’m sorry, but everyone needs to go,” he said. “We’re locking up for the night.”
I sighed, feeling a little disappointed. I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to Nolan, but it seemed like I didn’t have a choice.
As I approached the exit of the arena, I was stopped by a security guard. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said, holding up a hand to block my path path. “We’re closing up for the night. Everyone needs to leave.”
I opened my mouth to explain that I was with Nolan, but before I could say anything, the guard spoke up. “The band left hours ago, along with the fans,” he said, looking at me skeptically. “I’m afraid you’ll have to go too.”
I felt a knot form in my stomach. Had something happened? Had the rest of the band left without me? “Are you sure?” I asked, my voice shaking a little. “I’m with Nolan Brown. He just finished playing.”
The guard raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “I’m sorry, miss,” he said. “But I have to ask everyone to leave. The arena is closing.”
I was so confused and I didn’t know why they would do that, I didn’t believe they would leave me so I wanted to check for myself. “Look, I know it’s late,”I said, my voice calm but firm. “But I’m not just a fan. I’m with the band. I’m Alexa , Nolan’s friend . We need to get to our home quickly because it’s getting dark .”
The guard’s expression softened a little at that, but he still looked unsure. “I don’t know,” he said. “I was told that everyone had left.”
I could feel my nerves starting to fray. I needed to get out of there, but it seemed like the guard wasn’t going to budge. “Please,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “We really do need to get to our house . Can’t you make an exception?”
The guard hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “All right,” he said. “But you’ll have to hurry. We’re locking up in ten minutes.”
Relief flooded through me, and I shot the guard a grateful look. I hurried towards the exit, eager to get out of the arena before it was too late. As I stepped outside into the cool night air, I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I realized that they had truly left me. Was this Nolan’s plan all along ?