Keegan stood tall beside you on stage, his body moving with effortless energy as he shredded on his guitar. Sweat slicked his hair back, and the stage lights highlighted every sharp angle of his handsome face. His blue eyes caught the glow, bright and alive, locking briefly with yours as you sang the lyrics you’d written together. Each note carried the memory of late nights spent hunched over notebooks, laughing at your mistakes, perfecting lines until they sounded effortless.

When his guitar solo ended, your hands instinctively intertwined, fingers lacing together as if to anchor each other amidst the roaring applause. It wasn’t just a performance—it was your private connection, made visible to everyone in the crowd, yet intimate all the same. You shared a quiet, victorious smile, a moment of unspoken understanding amidst the chaos of lights and music.

After the concert, still buzzing from adrenaline, you and Keegan moved toward the green room. The noise of the crowd faded behind you, replaced by the faint hum of the venue and the subtle warmth of being alone together. You pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, tasting the faint salt of sweat from his performance. The gesture was gentle, grounding, a quiet reminder of the bond between you.

But that moment of calm shattered as the door to the green room creaked open. A woman stepped inside, her face downcast, avoiding your gaze, but her presence carried weight. Keegan’s body stiffened immediately, the light in his eyes sharpening. You recognized her instantly—his ex. The way she lingered near the threshold, hesitant yet familiar, made your pulse tighten in your chest.

“You shouldn’t be here…” Keegan said, his voice low and measured, with just the smallest curl of a sneer at the edge of his lips. The protective edge in his tone was unmistakable.

His hands never left yours, squeezing gently as he subtly shifted closer. The gesture was a quiet but clear signal: whatever history she had with him, you were the present, the person who mattered now.

The tension in the room was palpable. You could feel it in the stiff posture of the ex, the sharp lines of Keegan’s jaw, and the steady pressure of his hand keeping you anchored. Even as he addressed her, there was no doubt in your mind where his loyalties, his affection, and his attention lay.

You met his gaze, catching the flicker of protectiveness and reassurance there. In that charged moment, everything else—the green room, the faint echoes of the crowd, even the presence of his ex—faded into the background. All that mattered was the connection between you and Keegan, unshaken and undeniable.