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  Elliot shook his head and turned to Danny. “How could we have missed that?”

  “You were scared,” Webb said gently. “We all were. Scared and new. It was stupid not to look further into it, but it’s hard to know what to do when you’ve got your dreams staring you in the face and big official people telling you what to do.”

  Elliot wasn’t sure what his dreams were anymore. Only thing he knew for sure. One dream had never gone away.

  Danny.

  Sometimes when he looked at him long enough, he could nearly feel the magnet pulling him Danny’s way, his whole body a twisted mess of hurt and confusion, of DannyDannyDanny and Grab him you fool before he gives up and finds somebody else. Elliot’s belly fluttered. He felt giddy, scared, happy, worried… too many things, to tell the truth.

  “What do you think?” he asked Danny quietly. Now that the possibility was staring him in the face, everything that was at stake if either of them stood up to their management made him shiver. But the idea of not being with Danny for the rest of his life scared him about a million times worse.

  “I think are you kidding me?” Danny stood from the chair that had become his over the past few weeks. “This has been awful. I’d do anything to have you back.”

  Yes.

  Elliot couldn’t make himself stay away from Danny a second longer. It had been a mistake to ever try. He held out his hand. “Come here,” he said quietly. Danny took it with a slow-growing smile. Elliot pulled gently and Danny toppled into his lap, back in the chair they’d always shared. He wrapped his arms around Danny’s middle and shuffled them around until it felt just like it always had. He wanted to kiss Danny, hold him as tight as he could. It felt so fucking good to touch him again.

  “Um, we’ll give you two a minute,” Reece muttered with a smile. He grabbed Tate and Webb and hauled them out of the room.

  As soon as the others were gone, Elliot didn’t know what to say, what to do—for maybe two seconds. That’s about as long as it took him to haul Danny against him and slam their mouths together. Danny groaned into the kiss, tangled his fingers in Elliot’s hair and twisted so his knees were straddling Elliot’s hips. They kissed and kissed; Elliot couldn’t get enough of simply being allowed to touch. He ran his hands up under Danny’s shirt, over his hips, down the sides of his thighs. Everything still felt like Danny, who fit him so perfectly. He never wanted to let go, never wanted to stop kissing.

  “I missed you so fucking bad. I don’t wanna ever do this again,” Elliot breathed against Danny’s mouth when they finally had to tear apart.

  Danny choked on a laugh and dove in, burying his face in Elliot’s neck. “Are you kidding me? Never. I’m handcuffing you to me permanently. I swear.”

  “Okay,” Tate said from the doorway. “I’m guessing that means you two are okay. More kinky than I wanted to know about, but okay.”

  Danny burst into laughter but didn’t make any effort to move from Elliot’s lap.

  “Are we good?” Webb asked.

  “Yeah,” Elliot said. “We’re good.” He felt the blush rise up the back of his neck, but he didn’t care how embarrassed he was. He was happy. And it might have been the worst idea in the history of time for him to take Danny back and get them right back into the mess they’d been in for all those months, but the world didn’t feel right without him.

  “Sweet. Now can we make some goddamned music?” Reece asked.

  Everyone laughed, real actual laughs, including Danny and Elliot. It might have been a recipe for hurt, but Elliot was relieved to be back where things were supposed to be.

  “HEY, guys,” Elliot said quietly an hour or so later. They’d gone back to the sound booth, but he and Danny hadn’t left each other’s sides. They’d squished together like they always had back at the beginning, not even room for a sheet of paper between them, as Reece used to say. “Chris and I have been working on something together the past few weeks. What would you say to putting that on the album?”

  Keller, who Elliot had missed when they were on the road, shrugged with a smile. “If it’s good, why not? I’d love to see this album sound more individual than the first one did.” Reece had already been giving his input to the songwriters, changing lyrics and chords and even contributing a song he and Tate had written together on the road. Already the album sounded more like them than the first one had by far. They felt like they’d slipped quite a bit past Sasha. Elliot hoped for one more song.

  “Is Chris around today?” Keller asked. “We can bring him down.”

  Chris shared the others’ relief when he heard Danny and Elliot were back together and everything was cool again. He texted, “about fucking time” and said he’d be out the door in five minutes.

  “I’m glad you two are getting along again,” he said when he arrived, cuffing Elliot over the head gently. He hugged Danny as well, then the rest of the guys. “Maybe now Elliot can stop moping on my couch.”

  “I wasn’t moping!” Elliot protested. He had been, but he didn’t want to sound like a total baby.

  Chris laughed. “You’re right. That was about fifty steps beyond anything that could generously be called moping.”

  Elliot glared at him, but then he smiled. Wasn’t like it was a big secret how unhappy he’d been.

  “Let’s hear this song you two have been working on,” Keller said, always ready to get to business. He’d taken on more of a producer’s role for this new album, and the boys were all happy to be working with him again. Elliot only hoped Sasha would go for what he and Chris had come up with together.

  Chris gestured for Elliot to talk. Elliot felt his face heat. All that time in front of the world, and he still didn’t like being on the spot. “The song’s called ‘Catch My Breath’. It’s a ballad, but something that would be just acoustic. Nothing too produced.” Just like they’d always wanted. Elliot cleared his throat. “I, uh, think it’ll be pretty damn obvious what it’s about here in a second.”

  He gestured for Chris to get his guitar out. Elliot couldn’t believe he was shaky. He’d sung in front of these six guys so many times there was no reason to be—other than the fact he was singing lyrics he’d written himself. About Danny. Elliot cleared his throat and nodded. Chris picked out the intro and Elliot just went for it. Too late to back out anyway.

  “The day we met seems like a distant, long-lost memory….”

  Danny’s eyes went wide at the first line and only got wider. Elliot couldn’t help smiling as he sang. Danny knew. Hell, the whole room had to know.

  “Of you and of me and how it always worked out perfectly….”

  Danny reached out and touched Elliot’s lower back, that comforting gesture, the one he’d always known.

  “When your hand first touched mine I knew that you could see,

  The flutters in my heart and what you’d come to mean to me.”

  Elliot’s voice caught a little on that last line, but Chris grinned encouragingly. Keep going. You can do this.

  “Spinning, flying, dreaming, falling,

  Running when I hear you calling

  Even when you’re far from reach

  I still can’t catch my breath.”

  They sang another verse and then went through the chorus one more time before Chris strummed a few quick chords on his guitar and stopped.

  “So we still have to write the bridge and probably another verse, but what do you think?” Elliot asked.

  For a second nobody said a word, but then the room erupted in talking and the boys clapping Chris and Elliot on the backs.

  “Dude, it’s freaking perfect,” Reece said. Tate and Webb nodded their agreement. Danny simply looked at Elliot like he was the most amazing thing in the world. “They’ll swoon all over the place.”

  “I’d say it’s in,” Keller told him with a smile.

  Chris and Elliot gave each other a small high five.

  “So you two have work to do. While Chris is here, do you guys want to work on the beginning?”
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  Everyone nodded. Elliot knew he had to speak. “I have a request.”

  “It’s your song, El. Go for it,” Keller said.

  “I’d like to sing the first verse with Danny.”

  “ARE you…?” Danny didn’t finish his sentence, but he gestured to the room they hadn’t shared since before the tour. Elliot figured he didn’t know how to ask.

  He nearly shuddered in relief at the idea of falling asleep in Danny’s arms again. He wanted to run and catapult onto that bed, drag Danny in with him, and never leave it again. “Yeah, if that’s okay.”

  “Of course it’s okay, El. God, I’ve been waiting for this.”

  Elliot walked over and wrapped his arms around Danny’s neck. “I’m sorry I put us though that. I just didn’t see another way out.”

  “It’s not your fault, babe. It’s not my fault. It’s everything about this situation. We were just kids. Neither of us had a damn clue what was going to happen. Hell, we still don’t.”

  “Are you really going to stand up to management about Chelsea?”

  “Yeah. I am.” Danny rubbed his hands up and down Elliot’s back. “That should’ve ended months ago. It’s ridiculous. I’m going to set a meeting with them as soon as I can, but no matter what they say I’m ending it. Publicly.”

  It was scary. It really, really was. But if they were protected in the contract as long as they appeared platonic and straight, then they shouldn’t get in any real trouble. He hoped. No matter what the outcome, Elliot felt better than he had in months. “I’ve gotta brush my teeth and stuff. Meet you in bed?”

  Danny nodded and raked his hand through Elliot’s hair. They stood quietly and looked at each other for a long moment.

  It was weird to feel shy with Danny, the one person who’d seen and touched every part of him, but he did. First-date-with-that-guy-you’ve-always-liked kind of shy. It was nice. Nerve-racking but fluttery and fun.

  “Hey, El?” Danny said when Elliot slowly backed up and turned for the bathroom.

  “Yeah?”

  Danny smiled. “I love you.”

  Elliot couldn’t help breaking into a huge smile. “I love you too.”

  It felt good to say it again.

  “I CAN’T believe you’re actually in here,” Danny whispered a few minutes later when Elliot slid into their bed. Elliot understood. It felt normal and right to be back where he belonged but at the same time almost like he shouldn’t be allowed to be there.

  “Not leaving again,” Elliot mumbled. He reached out for Danny, like he’d done most of the nights in the past couple of months, but instead of cold sheets and air he got warm skin and fingers curling around his.

  “What’s with the pajamas?” Danny asked with a grin. He only had a small pair of boxer briefs.

  Elliot shrugged. He felt a blush seep into his cheeks. “I don’t know. I didn’t know if you wanted…”

  Danny rolled his eyes good-naturedly and dragged Elliot’s t-shirt over his head. “I’ll always want to see you.” He pulled Elliot close. “I’ll always want to feel you.” With one hand, he pushed Elliot’s flannel bottoms down over his hips. “I’ll always want to make love to you.”

  Elliot shuddered hard. How had he survived so many weeks without it? “I want that too.”

  “Good.” Danny grinned slyly. “’Cause you’re gonna get it.”

  Danny grinned and Elliot giggled and that’s really all it took for everything to feel just like it always had. The shyness was gone. It was just him and Danny and they were them and everything was exactly right.

  “HEY, Chels. Can we meet for coffee or something this week? I need to talk.” Danny’s belly quivered with nerves, but it was just Chelsea. She’d understand.

  “Yeah, that’s fine. We don’t have rehearsals this afternoon or Friday.”

  He wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. “Can we meet this afternoon?” he asked.

  “Sure. How about three?”

  They agreed on a place before saying goodbye. Danny’s hand shook a little as he hung up the phone and put it on their kitchen counter. It was good, though. A step forward. He and Elliot had met with Rebecca and Peter on Monday. They’d protested the break from Chelsea at first and said they’d need to hook Elliot up with another girl, but Elliot had refused and Danny held strong with him. They’d finally agreed “for the time being” that as long as neither Elliot nor Danny made any overt coupley gestures, they’d try a trial period of them both being single.

  It wasn’t exactly what they’d wanted, but it was something. Probably the most they were getting out of management. They’d decided to be happy with it. Not like there was much of a choice.

  Danny went back to their room, where Elliot was doing sit-ups on the floor.

  “I called Chelsea. I’m going to talk to her at three.”

  Elliot flopped back onto the carpet and smiled up at Danny. “You need moral support?”

  Danny sank to the ground and ran his fingers up under Elliot’s shirt. The year of mandatory workouts had ripped Elliot out. He’d always be lanky and lean, but instead of a boy’s body, he now had the muscles of a man. It had been torture not to touch him all those weeks. Danny was grateful he had the right once more.

  “I’d love moral support, but I think it’ll be more respectful to Chelsea if I do this on my own. Don’t you?”

  “Probably.” Elliot covered Danny’s hand with his own and threaded their fingers together.

  “She’ll be cool with it, won’t she?”

  “Yeah,” Danny answered. “She thought our run was over before the tour, so this isn’t a big deal. She’ll understand that you and I are trying not to hide so much too. I know she felt bad about that.”

  “Chelsea’s nice. Tell her I’m sorry I glared at her that one day.”

  Danny laughed. “She did ask about it, you know? But poor thing had no idea what was going on.” He leaned over to kiss Elliot. It started as a gentle peck but deepened into something far more. It had been like that with them ever since they’d gotten each other back. The kisses felt like they had back in the beginning, when he and Elliot were so deliriously into each other they couldn’t spend a single moment without touching.

  “So what are you going to do until three?” Elliot asked with a slow smile.

  There was that too. Danny couldn’t help grinning. They couldn’t seem to stay out of bed, other than the times they unfortunately had to.

  “Don’t have any plans.”

  Elliot rose from the floor and held his hand out to Danny. “I think I can probably come up with a way to keep you from getting bored.”

  They laughed and kissed and fell into bed, where all that existed was the two of them, in love and free from worry.

  DANNY still had the memory of the morning—and early afternoon—on him when he met Chelsea for coffee and what was sure to be an awkward conversation. They were out in a residential area. There probably wasn’t anyone looking, but even if they were he supposed it didn’t matter. The date could be chalked up to their breakup, and it would just cement the story that it was over between them.

  “Hey,” she greeted. “Someone looks happy.”

  Danny smiled slowly. “We’re back together.”

  Chelsea didn’t need any more explanation. She stood and gave Danny a long hug. “I’m happy for you, sweetie. You’ve both looked so sad lately. I really think you need each other.”

  “I think we do too.”

  “So what’s the next step?” Chelsea asked. “I don’t want to do this if it’s going to cause tension with you two. Plus,” she smiled, “I might have met someone myself. I just didn’t want to tell you when you were so down.”

  Danny was relieved. More than relieved. There didn’t have to be any awkwardness. “That’s so great, Chels. Who is he?”

  “His name’s Ryan. He DJs at a club we were singing at a week ago. He’s taken me out a couple of times, quietly of course, but he’s sweet, D. And he really likes me.”


  “That’s so awesome.” He smiled and took her hands across the table. “I’m really glad this isn’t going to be a mess for both of us.”

  “How do we do this?” she asked. “Do we have to have some big breakup scene? I’m not that great of an actress.”

  “No. I told management I was going to end it, and I told them I wanted to talk to you personally. They’ll start leaking info to the tabs about us growing apart, and then eventually I’ll say something to confirm it. We’re going to make the whole thing really amicable. I still want to be your friend, and we can’t do that if we supposedly hate each other.”

  “Good.” Chelsea looked worried. “What about Elliot? I feel bad if I’ve made it impossible for us to be friends again.”

  “You didn’t.” Danny grinned, remembering earlier. “He actually said he was sorry he glared at you that one day. El knows none of this was your fault.”

  “You should see your face when you talk about him. I can’t believe I ever missed it.” She shook her head and smiled down into her coffee.

  “A lot of people missed it. Hell, a lot of people still do miss it. I don’t care, really, as long as I get to have him. It would be nice to hold his hand in public, but maybe that day will come eventually.”

  Chelsea squeezed his hand. “I think it will.”

  Danny stood to go. They had a quick rehearsal that afternoon and a barbecue at Reece’s house. “I have to get to the studio. The guys are waiting.”

  “We’ll all have to get together sometime. I miss the boys, and I know Savannah, Gracie, and Andrea do too.”

  “That would be really great,” Danny said. He meant it.

  THE END OF AN ERA

  A Candy Scoop Exclusive!

  Relations are looking chilly in Camp Chelly. We at Candy Scoop are sad to report that it looks like our favorite pop couple might be over. DANNY BRIGHT and CHELSEA PRESTON made our hearts pitter-patter for nearly a year but recently he’s been seen out with buddies TATE RYAN and WEBB JACKSON, not his hottie of a honey.