Page 207 of Malice and Surrender
He gave her a quick kiss and then walked up with the rest of the band. Of course, Marcus didn’t bother with the stairs and just jumped onto the stage. That guy was wild.
Jace stepped up to the podium, and my breath caught. He looked so handsome. He raised the award, and the crowd screamed and clapped.
“Wow, this is an honor. Thank you to all the fans that voted for us. This award is for all of us, all of you. I wouldn’t be standing here without my band, but they have unwisely elected me to speak.”
He smiled at the camera, and my heart flipped. He’d been nominated so many times but never won. I wanted to dance and cry and laugh. The pride I felt for him when I knew how hard he worked not just on his craft but to come back from all that had happened…he amazed me.
“I’d like to thank this group of guys right here. There are no other people I’d rather be with and spend so much time on a bus with.” The crowd chuckled. “In all seriousness, there are just so many people I want to thank, my agent Allen, the many producers, songwriters, those in the industry that have helped get us to this point, and of course the fans, the list is endless.”
He fell silent for a moment as he looked down at the podium. My stomach churned. It wasn’t obvious to anyone else, but he was gearing himself up for something.
“One thing that I learned very early on in my career is that you can’t do it alone.”
You could hear the fan area chanting: We love Jace, We love Jace.
A sexy smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “I love you too.”
More screaming but louder now.
“They really do love him, don’t they?” Kai said, startling me. I’d forgotten he was sitting on the couch with me.
“Yeah, almost from day one, the fans made it impossible for a label not to notice his talent. He could’ve done anything. He’s always been like that, and it used to make me so fucking mad.” I chuckled. “But I’ve always loved him, no matter what.”
Jace signaled for the crowd to quiet down and waited before continuing. “But I want to come clean on something tonight.”
Everything stopped, including my breathing, as it became eerily quiet. Jace rubbed his chin, and I slid closer to the front of the couch. What was he up to?
“You know, my agent is always making sure I’m in the news, with some sort of drama swirling around me. Some of it is true. I’m not always a good guy.”
He dropped his voice and winked as the fan section went insane. The camera swung in that direction, and I thought for sure someone was going to throw themselves off the second-floor balcony. It sounded like he was at a concert as they drowned out everything else. He waited until the, We love you, Jace quieted down again.
“But sadly, most of the things you’ve seen have all been staged to sell more songs. I’m not really that exciting. I mean, come on, me with a Princess?” Jace cocked a brow and smiled before his face grew serious, and my blood pressure spiked.
“What the hell are you doing, Jace? You better not tank your career to stay at home. I will kick your ass,” I said to the screen as if he could hear me.
“You do know he can’t hear you, right?” Kai held out a new beer for me as he returned from the kitchen. I cracked it and took a swig, not bothering with the glass. I hadn’t even seen Kai move from beside me, so engrossed in what Jace was saying.
“Oh, he’ll know I’m watching. I always watch. I haven’t missed a show he was nominated for.”
“You’re actually really funny,” Kai said, and I looked at him, expecting more from that statement, but he kept his eyes on the television.
“So here’s the thing, I’m tired of the lies and the fake drama. I’m tired of the staged photos and interviews. I want all of you in this room and at home to know right now about something real and very important to me. There are two people in this world that I love, and they mean more to me than anything. One has been with me for almost seventeen years, has lived with and watched all this unfold, and still stuck with me. The second person is newer to my life but holds my heart in her palm as equally as the other.”
My eyes flicked to the band standing right beside Jace. They were smiling and looking like they knew what was coming, so they had to be in on this. I always knew when Marcus or Damon was shocked. They had easy tells. As the camera panned the room, it was easy to see that Raine had no idea what he was up to. She looked like she wanted to bolt from her seat and run out the doors.
“The first of those two couldn't be here with me tonight, although he wanted to be. I’m going to preface this by announcing that I’m bi-sexual and in a menage relationship.” He paused and waited for the collective gasp of shock and then wild cheers to stop.
“Holy fuck, I don’t think this is what Allen meant when he said he wanted more drama, Jace. What the hell are you doing?” My hand covered my mouth, and I pictured Allen fainting backstage.
Jace held up his hand to quiet the room once more. He had to be over time by now, but the camera didn’t cut to commercial.
“He has kept me going through some very, very dark days in my life. Avro Beck, I’m done hiding you in the shadows. I love you, and I wish you could’ve been here tonight.”
My mouth dropped open. “I think I’m going to pass out,” I mumbled. My breathing was as fast as my rabbiting heart.
Kai clapped a hand on my shoulder as he laughed at my terrified expression. “Guess you didn’t know what he was up to.”
“Now for the second person that I love. All of you just learned of Raine and our relationship, and I know this has come as a shock, as I’m sure learning of Avro just now has, but Raine, could you come up here for a minute.”
