Homecoming Hearts Series Collection

by HJ Welch

  Maybe he could trust these people when they said Reyse had missed him. That he wanted Corey still.

  Honestly, though, what was the alternative? Run away again? Leave the man Corey might possibly actually be in love with because he was too afraid to try?

  Corey summoned as much of his confidence as he could.

  “Okay,” he said. “Let’s do this.”

  That seemed enough to give the go-ahead to everyone. They beamed at him and began clearing the table. Gabe secured both his children (who Corey had discovered he and Joey had only just adopted all the way from China) into their stroller. By the time the mega-medley started up, they were already making their way backstage.

  The music became overpowering the closer they got. Gabe had fitted the kids with mini-noise cancelling headsets, so they kept on sleeping as the group wound their way through the dark passageways of backstage. Corey’s heartbeat sped up as they navigated their way in a procession up to the side of the stage.

  A big blond security guy sensed their approach and looked for half a second like he was going to stop them. Then his face changed in recognition. “Elion,” he shouted fondly over the music, as Elion was at the front of their line. He clapped their hands together and hugged him against his solid chest. “I thought you guys would have been here ages ago?”

  Elion stood on tiptoes to speak into the guy’s ear as the group moved into a clump around them. Corey could just catch a glimpse of the stage and the couple of dozen people singing and dancing on it. The crowd was cheering along, screaming every time the song changed from one of Reyse’s tracks into another.

  “Hey, I’m Levi,” the guy said, grabbing Corey’s attention away from the stage. He automatically shook hands with the guy. “Raiden’s husband. Nice to meet you.” It looked like he was working security for the night, as his jacket matched a couple of other big guys’ that Corey could see. But he gave Corey a warm smile and squeezed his shoulder once he’d let his hand go. “It’s cool you’re here.”

  Corey ran out of time to debate whether or not that was true. The medley ended with his favorite of Reyse’s songs – Deny Me – and the crowd went wild. But it seemed the show wasn’t over.

  Blake Jackson began addressing the crowd, talking about Reyse and how much he was loved. Getting the audience to cheer for the people who had stood by them in their lives. Then he mentioned how finding that special someone could make all the difference.

  Before he realized what was going on, Elion, Gabe, Levi and Ashby had formed a sort of protective semi-circle around Corey, with Corey right by the side of the stage. Then everyone on the stage was turning and looking at them.

  Looking at Corey.

  Their faces were all a blur under the powerful lights. But suddenly, Corey’s vision became laser-sharp.

  He’d never not be able to pick that face out in a crowd.

  His heart all but stopped and tears burned the back of his eyes as for the first time in over a month, he found himself face-to-face Reyse Hickson once again.

  And he had no idea what the hell to do.

  32

  Reyse

  It was like time stopped altogether. Reyse could feel the tension of the crowd as they watched him, trying to work out what was going on.

  Reyse wasn’t sure he knew what was going on himself.

  How could Corey be here? Why did he look like he was going to burst into tears? Did he want to be here? Reyse’s heart ached at the sight of him. He’d become so convinced that he would never see his beautiful lover again it came like a sucker punch to suddenly have him there now. But in the best kind of way. Well, only if Corey was happy to see him too.

  He was so close. Reyse felt paralyzed. He was aware of his friends around him and all their dancers. He was aware of some sixty thousand people watching him from the crowd. He was aware of the cameras that were no doubt zoomed in on his face, waiting for a reaction.

  “It’s okay,” Blake hissed, off mic. “Go to him!”

  Reyse couldn’t tear his eyes away to look at him, but TJ was nodding within his sightline. Raiden looked in confused between Reyse and Corey, then his eyes went wide as he apparently joined the dots. “Dude, what are you waiting for?” he cried, forgetting to cover his mic as he was still holding Reyse and TJ’s hands. But he didn’t seem to care, nor did anyone else.

  But Reyse didn’t know what to do. Corey didn’t look like he wanted Reyse to run to him. He looked like he might puke. He was trembling. Seeing him so distraught broke Reyse’s heart all over again.

  But Corey was here. He’d found his way back to Reyse, just like Evangeline had promised he would. Was Reyse going to let him slip out of his life for a third time?

  He’d never get him back if he did. Of that, Reyse was certain.

  Feeling like someone else was in charge of his body, Reyse let go of Joey’s hand. Then he held his own hand out toward Corey. He could hear the murmuring of tens of thousands of people, the gasp of even more holding their breath.

  Reyse looked at Corey, the other guys squeezing his shoulders and patting his back. Reyse couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they were all telling him something, talking over one another.

  He wasn’t sure who moved first. But it was as if one second they were both looking into each other’s eyes, resisting the pull. Then they both just…gave in. Reyse sprinted forward the same moment as Corey broke free of his group, charging onto the stage and straight into Reyse’s arms. Reyse let out an animalistic sort of sound as they collided, screams already assaulting them from the audience. All around them, their friends bellowed in triumph and Reyse allowed himself to be crushed in the strong arms he’d been craving for weeks, inhaling Corey’s unique spicy musk as he could no longer hold back his tears.

  “I thought I’d never see you again,” he cried into Corey’s chest. Corey held the back of his head and dug his fingers into Reyse’s side.

  “I’m so sorry,” he replied. “I shouldn’t have left you. I’m sorry, Reyse. I understand if you can’t forgive me-”

  Reyse leaned back, grabbed Corey by the face, and crashed their lips together to kiss him senseless. He was dimly aware that the crowd may have gone wild for the Below Zero reunion. But it paled into comparison at the hysteria they unleashed as Reyse finally declared to the world that this was the man he loved. And he was never, ever letting him go again.

  The audience was still going beyond nuts, but Reyse vaguely heard Joey addressing the crowd for one last time. “That’s all, folks!” he cried to tumultuous applause. “Thank you for joining us! I call that a happy ever after, don’t you?”

  Reyse was aware of the rest of the people exiting the stage around them as the white screen descended in front of them, hiding them just as it had the rest of Below Zero at the start of the set. There was confetti gently drifting from up above where a couple of cannons had gone off earlier. As Reyse and his team had planned, when the curtain fully descended again, the same projector that had illuminated the four guys came on. This time it showed a beautiful rainbow with the Iridescence logo in the middle. Reyse and Corey’s silhouette appeared just below.

  Reyse laughed as the crowd screamed again, but he couldn’t make himself care enough to move just yet. Everyone else had left the stage, and for the first time in weeks Reyse was relatively alone with Corey again. He hugged him close and cried on his shoulder.

  “You asshole,” he said with a tearful laugh. “I thought I was never going to see you again.”

  “I thought that was for the best…” Corey protested weakly. Then he nodded. “Nope, you’re right. I’m an asshole.”

  Reyse chuckled and kissed him on the lips. “No, you’re not, you’re gorgeous,” he said between kisses. “Fuck, I can’t believe you’re here. I love you,” he uttered as they broke to catch their breath.

  He didn’t even get a second to question if he’d made a mistake. Corey laughed, his face wet, and pressed their foreheads together. “I love you, too, baby,” he said.


  A camera flash caught Reyse’s eye, making him snap his head toward the wings. He knew they were kind of exposed here, but he would have thought people would have had the decency to leave them alone for a second.

  “Can we go?” he asked Corey, feeling kind of woozy. The performance and the shock had taken a lot out of him. Besides, the idea someone was snooping when that had ruined their relationship before made him uneasy.

  “Definitely,” Corey said, rubbing Reyse’s back and kissing him again. “Shall we go find your friends?”

  “Did you meet them already?” Reyse asked with a frown as they left the stage hand in hand. They had certainly seemed familiar with him before he’d come on stage.

  Corey chuckled. “Well, Foofy found me, then so did your aunt and mom, then, yes, I met the Husband Club.” He beamed at Reyse and raised his hand to kiss the back of it. “They were really nice to me.”

  Reyse stopped and kissed Corey’s lips in the wings. “Good,” he said, feeling embarrassingly emotional. “You’re one of us now, one of the gang.”

  Before Corey made him elaborate on that – because Reyse was immediately aware it sounded very much like he wanted Corey to also be a husband – he tugged on his hand and led him through backstage. Nobody from the crew or any of the VIP guests bothered them as they headed out to the picnic area. Maybe he had imagined the photo flash?

  Eventually, they burst out into the slightly cooler evening air. Floodlights had been set up to illuminate the VIP area. Their group had been waiting just by the exit and instantly gathered around them. As Reyse was jostled by the crowd, he heard a big round of applause go up from the people back here. But it was too much for Reyse. His feet just sort of stopped moving and he turned into Corey, burying his face in his chest.

  “All right, all right,” the voice he’d come to recognize as Levi said firmly. The group fanned out over the grass. The inner circle were people Reyse knew. Friends and family. But around that were all kinds of people, hovering out of interest. Well, there was probably no hiding him and Corey now, anyway.

  “Reyse, are you okay?” Raiden asked. Reyse felt him place a hand on Reyse’s back before he looked back up to see his concerned face next to Levi’s.

  Joey was standing beside him with his new young son in his arms, Hai blinking himself awake as Joey wiped away his tears. Gabe was by him with their little girl on his hip. Blake and Elion were holding hands. TJ had his arms protectively around Ashby. Reyse’s mom was with his aunt and Foofy. Bella stood slightly further back, being respectful with her new guy’s hand resting on her shoulder.

  These were the people he loved more than anything. He even sort of wished his dad was there to complete the picture. And Kimmy, seeing as she’d proved to be so much more than a work acquaintance lately.

  That wish was fulfilled soon enough at least. “Oh my god!” her raspy, high-pitched voice rang out over the crowd. “Oh my god, Reyse! That was the most incredible thing ever! Are you okay? Reyse – where are you?”

  She barged through the throng of strangers, then Raiden and Blake parted to let her through. Without pause, she flung herself against Reyse and Corey, hugging them both and dancing on her toes. She only came up to their shoulders, but she managed to rock them anyway.

  “You guys!” she shrieked, pushing her glasses up her nose and staring at them. “That was – I can’t – I mean – amazing television! Ratings are going to be through the roof! But, you know, great work in real life too.” She punched Reyse’s arm. Then – probably reacting to his stunned face – raised her eyebrows. “Right? We’re all happy, right?”

  Reyse looked at Corey. His expression was pained. “I think so?” Reyse said in a whisper.

  “Nope, no,” Evangeline said, letting Foofy down on the grass waving her hands. “We’re not going through this again. You both tell each other what you told me, right now. I’m done with these broken hearts. They’re frightfully dull and boring.”

  Corey bit his lip. “I never should have ghosted you,” he blurted out. “It’s been hell. I never saw your interview, but apparently you said some things about me and I should have just come back to your place and begged for forgiveness. I know we’ve not had all that much time together, but…fuck, Reyse, I need you!”

  Reyse stared for a moment into his gorgeous hazel eyes. Then he laughed and hastily rubbed his wet eyes. “I need you, too,” he said. “There’s nothing to forgive. All that matters is you’re here. And I’m not letting you out of my sight without taking your number this time, you jerk.”

  Corey barked out a laugh and buried his face against Reyse’s neck. “I’m not letting you out of my sight, period,” he said.

  The sound of a sob made Reyse look up. His mom covered her mouth in embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” she squeaked. “I’m just so happy.”

  “You’re not the only one,” Bella said, brushing tears from her cheeks as she reached an arm around her shoulders with a smile.

  In fact, Reyse realized several people were sniffing and grinning in delight.

  The moment was interrupted by several explosive barks from Foofy. She had wormed her way between people’s feet and was growling fiercely. The throng parted around her to reveal a guy in a Below Zero baseball cap with thick glasses and a trimmed goatee. Foofy was hopping around his sneakers, snarling and nipping at his laces. He had a VIP lanyard on, but Reyse didn’t remember seeing him earlier today.

  “Hey, someone call this mutt off,” the guy said, waving the phone in his hand around.

  “I beg your pardon?” Evangeline snapped.

  But before Reyse, Mr. Goatee, or anyone else could respond, Ashby stepped forward. “YOU!” he cried scandalously.

  “What? Who?” Reyse asked.

  “Dez Starr,” Ashby and TJ snarled in unison.

  Reyse snapped his head back toward the guy who was doing his best to look innocent. “The guy who bought those photos of Corey and me and wrote that bullshit article? The one who drove us apart and almost ruined my career and relationship?”

  “And ours,” TJ rumbled, looking murderous.

  Levi plucked the lanyard away from Dez’s chest, making Dez flinch slightly. “Oh, look,” he murmured with fake cheer. “A forgery.”

  Raiden deftly swiped the phone from Dez’s grasp while he was glaring at Levi.

  “Hey, that’s mine!” Dez shouted.

  “And you’re trespassing,” Levi said with a smile. He placed his fingertips on Dez’s chest, as if daring him to try and push past him.

  “Dude, he’s got a ton of photos of y’all on here,” Raiden said to Reyse in disgust. “Kissing and stuff.”

  “Delete them,” Blake snapped.

  “Damn right,” Elion huffed, folding his arms.

  “Wait, hang on,” Reyse said. He held out his hand, so Raiden handed over the phone.

  Reyse swiped through a couple of dozen very intrusive photos of him and Corey on stage and down on the grass. As furious as he was, it was kind of nice to see them together.

  “No,” Corey said. Reyse looked up to see him shaking his head. “We’ll take more photos. Proper ones. We don’t want those. They’re dirty.”

  Relief filled Reyse’s chest. Just hearing Corey say they were going to take more photos together relaxed him. Gave him faith. “Yes,” he agreed.

  “You can’t delete those,” Dez shouted, bobbing either side of Levi’s large form. “Those are mine!”

  “Trespassing,” Levi said with a sigh, shaking his head and tutting.

  “Besides,” Raiden said smugly. “You’ve got far too many of the kids in the background of those snaps, Mr. Starr. You need their parents’ permission for that.”

  “What?” Joey cried.

  “No, no,” Gabe spluttered. “No, we definitely don’t give that.”

  “Delete them all, Reyse,” Levi told him, his tone comforting.

  Dez continued to fume, but Reyse just looked up at Corey. Corey nodded and kissed the side of Reyse’s hair. “I promise
we’ll take more,” he murmured. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  So one by one, Reyse deleted all the images that Dez had snapped without their permission, feeling cathartic about it by the end. “Done,” he said.

  Levi took the phone from Reyse and slapped it onto Dez’s chest. “Now, get the fuck out of here before I call the cops. Okay? Oh, and give me that phony pass.”

  Levi snapped his fingers. Dez looked mutinous at all of them. But there wasn’t much more he could do other than snatch the lanyard from around his neck, thrust it at Levi, then go storming off out of the VIP area. Reyse was glad to see a couple of other security guys flanking him to make sure he left once and for all.

  “Oh, aren’t you a clever girl,” Evangeline cooed as Foofy came running back into her arms. “Did you find the bad man? Yes you did, yes you did.”

  Relief was making Reyse dizzy. It wasn’t so much that Dez would have been exposing him and Corey this time. More spoiling this precious reunion.

  “Holy crap,” Reyse said shakily. “I got my band back and my boyfriend all in one night.” He realized what he’d said. “I mean! Uh-”

  Corey chuckled and hugged him tightly, rubbing his back. “I better be your damn boyfriend after all this,” he teased.

  Reyse softly kissed his lips. Not for too long, as they were in the middle of all his nearest and dearest. But enough that he hoped conveyed his love. “I’ll be your boyfriend, too.”

  “Oh, get a room!” Joey cried, making the group laugh.

  “Aww, I think it’s so romantic,” Reyse’s mom said, coming forward to hug them both gently. Reyse rested his head against hers, sighing.

  “Actually, would you like a room?” Ashby asked.

  Reyse frowned and looked at him. Ashby had his phone out. “What do you mean?” Reyse asked.

  “Oh! Oh!” Kimmy cried, looking over Ashby’s shoulder. “Go for that one!” That’s a good one!”

  “Actually, that’s a smart idea,” TJ said, also looking as he nodded.

  “I figured with all the press attention you wouldn’t want to go back to your apartment,” Ashby said, waggling his phone. “So I’m booking you a penthouse suite for the night. I think you deserve it,” he added fondly. “Not at my resort,” he added hastily. “Just a nice place in LA.”